The Washington Commanders are in a slump, and the road ahead doesn't get any easier. They'll face perhaps their most formidable opponent all season in the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 8.
Andy Reid's squad has gotten red-hot after a slow start. The Commanders are heading in the opposite direction, so the potential problems are staring Dan Quinn in the face.
Washington will be without star quarterback Jayden Daniels for the contest as he nurses a low-grade hamstring strain suffered against the Dallas Cowboys. The Commanders are hopeful that wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. could return, which would make life much easier for veteran backup Marcus Mariota during his third start of the campaign.
Commanders defense must improve drastically to upset the Chiefs
However, this one will come down to the Commanders' defense. After a brutal showing in Week 7, Joe Whitt Jr.'s unit must turn it around in a hurry if Washington has any hopes of making the playoffs.
After all the criticism Whitt and his group have faced in the past two weeks, there would be no better way to silence the noise than to hold one of the league's most potent offenses in check. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' passing attack had gone through a few "down years" by their standards, but they're back to form in 2025, ranking sixth in passing yards per game and fifth in total yards.
Kansas City also recently returned the services of wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was suspended for the first six weeks. The third-year pro caught two touchdowns in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, picking up where he left off in the previous campaign.
Washington's defensive struggles have been particularly evident in the secondary, which has given up chunk yardage in the passing game. Marshon Lattimore has been a popular scapegoat, but everybody in the cornerback and safety rooms has been disappointing to at least some degree. The Commanders' pair of 2024 All-Pro linebackers, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, have additionally had issues in short pass coverage.
There's certainly potential for this one to go sour in a hurry. It could bring back memories of Washington's 2013 home contest against the Chiefs, when Kansas City scored 38 points in the first half. Or, it could end up being the game that turns the Commanders' season around.
Without Daniels, even a close loss with a strong defensive showing could inspire cautious optimism that not all hope is lost just yet for the Commanders in 2025. But the improvement needs to be significant.