**3\. Kansas City will need to slow down Commanders' tailback Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt.**
Washington has dealt with a slew of injuries at the skill positions so far this season, losing players such as tailback Austin Ekeler and wide receiver Noah Brown to Injured Reserve while also missing impact pass-catchers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel for multiple games already this year. Those absences, not to mention Jayden Daniels' injuries, have been a primary factor behind the Commanders' 3-4 start this season.
A bright spot amongst all of that adversity, however, has been Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round draft pick who has quickly emerged as the Commanders' lead tailback. Croskey-Merritt is averaging 5.2 yards-per-carry this season, and while the Cowboys managed to hold him in check last week, it was only three weeks ago that he racked up 111 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries against the Chargers.
Fortunately, the Chiefs continue to stack strong performances against opposing running backs this season. Kansas City rendered Raiders' tailback Ashton Jeanty a relative non-factor last week, yielding just 21 yards on six carries, and they'll aim to do the same against Croskey-Merritt on Monday night.
**4\. Tight end Zach Ertz has four touchdown catches this season.**
Ertz has remained a constant in the Commanders' passing game this year amidst Washington's injuries, hauling in 23 catches for 229 yards and four touchdowns. All four of those scores have taken place in the red zone, and in the context of his peers, Ertz's four red-zone touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most of any player in the NFL.
For what it's worth, however, Ertz's target share has differed significantly between Daniels and Mariota. His 26 targets in Daniels' five starts trail only Deebo Samuel, but he tallied only seven targets across Mariota's two starts this year, catching five passes for 59 yards.
Regardless, the Chiefs will need to contain Ertz on Monday – especially in the red zone. The Commanders are 21st in the NFL in terms of red-zone drives this season (with 18), but when they've gotten there, they've almost always finished with touchdowns, finding the end zone at the second-best rate (77.8%) in the league. Ertz has been a major part of that success, and the Chiefs will need to slow him down on Monday.