Chiefs game report | Mahomes overcomes slow start, defense dominates Commanders

KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.

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With five wins in the last six games, the Kansas City Chiefs are officially one of the hottest teams in the NFL — and they didn’t even play their best during a lopsided 28-7 win against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs certainly benefited from reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels’ absence with a hamstring injury, but Marcus Mariota played pretty well until the drive-deciding moments when the defense won.

Kansas City improved to 11-1 all-time against Washington

After an 0-2 start, the Chiefs (5-3) now sit one game behind Denver (6-2) in the AFC West standings and tied with the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3).

Kansas City iced the game with a 13-play, seven-minute drive early in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs' offense totaled 119 yards — overcoming two penalties and a sack, while facing only one third down — on a 94-yard march for the game's final score, an 18-yard strike from Patrick Mahomes to Rashee Rice, who finished with nine catches for 93 yards.

“It's fun to see each week how we progress and how each week someone else is getting involved and making big plays,” Rice said.

But as good as Mahomes and the offense has been, and they had three successive touchdown drives of at least 75 yards to start the second half, Kansas City's defense has been remarkably stingy.

The Chiefs have only allowed only 14 points in the last 10 quarters, a fourth-quarter touchdown against Detroit in Week 6 and a second-quarter touchdown against Washington sandwiched around a shutout win versus Las Vegas last week.

Andy Reid's squad has outscored its opponents 76-14 during that span.

MAHOMES REMAINS EN FUEGO

Mahomes finished 25 of 34 for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, which came on the first two drives.

It was the fourth time in the last five games Mahomes threw at least three touchdown passes, something that hasn’t occurred since he tossed three-plus TDs in each of the first four games to start the 2021 season.

Mahomes, who won NFL MVP awards in 2018 and 2022, is the betting favorite to win league MVP roughly halfway through the 2025 season.

Despite sitting out all but the season finale as a rookie, he is tied with Dan Marino for the most career three-touchdown games in a player's first nine NFL seasons (46), according to ESPN.

DANNA SNAGS RARE PICK

Defensive lineman Mike Danna was credited with three passes defended in 2023, which stands out as a complete anomaly in his football career.

During nine other seasons at the college and pro levels — three with Central Michigan and one at Michigan before the last six with the Chiefs in the NFL — Danna has totaled three other passes defended with no interceptions.

That changed on Washington’s first drive when Mariota’s bubble screen to Deebo Samuel went through the former San Francisco All-Pro’s hands, ricocheted off his helmet and right into Danna’s hands.

“That was a big play there. One of those turnovers when they were driving the field, he comes in and made it look easy, but that's not an easy thing to do,” Reid said. “Then, he had a little YAC after it, so he did pretty good.”

It was the Chiefs’ fifth interception of the season.

The turnover, which happened on first down from the Kansas City 18-yard line, probably took points off the board, but the Chiefs returned the favor.

Marcus Lattimore intercepted Mahomes’ back-shoulder throw deep down the visiting sideline intended for Hollywood Brown as the first quarter ended in a scoreless deadlock.

TIP-DRILL PICK BITES MAHOMES AGAIN

While Mahomes has no one to share credit for his first interception, Travis Kelce deserves the lion’s share of the blame for the second.

As he’s done countless times before, Kelce found a hole on third down and Mahomes found his future Hall of Fame tight end for an easy pitch and catch over the middle.

But instead of a first down, Kelce tipped the ball into the air for linebacker Bobby Wagner for Mahomes’ second interception in as many drives.

In between, cornerback Jaylen Watson tackled Zach Ertz five inches short — at least, that’s what the virtual measurement showed — for a turnover on downs, while Washington’s third drive ended when Mariota harmlessly lobbed a fourth-down pass into the end zone, about 20 yards past any player on the field.

“Those four downs were big, but they do that,” Reid said. “They're one of the more aggressive teams in the league going for fourth down, and they were tonight, but we were able to stop them a couple times. I thought that was positive.”

Cornerback Chamarri Conner led the defense with 10 tackles, while Danna and defensive end George Karlaftis each had a sack.

During the game’s first five drives, there were three interceptions and two turnovers on downs.

“First half was weird,” Reid said. “There wasn't a lot of punting going on on either side, and there were no points on the board. That normally doesn't go on.”

KELCE ATONES, MAKES CLUB HISTORY

Kelce made up for the tip-drill interception — the second involving Kelce this season, including one at the goal line in a Week 2 loss against the Eagles — as the game went along.

He had a 31-yard first-half catch for the Chiefs’ longest play before halftime and added a 38-yard catch and run on the go-ahead touchdown drive to start the third quarter.

Kelce capped Kansas City’s second drive in the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown reception, which tied him for the all-time franchise lead in regular-season touchdowns (83).

Priest Holmes also had 83 touchdowns with the Chiefs.

Kelce, who is the highest-scoring non-kicker in Kansas City history with 508 points, has 80 career receiving touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and also has recovered a fumble for a touchdown.

With his 20 postseason touchdowns, Kelce now has 100 career receiving touchdowns in the regular season and playoffs combined.

He finished Monday with six catches for 99 yards and that touchdown.

Kelce is the fifth NFL tight end all-time to reach 80 career receiving touchdowns — Antonio Gates (116), Tony Gonzalez (111), Rob Gronkowski (92), Jimmy Graham (89).

GOAL-LINE TRICKERATION

For the second week in a row, the Chiefs dug deep into their bag of tricks at the goal line, motioning Mahomes out to the right and snapping the ball directly to Rashee Rice.

After faking the handoff to Xavier Worthy on a jet sweep, Rice kept it and dashed upfield, diving for the end zone with an outstretched right arm.

“Pretty cool to be in the backfield, playing quarterback, feeling like Pat Mahomes,” joked Rice, who finished with nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. “But I had Xavier at running back. It's just an option play that we have. We're reading a D-end. If the D-end would have played me, I would have given the ball to X.”

It was initially ruled a touchdown, but it was overturned after an expedited review and Kareem Hunt got a more traditional carry for a 1-yard touchdown on the next play.

During a 31-0 win against Las Vegas a week earlier, the Chiefs ran a trick play with Gardner Minshew, who used to play for the Raiders, inside the 5-yard line. The possible touchdown was halted by a pre-snap penalty.

It wasn’t a trick play, but Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin got tricky with the toe tap to tie the game with 58 seconds left before halftime.

Former Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright had the extra point. He stepped in with Matt Gay sidelined by a back injury.

The score snapped a streak of 103 minutes and 16 seconds of game time since Kansas City last allowed any points.

INJURY UPDATE

Reid said after the game that linebacker Nick Bolton, who finished with six tackles, and running back Isiah Pacheco, who had 12 carries for a game-high 58 yards rushing, both suffered knee injuries.

It didn't seem like either would be a long-term issue, but it will be worth monitoring practice participation with a short week before flying to Buffalo.

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