Arrowhead Pride
Before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 7 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, every member of our contributor panel picked the Chiefs to win. Half of them expected a blowout — and as a group, they thought Kansas City would win 33-18. While that aggregate prediction also called for a blowout, it nonetheless carried 36 points of error from the 31-0 final. To their credit, two-thirds of our readers expected a blowout, too.
In Week 8, the Chiefs face the Washington Commanders for “Monday Night Football” on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Kansas City is favored by 11.5 points.
Let’s see what the staff — and our readers — think about the matchup.
The entire trajectory of this game changed when Commanders’ quarterback Jayden Daniels was ruled out for it. Daniels is a very good young quarterback who can make smart decisions, push the ball downfield and create explosive plays with his legs. Marcus Mariota will operate the quick game well, but he doesn’t have the willingness (or arm talent) to hurt the Chiefs downfield. To keep up with Kansas City, Washington will have to produce many methodical drives — and that seems unlikely to me.
On the other side, the Chiefs should easily put up at least 30 points. The Commanders have personnel issues at every level. They don’t have a deep pass rush, they’re poor covering the middle of the field at linebacker and they give up explosive passes downfield in man coverage. There will be plenty of opportunities for Kansas City to attack downfield, and I expect a great offensive performance by the Chiefs.
Chiefs 37, Commanders 20
After five weeks, the Commanders were 3-2, while the Chiefs were 2-3. On Monday, Washington will be trying to avoid racking up its third straight loss, while Kansas City will be trying for its third straight win. So each team is clearly at a crossroads. But right now, I won’t be picking against the Chiefs at the spot where these two paths meet.
Chiefs 30, Commanders 12
The only path for the Commanders to stay competitive against the Chiefs is to control time of possession and keep quarterback Patrick Mahomes (and the offense) on the sideline. That means running the ball effectively — something that will be difficult with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels sidelined and Marcus Mariota stepping in.
The Commanders’ running backs haven’t shown enough explosiveness to sustain drives — and in recent weeks, the Chiefs’ defense has been stout against the run. That trend should continue. Defensively, Washington doesn’t have the personnel to consistently slow down a Kansas City offense that has hit its stride over the past month.
Simply put, only the Chiefs can beat themselves. If Kansas City avoids penalties and self-inflicted mistakes, this game shouldn’t be close. Expect another efficient performance, with running back Isaiah Pacheco continuing to build momentum. Around 75 rushing yards —...
