The Washington Commanders dropped their third consecutive game with a 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.
1. A promising first half.
In many respects, the Commanders started the Monday night game against the Chiefs looking like a different team compared to the first seven games. They had energy on both sides of the ball; two of their playmakers were back in the fold on offense; and the changes they made on defense seemed to ignite the unit.
The spark seemed to catch the Chiefs off guard, and that allowed the Commanders to match them for a time. Actually, there's an argument to be made that the Commanders outplayed the Chiefs for two quarters. They outgained the Chiefs, 194-156, converted five third downs to the Chiefs' three and controlled the time of possession, 17:14-12:46.
The quarterback battle between Marcus Mariota and Patrick Mahomes wasn't a lopsided affair but was clearly in the former's favor to start the night. Mariota completed 14 of his 17 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Mahomes was limited to 8-of-15 for 89 yards and two interceptions. That disparity can be credited to Washington's defense, which put pressure on the Chiefs quarterback and forced him to make errant throws.
Although the game obviously didn't end in the Commanders' favor, it was perhaps the best half of football they had played all season. The next step is for them to maintain that energy for four quarters, but it does at least instill some confidence in the roster if it's able to get healthy.