Mahomes rallies Chiefs past Commanders despite early picks

Chiefs Secure Commanding Win Over Commanders

Patrick Mahomes passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns, while Kareem Hunt scored twice, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday night.

After throwing two early interceptions—one of which was largely not his fault—Mahomes settled in with precision. His touchdown throw to Travis Kelce marked the 83rd of the tight end’s career, tying him with Priest Holmes for the Chiefs’ franchise record. Another scoring pass went to Rashee Rice, who had nine receptions for 93 yards in his second game back from a six-game suspension.

The win marked Kansas City’s fourth in five games (5-3) and extended their dominance over Washington. The Chiefs have now won nine straight meetings and 11 of their last 12, with their only loss dating back to September 1983.

“It shows the growth we’ve had as a team,” Mahomes said. “Even with a rough offensive start, we fought through adversity and played the way we wanted.”

Marcus Mariota, starting in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, threw for 213 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (3-5), who moved to 1-4 on the road this season. Terry McLaurin, returning from a quad injury, caught three passes for 54 yards, including the Commanders’ lone touchdown. Deebo Samuel also returned from a heel injury but was limited to just three receptions.

“It was a tale of two halves,” McLaurin noted, adding that he would monitor his injury closely. “We missed opportunities early. The defense gave us chances, but we couldn’t convert. In the second half, they outplayed us.”

The first half was marked by sloppy execution from both sides. Washington’s opening drive ended with Mariota’s pass bouncing off Samuel for an interception. Kansas City’s ensuing drive halted when Mahomes was also picked off. After stopping the Commanders on fourth down, Mahomes had a pass deflect off Kelce’s hands for his second interception—but again, Washington couldn’t capitalize as Mariota misfired on fourth-and-one deep in Chiefs territory.

With two turnovers by each team and two failed Commanders fourth-down attempts, both offenses struggled through five fruitless drives. Then came two strong responses: Kansas City went 72 yards for a touchdown, and Washington answered with a 66-yard drive capped by McLaurin’s overturned TD catch.

The Chiefs pulled away after halftime, opening with an 80-yard drive finished by Hunt to secure the victory.