Chiefs Demonstrate Full Potential in Sloppy Monday Night Blowout

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was a game for 30 minutes. Then it wasn’t.

By the final whistle, Kansas City defeated Washington, 28–7, showcasing what a powerhouse it can be.

Tied 7–7 at halftime, the Chiefs came out of the break and put on a clinic at Arrowhead Stadium. On its first three drives of the second half, Kansas City scored 21 points, scoring on drives of 80, 75 and 94 yards. Patrick Mahomes, after throwing two first-half interceptions, completed 17-of-20 attempts for 211 yards and three touchdowns over the last two quarters, finishing 25-of-34 for 299 yards with 329 total yards.

Last year, the Chiefs began the year 8–0 but looked flawed, outsourcing their opponents by just 56 combined points. This season, Kansas City is 5–3 and clinging to the AFC’s seventh seed but an objectively scarier team with a +83 point differential, second only to the Colts.

“I know our record isn’t as good but it’s a lot more fun when everybody is going out there and making stuff happen,” Mahomes said. “I think we’re getting better and better. We lost some tough games early that we had won in previous years but it’s not like anyone hung their head. … When the offense, defense and special teams are rolling, it’s fun to play football.”

Under the lights, Travis Kelce had a second-quarter pass ricocheted for an intersection but bounced back, catching six throws for 99 yards and a score. Rashee Rice notched his third touchdown in two games since returning from his six-week suspension while totaling nine receptions on as many targets for 93 yards. On the ground, Kansas City amassed 144 yards on 4.9 yards per carry, while averaging 6.4 yards per play.

Still, it wasn’t a dominating performance by the Chiefs’ standards. Indeed, they were downright bad in the first half. However, when they got going, they were unstoppable on both sides of the ball, outgaining the Commanders 432–260 in total yards including a 269–66 margin in the second half.

“It just shows our explosiveness and how good of an offense we are, how many weapons we have,” says receiver Xavier Worthy, who had five catches for 53 yards in the win. “We had a bad half. Every team has those days where you have a slow start. To get out there and make things happen, that shows the character we have as a team.”

For two quarters, the Commanders had every opportunity to upset the three-time defending AFC champions. Washington started Monday night with four consecutive drives reaching inside the Chiefs’ 40-yard line. However, those drives resulted in an interception, two turnovers on downs and seven points.

It was a valiant effort for a team without its starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, but it was nowhere near enough. Marcus Mariota played well, throwing for 213 yards, but Washington’s inability to finish drives early came back to haunt them.

Moving forward, the Chiefs can’t afford slow starts. Their next three games are against the Bills in Buffalo this Sunday, followed by the Broncos in Denver and the Colts at home. That stretch, including a Week 10 bye, could determine whether Kansas City must become a road warrior in January or host teams with their season on the line.

“Teams are going to be the teams,” Worthy says. “We had a (tough) stretch at the beginning part of the season. I like us versus whoever.”

In reality, the second-half version of the Chiefs is what we’ve primarily seen over the past five weeks. Kansas City is 4–1 over that stretch, averaging 28.8 points and 415.8 yards per game while beating the Lions and Ravens. The defense has also been stifling, shutting out the Raiders and allowing only three first downs last weekend while allowing 15 points and 266.2 yards per game over that same stretch.

“This defense has played together for a long time,” said All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie. “I don’t think there’s anything new or anything special that we’re doing. Guys are just buying in. Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) is making really good calls, and guys are going out there and making plays.”

All told, Kansas City is the only team to rank in the top seven in points and yards both for and against on a per-game basis. And, despite his two interceptions, one of which went through Kelce’s hands, Mahomes is the odds-on favorite in practically every sportsbook this side of the Atlantic Ocean to win his third NFL MVP award, something only six others have ever done.

The season is long, and the Chiefs are fallible, but their highs might be higher than anybody else can reach.

And on some nights, all they need is a good 30 minutes to prove it.