There were two versions of the Washington Commanders on the field against the Kansas City Chiefs.<\/p>\n
The first that showed up looked more like the Commanders team that was expected to start the season, minus Jayden Daniels. The offense was moving the ball — at times, almost with ease against the Chiefs\u2019 top 10 defense. The Chiefs were just as effective, but the defensive changes the coaching staff promised earlier in the week seemed to be working. The unit played faster and forced turnovers, doubling their season total in two quarters.<\/p>\n
If the first half was what fans hoped they would see from the Commanders in the second season of Dan Quinn\u2019s tenure, the second half was more of what the team had looked like for many of the previous seven games. The offense flashed at times but couldn\u2019t stay on the field for extended periods, while the defense gave up explosive plays and allowed 21 points as well as 271 yards in the final two quarters.<\/p>\n
The potential was there for the Commanders to pull out an upset of the Chiefs, but a mixture of self-inflicted errors and the Chiefs looking more like themselves, a tied game quickly turned into a 28-7 defeat, leaving the Commanders at 3-5 with a daunting schedule ahead.<\/p>\n
Zach Ertz: \u2018Clock is ticking\u2019 for 3-5 Commanders after blowout loss to Chiefs<\/a><\/p>\n The scoreboard read 7-7 at halftime of Monday night\u2019s Kansas City Chiefs-Washington Commanders game, but the road team already lost. Dan Quinn\u2019s squad missed opportunities to take advantage of a wobbly Patrick Mahomes offense early, then got boatraced in the second half, falling 28-7<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Washington defense, which has been a sieve all season, made plays early, however, the lack of consistent pressure on Mahomes eventually broke them, leading to three consecutive Chiefs touchdown drives to open the second half that broke the game open.<\/p>\n Washington was outgained 432-260, allowing the Chiefs to go 2-of-2 on fourth downs, 4-of-4 in the red zone and 2-of-2 in goal-to-go situations. K.C. didn\u2019t have a three-and-out all night.<\/p>\n The blowout loss pushes Washington to 3-5, well behind the 6-2 Eagles in the division. The Commanders currently sit in 13th in the NFC.<\/p>\n Tight end Zach Ertz said Washington has to find consistency to stack wins.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just too many highs and lows,\u201d he said. \u201cJust haven\u2019t executed consistently enough in all three phases in a game. Play a half really well and then don\u2019t play the second half well. Play a game well in one phase, don\u2019t play well in another. I thought we had a really good week of practice, honestly, and I\u2019m confident that if we can continue to practice like we do, that\u2019s going to turn. But the clock is ticking, obviously.\u201d<\/p>\n The biggest clock tick is Daniels\u2019 hamstring. Mariota wasn\u2019t the reason for the loss, but the backup quarterback is unable to overcome the pitfalls of a defense that struggles to get off the field for long stretches.<\/p>\n Both teams went for it on fourth down twice, with the Commanders coming up short both times and the Chiefs converting both times. Quinn cited that after the game as one of the key reasons the Commanders lost 28-7.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing in to this game, we were going to be bolder on fourth,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cThis is a game you\u2019ve got to live on the edge. If you\u2019re going to come here and get a win it\u2019s not going to be with a bunch of field goals.\u201d<\/p>\n On both of the Commanders\u2019 fourth down attempts, they called passes. Marcus Mariota threw incomplete on one and got a five-yard gain on fourth-and-6 on the other. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown pass on one fourth down and Kareem Hunt ran for another first down.<\/p>\n \u201cMan, did we leave a lot of opportunities out there tonight, and you cannot leave that many chances out there and expect to win, especially against this team,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cNot capitalizing on turnovers, not winning on fourth downs. They did.\u201d<\/p>\n Chiefs vs. Commanders takeaways: Kansas City dominates second half to win third consecutive game<\/a><\/p>\n The Kansas City Chiefs opened the second half of their \u201cMonday Night Football\u201d matchup against the Washington Commanders with three consecutive touchdown drives en route to a 28-7 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.<\/p>\n This Commanders team is just not built for anything more than one good half. Injuries are part of the problem \u2014 and that only got worse tonight with left tackle Laremy Tunsil (hamstring) and wide receiver Terry McLaurin (quad) leaving early.<\/p>\n McLaurin\u2019s return showed just how valuable he is to the offense. The potential to lose him again would be a dagger for the Commanders, though he said after the game that he was \u201cpretty optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from ailing stars, persistent mistakes continued to do in the Commanders.<\/p>\n Washington finally got takeaways but couldn\u2019t sustain the pressure on Mahomes for four quarters. The Commanders are halfway through the season but appear gassed.<\/p>\n Washington Post (paywall)<\/p>\n This Commanders season? It\u2019s starting to hurt.<\/a><\/p>\n With more injuries and missed opportunities, this Washington game felt like a rerun, and it\u2019s getting stale<\/p>\n The star receiver returned to action Monday night, and though he made the impossible look routine, he\u2019s now planning to take his latest pain \u201cday by day.\u201d The big trade acquisition over the offseason didn\u2019t play a down in the second half. One of the few defensive linemen who has avoided the injury list also couldn\u2019t finish the game. And inside a quiet visiting locker room, the franchise quarterback watched baseball.<\/p>\n If you were expecting something new to emerge from the latest Washington Commanders\u2019 result, a storyline that didn\u2019t include words about body parts or blown opportunities, then sorry, wrong season.<\/p>\n [T]he Commanders are mired in a cycle of bad breaks and poor play, as evidenced by their 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.<\/p>\n \u201cMan, did we leave a lot of opportunities out there tonight,\u201d Coach Dan Quinn said.<\/p>\n For the Commanders, who are short on depth and long on tough luck, there\u2019s little room for error.<\/p>\n Jeremy McNichols : Paces pass catchers in loss<\/a><\/p>\n McNichols rushed once for four yards and brought in five of six targets for 64 yards in the Commanders\u2019 28-7 loss to the Chiefs on Monday night. The veteran running back was once again minimally involved on the ground, but he posted team-high and season-best reception and receiving yardage totals. McNichols also tied for the team lead in targets while setting a new season-long high-water mark in that category, and he projects to remain in a similar role irrespective of who\u2019s under center for the Commanders in a Week 9 home matchup against the Seahawks on Sunday night.<\/p>\n Marcus Mariota\u2019s exceptional first half<\/a><\/p>\n Considering the Washington Commanders were double-digit underdogs<\/a> heading into the clash, they gave a tremendous account of themselves during the first half. The defense turned up ready to play, picking off quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice in quick succession. And Marcus Mariota had no trouble moving the ball downfield during an exceptional opening two quarters.<\/p>\n Aside from the interception \u2014 which was more on Deebo Samuel Sr. than the quarterback \u2014 Mariota was almost flawless. He got through his progressions quickly, made smart decisions, and trusted his weapons to make plays. His touchdown throw to wide receiver Terry McLaurin was first-class stuff, and it was expertly brought in by the pass-catcher to tie things up heading into the interval.<\/p>\n This was reflected in the stats<\/a>. Mariota\u2019s pick was the only real blemish, but he could do absolutely nothing about that.<\/p>\n 82.35 percent completion155 passing yards1 touchdown1 interception1 sack against22 rushing yards (6 carries)99.8 passer rating (ESPN)<\/p>\n There was cautious optimism and apprehension in equal measure when Jayden Daniels was ruled out. But Mariota kept things ticking over instantly, and fans of both clubs quickly discovered that this was not going to be the walkover most had envisaged beforehand.<\/p>\n NFL Week 8 Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 28, Washington Commanders 7<\/a> It started well enough, but things unraveled quickly.<\/p>\n Jaylin Lane – Commanders WR<\/p>\n This was always going to be a game of razor-thin margins for the Washington Commanders. They came into the contest short-handed versus a team in red-hot form. Anything less than supreme execution across all phases would carry severe ramifications.<\/p>\n Sadly, that didn\u2019t happen. This moment proved too big for rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane, whose error-prone outing represented a stain on his recent improvements.<\/p>\n The fourth-round selection fumbled a critical kickoff return out of bounds, leaving the Commanders starting a drive where they desperately needed points on the one-yard line.<\/p>\n Lane followed this up a few plays later with an unacceptable drop.<\/p>\n He brought in a target after that but failed to gain any positive yardage.<\/p>\n This is all part of Lane\u2019s learning experience. He\u2019s still growing as a player, and there will be difficult moments. At the same time, he\u2019s got enough athleticism and elusiveness to become an asset with additional polish.<\/p>\n Jacob Martin – Commanders DE<\/p>\n There weren\u2019t many reasons for Commanders fans to cheer, especially during the second half. They performed far better than anyone expected over the opening two quarters. But once they were forced to chase the game, the same complications soon arose.<\/p>\n Some encouraging signs did emerge amid the doom and gloom. The Commanders needed one of their few edge rushers to step up in the wake of Dorance Armstrong Jr.\u2018s season-ending knee injury<\/a>. Jacob Martin led the rallying cry before the contest and brought that aggressive passion onto the field.<\/p>\n Martin was the only player who seemed capable of generating consistent pressure. He gave left tackle Jaylon Moore a torrid time in the opening exchanges, overwhelming him with an impressive blend of power, explosiveness, and drive. Finishing the game with two sacks, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits was a big positive. Unfortunately, it didn\u2019t affect the eventual outcome.<\/p>\n The free-agent signing is doing enough to start. Martin might also be on his way to getting another contract at season\u2019s end if the same trend continues.<\/p>\n NFL insider casts doubt on Jayden Daniels\u2019 availability for Week 9<\/a><\/p>\n Daniels has already missed three games, including Week 8, and now NFL insider Adam Schefter isn\u2019t sure the quarterback will be back for Week 9 either.<\/p>\n Appearing on \u201cThe Pat McAfee Show\u201d on Monday, Schefter was asked about Daniels\u2019 status against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think a guy that\u2019s had a knee injury and a hamstring injury\u2026 Hamstrings, you gotta be really careful with that\u2026 I won\u2019t be surprised if we don\u2019t see Jayden again on Sunday night,\u201d Schefter said.<\/p>\n 2025 NFL trade needs tracker: Every team\u2019s top priority ahead of Nov. 4 deadline<\/a><\/p>\n Heading into Week 8, the Commanders\u2019 aged defense continued to get worked over. Marshon Lattimore has been picked on regularly. Mike Sainristil is having a disappointing Year 2 thus far. And the safety crew has been beat and missed tackles. As Dan Quinn\u2019s crew is currently constructed, things won\u2019t get better.<\/p>\n Commanders Squander Opportunities in Loss to Chiefs<\/p>\n 3 reasons why the Cowboys lost to the Broncos<\/a><\/p>\n Hello darkness, my all too familiar friend. Needing a win to keep pace in the NFC playoff chase, the Cowboys needed to pull off an upset. Instead, fans were upset. The Cowboys rolled into the Mile High City only to be trampled by the Denver Broncos. Dak Prescott\u2019s MVP candidacy likely came to a screeching halt after a poor performance where his streak of at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions was snapped.<\/p>\n Conditions were not ideal, but Prescott wasn\u2019t making matters any better. His two interceptions took potential points off the board for a team that needed a shootout just to have an outside chance of winning. That said, it wasn\u2019t only Prescott responsible for the team\u2019s struggles; many other factors contributed to the embarrassing loss. Here are three more reasons why Dallas lost against Denver.<\/p>\n Where do we start? Yes, the Dallas secondary is very depleted. Trevon Diggs was placed on injured reserve on Saturday, Juanyeh Thomas was inactive as was Donovan Wilson, but still the secondary is not performing even at an acceptable level given the circumstances. Despite getting an interception, Bridges was often picked on by Bo Nix and allowed multiple touchdowns in pass coverage. Also, the secondary cannot seem to get on the right page in zone coverage.<\/p>\n Countless times this season we\u2019ve seen the secondary lose a receiver in zone coverage, and the players on the field look confused as to whose assignment it was to pick up someone running uncovered in the secondary. A prime example was Dallas having Denver backed up on 1st-and-20 from the Dallas 25-yard line. No problem for Nix and company. The Cowboys lost Troy Franklin in the middle of their zone defense, and he caught an uncontested touchdown in the middle of the end zone.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the secondary allowed too many runs by Denver to be bounced outside for big gains.<\/p>\n Should Eagles\u2019 Zach Baun be fined for hip-drop tackle on Giants\u2019 Cam Skattebo?<\/a><\/p>\n The New York Giants have plenty of reasons to be upset with the officiating in Sunday\u2019s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.<\/p>\n One call in particular, or rather a non-call, stands out in particular. That\u2019s the play which cost Cam Skattebo the remainder of his rookie season.<\/p>\n We won\u2019t show video of the play, but Skattebo ran a route on a second-and-16. Eagles\u2019 linebacker Zach Baun got there a hair early, but that wasn\u2019t the issue. Rather it\u2019s the tackle, with Baun wrapping Skattebo up, dropped his weight, swinging himself down and trapping his legs under him which is the problem.<\/p>\n In other words, Baun seems to have executed a \u201chip-drop\u201d tackle. Or at least that\u2019s how it looks here.<\/p>\n The hip drop tackle was banned due to the risk for offensive players, which was proven out by Skattebo\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n The play, of course, wasn\u2019t called. It usually isn\u2019t called during games. Rather, the league fines players it deems as having executed one.<\/p>\n There\u2019s some question as to whether the play was a hip-drop by the letter of the rule.<\/p>\n The NFL has emphasized player safety, and Skattebo\u2019s injury was a gruesome one. And considering his recent status as a popular young player, it\u2019s a very public injury. The NFL may want to use the incident to show that they\u2019re serious about protecting players and policing dangerous plays.<\/p>\n We won\u2019t get into whether or not the NFL \u201cowes\u201d the Giants after the poorly officiated game. Yes, there was potentially a 17-point swing. And the play cost the Giants one of their best young players.<\/p>\n but there\u2019s also no way for the Giants to be made whole and Skattebo can\u2019t be magically healed.<\/p>\n 49ers stumble allows Seahawks to slide into first place in NFC West<\/a><\/p>\n Without even setting foot on the field in Week 8, the Seattle Seahawks have moved into first place in the NFC West.<\/p>\n As the end of October quickly approached, a three-team logjam formed atop the NFC West.<\/p>\n The Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams all entered Week 8 at 5-2, though the Niners held the division lead thanks to their 3-0 record against other NFC West foes. That gave San Francisco the tiebreaker over both Seattle and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n However, the 49ers falling 26-15 to the Houston Texans dropped San Francisco to 5-3 and out of the tie with Los Angeles and Seattle.<\/p>\n With the Rams winless against NFC West opponents, having dropped their lone division contest to the Niners, the Seahawks take over first place thanks to the tiebreaker courtesy of their Week 4 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n With both the Rams and Cardinals also enjoying a bye in Week 8, the Seahawks are assured to hold the division lead through the Week.<\/p>\n What Carson Wentz\u2019s injury means for Vikings, J.J. McCarthy<\/a><\/p>\n Wearing a series of harnesses to hold together his left shoulder, Wentz frequently grimaced in pain. Sacked five times and hit on four other occasions, he repeatedly clutched his arm as if to prevent it from falling off. After his final pass in the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 37-10 loss<\/a> to the Los Angeles Chargers, he hurled his helmet toward the bench, covered his face with a towel and then appeared to be holding back tears as he looked toward the sky.<\/p>\n The entire night was a throwback to previous eras of gladiator football, when players were glorified for pushing through injuries that would cripple mere mortals. As it turns out, Wentz was playing with a torn labrum and fractured socket caused by a dislocation he suffered on Oct. 5 against the Browns. He said Thursday night that he could still function well enough to help the team, and coach Kevin O\u2019Connell said that Wentz told him repeatedly he could continue playing.<\/p>\n As long as Wentz stayed in the game, second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy was ineligible to play. As the designated emergency third quarterback, and in his sixth week of recovery from a high right ankle sprain, McCarthy could play only if both Wentz and No. 2 quarterback Max Brosmer were ruled out by medical officials.<\/p>\n With tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O\u2019Neill both sidelined by knee injuries, and the Vikings using a converted guard (Blake Brandel) at center, O\u2019Connell said afterward he did not want to subject the undrafted rookie Brosmer — much less McCarthy — to the carnage.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/temp-pff-kc-was-chart.jpg\"\/)
<\/a>2 winners (and 5 losers) from Commanders\u2019 prime time meltdown against Chiefs<\/a><\/p>\n