(Photo: Cosm)
NFC Game Of The Week
Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs
Commanders (3-4):
I’ve always believed that teams need to prove themselves the year after a surprising season. Last year, the Commanders finished second in the NFC East, made the playoffs, and won their first postseason game since 2005 — so it had been a while. They even came within a game of the Super Bowl, falling short to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. This season, they’ve shown flashes of last year’s form, but injuries have plagued them. Jayden Daniels has missed a few games and was hurt again in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys. They were also without Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel in that game. There are several issues with the Commanders, but the biggest is their inability to protect the football. It’s simple: if you turn the ball over, you don’t win games — period. The team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game. On top of that, they continue to get off to slow starts, which puts them in a hole early. After the loss to the Cowboys, they’ve dropped to third place in the NFC East. But the record that stands out most? 1-4 — their record within the NFC. Until I see consistency, I can’t take them seriously which is why I always say, “Cool, you did it once, let me see you do it again”. Prove to me the previous year wasn’t a fluke and then we can talk. They’ve been alternating wins each week too much for my liking. On Monday night, they head to Arrowhead to face the reigning AFC champs.
Chiefs (4-3):
In the words of Shawn Carter: “I guess they got their swagger back!” It hasn’t been the textbook start we’re used to from Kansas City. They began the season 0-2 — the worst two-game start of the Mahomes-Reid era. The loss to the Jaguars was especially concerning due to too many self-inflicted penalties and turnovers. However, the game against the Lions a few Sunday nights ago might have been their most complete performance. The offensive line gave Mahomes time, the offense moved the ball efficiently, and the defense handled the rest. In Week 7, they had a scrimmage against the Las Vegas Raiders — the starters were out by the start of the fourth quarter. This past Sunday marked the first time all season that Mahomes had Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Rashee Rice on the field together. I’ve talked about Worthy’s impact, but Rashee might be their most important receiver on the perimeter. He’s a possession guy who can win 50/50 battles and make contested catches — especially in the red zone when teams double Kelce. He’s often Mahomes’ next read. They handled business against the Raiders, but I wish they played with that urgency more often and didn’t rely on flipping the switch mid-game. This team still has championship pedigree and big-game experience — they’re not to be taken lightly. On Monday night, they welcome the Commanders to Arrowhead.
Commanders X-Factor: Terry McLaurin
Terry makes a noticeable difference when he’s on the field. He’s the key that jumpstarts Washington’s offense, and after missing last week’s game against Dallas, he’s expected back Monday night. This could be a statement game for him against an elite Chiefs defense that mixes man coverage and zone looks. His precise route running and veteran savvy could be crucial.
Chiefs X-Factor: Rashee Rice
Now fully healthy, Rashee gives Mahomes a true No. 1 receiver on the outside. While Xavier Worthy is their most explosive threat, Rice brings size, physicality, and red-zone mismatch potential — as we saw against the Raiders. Washington’s corners have struggled with yards after catch, and Rashee’s ability to break tackles could turn short passes into big gains. If he gets going early, this Chiefs offense becomes very hard to stop.
Final Thoughts:
These are two teams heading in opposite directions. The Commanders are below .500, while the Chiefs are getting healthy and finding their rhythm. Jayden Daniels will miss this game with a hamstring injury and Marcus Mariota will get the start at Quarterback. For Washington to pull off the upset, they need to: Keep Marcus upright. Steve Spagnuolo disguises pressure well — All Mariota needs to do is stay poised and avoid turnovers, feed Terry McLaurin and the other playmakers early to build rhythm and confidence, attack the Chiefs’ secondary often and lastly, contain Mahomes — don’t chase him. Keep him in the pocket and force him to play on schedule. For Kansas City: Establish and feed Isiah Pacheco to neutralize Washington’s strong front, protect Mahomes from interior pressure and Use a spy — like Drue Tranquill or Nick Bolton — to limit Daniels’ scrambling. I like the Chiefs to keep rolling on Monday night.
