The Washington Commanders waited just a bit too long to face the Kansas City Chiefs. At least that's how it feels.
It wasn't so long ago that the Chiefs were facing a losing record with an equally miserable offense and/or defense and/or special teams. A dying dynasty was the way to frame any national conversation around the franchise. It's also true that Washington looked a bit better early on.
Now, Dan Quinn's team is dealing with serious injury concerns, a failing defense, and an upcoming opponent that is the toast of the NFL. And they face the Chiefs at Arrowhead in primetime, a Monday Night Football showdown to close out Week 8 that should make Kansas City look really good once again.
While "any given Sunday" is the mantra that implies anything is possible in the NFL, no one, at least around here, really expects the Chiefs to encounter much trouble in Week 8. Here are our writers' predictions for the Commanders-Chiefs game.
Another lopsided game could be in the cards for Monday Night Football, or at least that's what our writers are expecting.
Christian Ainsworth
The Chiefs continue their streak of dominance with another statement win against the Commies. Nohl Williams validates his draft selection with his first NFL interception, Chris Jones gets his second sack of the year, and Rice's workload continues to increase. Chiefs 27, Commanders 13
Matt Conner
The only good news for the Commanders on Monday will be the ability of some players to see friendly faces (e.g. Nick Allegretti). Otherwise, it should be a very miserable night on all fronts against a much more talented (and healthy) Chiefs team. Chiefs 27, Commanders 12
Braden Holocek
The Chiefs will be tested with a generally efficient Washington offensive rush attack. The fresh Omarr Norman-Lott injury will not help matters. However, the Chiefs still likely have the better all around defense between the two teams. Factor that in with the Kansas City offense on a roll, along with Washington going through some offensive struggles, and the Chiefs do not fall short on Monday Night Football this time around. Chiefs 30, Commanders 20
Scott Loring
The Commanders are coming off an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Cowboys, and unless their defense has been playing possum for the last six weeks, they’re not going to be able to contain Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Washington ranks first in the NFL among league offenses with an eye-popping 5.4 yards/carry on the ground, but it won’t matter if their 27th-ranked defense (which has only forced three turnovers all season) can’t stop this revitalized Chiefs offense. Chiefs 24, Commanders 19
Shawn O'Brate
All anyone can say after last week is "wow", and if that offense can continue, against a mediocre Washington defense that is coming off a rough game against Dallas, then this game might not be close. Whether or not the defense can stop the likes of Deebo Samuel and (possibly) Jayden Daniels (and possibly Terry McLaurin) remains to be seen, but it won’t be likely that they can score like KC can. Mahomes doesn’t slow down, throwing 3+ TDs once again, and the defense starts to rally, even without Norman-Lott—even getting a turnover or two. Chiefs 35, Commanders 21
Charles Robinson
Much of the talk coming into the Chiefs' Week 8 matchup will be surrounding the status of second-year Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, but it should be centered elsewhere. Washington has been one of the worst defensive units in the league in 2025, allowing 357 yards and just over 24 points per game. Following back-to-back losses to the Bears and Cowboys (whom they allowed 44 points to), Washington is running into a buzz saw that they may have no answer for in Kansas City's revitalized offense. Chiefs 34, Commanders 16
Lucas Strozinsky
No matter who's playing at QB for Washington, the Chiefs should win this game. The Commanders have an awful secondary and a mediocre pass rush that the Chiefs' OL should handle. Chiefs 33, Commanders 19