Chiefs Demonstrate Full Potential In Sloppy Monday Night Blowout

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was a crippled for 30 minutes. Then it wasn’t.

By nan last whistle, Kansas City defeated Washington, 28–7, showcasing what a powerhouse it tin be. 

Tied 7–7 astatine halftime, nan Chiefs came retired of nan break and put connected a session astatine Arrowhead Stadium. On its first 3 drives of nan 2nd half, Kansas City scored 21 points, scoring connected drives of 80, 75 and 94 yards. Patrick Mahomes, aft throwing 2 first-half interceptions, completed 17-of-20 attempts for 211 yards and 3 touchdowns complete nan past 2 quarters, finishing 25-of-34 for 299 yards pinch 329 full yards. 

Last year, nan Chiefs began nan twelvemonth 8–0 but looked flawed, outsourcing their opponents by conscionable 56 mixed points. This season, Kansas City is 5–3 and clinging to nan AFC’s seventh seed but an objectively scarier squad pinch a +83 constituent differential, 2nd only to nan Colts.

“I cognize our grounds isn’t arsenic bully but it’s a batch much nosy erstwhile everybody is going retired location and making worldly happen,” Mahomes said. “I deliberation we’re getting amended and better. We mislaid immoderate reliable games early that we had won successful erstwhile years but it’s not for illustration anyone hung their head. … When nan offense, defense and typical teams are rolling, it’s nosy to play football.”

Under nan lights, Travis Kelce had a second-quarter walk ricocheted for an intersection but bounced back, catching six throws for 99 yards and a score. Rashee Rice notched his 3rd touchdown successful 2 games since returning from his six-week suspension while totaling 9 receptions connected arsenic galore targets for 93 yards. On nan ground, Kansas City amassed 144 yards connected 4.9 yards per carry, while averaging 6.4 yards per play. 

Still, it wasn’t a dominating capacity by nan Chiefs’ standards. Indeed, they were downright bad successful nan first half. However, erstwhile they sewage going, they were unstoppable connected some sides of nan ball, outgaining nan Commanders 432–260 successful full yards including a 269–66 separator successful nan 2nd half. 

“It conscionable shows our explosiveness and really bully of an discourtesy we are, really galore weapons we have,” says receiver Xavier Worthy, who had 5 catches for 53 yards successful nan win. “We had a bad half. Every squad has those days wherever you person a slow start. To get retired location and make things happen, that shows nan characteristic we person arsenic a team.”

For 2 quarters, nan Commanders had each opportunity to upset nan three-time defending AFC champions. Washington started Monday nighttime pinch 4 consecutive drives reaching wrong nan Chiefs’ 40-yard line. However, those drives resulted successful an interception, 2 turnovers connected downs and 7 points. 

It was a valiant effort for a squad without its starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, but it was obscurity adjacent enough. Marcus Mariota played well, throwing for 213 yards, but Washington’s inability to decorativeness drives early came backmost to haunt them. 

Moving forward, nan Chiefs can’t spend slow starts. Their adjacent 3 games are against nan Bills successful Buffalo this Sunday, followed by nan Broncos successful Denver and nan Colts astatine home. That stretch, including a Week 10 bye, could find whether Kansas City must go a roadworthy warrior successful January aliases big teams pinch their play connected nan line. 

“Teams are going to beryllium nan teams,” Worthy says. “We had a (tough) agelong astatine nan opening portion of nan season. I for illustration america versus whoever.”

In reality, nan second-half type of nan Chiefs is what we’ve primarily seen complete nan past 5 weeks. Kansas City is 4–1 complete that stretch, averaging 28.8 points and 415.8 yards per crippled while beating nan Lions and Ravens. The defense has besides been stifling, shutting retired nan Raiders and allowing only 3 first downs past play while allowing 15 points and 266.2 yards per crippled complete that aforesaid stretch. 

“This defense has played together for a agelong time,” said All-Pro area Trent McDuffie. “I don’t deliberation there’s thing caller aliases thing typical that we’re doing. Guys are conscionable buying in. Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) is making really bully calls, and guys are going retired location and making plays.”

All told, Kansas City is nan only squad to rank successful nan apical 7 successful points and yards some for and against connected a per-game basis. And, contempt his 2 interceptions, 1 of which went done Kelce’s hands, Mahomes is nan odds-on favourite successful practically each sportsbook this broadside of nan Atlantic Ocean to triumph his 3rd NFL MVP award, thing only six others person ever done. 

The play is long, and nan Chiefs are fallible, but their highs mightiness beryllium higher than anybody other tin reach. 

And connected immoderate nights, each they request is simply a bully 30 minutes to beryllium it.

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