The Kansas City Chiefs came into Monday Night Football as one of the NFL's hottest teams. In the first half, that momentum they had built was nowhere to be found. The Chiefs looked sloppy and out of sorts. Consequently, they went into halftime tied 7-7 with the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders. Thankfully for KC and their fans, they found their footing in the second half and cruised to an easy 28-7 win.
The Chiefs being their own worst enemy and keeping games way too close was a hallmark of their 15-2 season last year, but they appeared to have shaken that reputation this year after multiple double-digit wins and some convincing blowouts against the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders. In the first half, it looked like a return to last season's ways and the game appeared to be headed toward a last-minute finish. However, the fact that KC only needed one good half to get a 21-point blowout should have the NFL on notice.
Patrick Mahomes came alive in the second half after two first-half interceptions. He finished the game with 299 yards passing and three touchdowns. The Chiefs also got the run game going in the second half and ended the night with 148 yards rushing. Kareem Hunt was especially effective on Monday night with two touchdowns and several key short-yardage runs.
A good second half was all the Chiefs needed to blow out the Commanders.
The Chiefs found their rhythm in the passing game in the second half by feeding Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Kelce finished with six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, and Rice ended up with nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown (and was inches shy of a couple more). Mix in some key receptions by guys like Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Noah Gray, and the KC offense eventually looked like a well-oiled machine.
Then there is the defense. The Chiefs came in with a clear advantage with their pass defense against Marcus Mariota. Early on, Mariota was able to find a little success against the Chiefs' defense, extending drives and getting into scoring range, but turnovers and failed fourth-down conversions really took the wind out of Washington's sails, and eventually the KC defense wore them down. They ended the day with only seven points allowed, a couple of sacks, and a couple of interceptions.
So you have a Patrick Mahomes-led offense that is starting to gel, one that proved that it only needed one good half to light up the scoreboard. Then you have a defense that is only giving up eight points per game during their current three-game winning streak. That should terrify the rest of the NFL.
If Kansas City gets Trey Smith and Josh Simmons back on the offensive line, and if general manager Brett Veach makes an addition or two on the defensive line before the trade deadline, the Chiefs will be an absolute nightmare for anyone trying to prevent them from going to their fourth straight Super Bowl.