Mahomes and Hunt Lead Chiefs to Dominant Win Over Commanders

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs overcame a sluggish first half to defeat the Washington Commanders 28–7 on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Kareem Hunt scored twice to help the Chiefs secure their fourth win in five games. The victory marked Kansas City’s ninth consecutive triumph over Washington and its eleventh in the last twelve meetings. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid described the first half as “downright weird,” citing turnovers, failed fourth-down attempts, and poor execution from both teams. “There wasn't a lot of punting but there wasn't a lot of points,” Reid said. “That doesn't normally happen.” Mahomes struggled early, throwing two interceptions—one off a deflection by tight end Travis Kelce—but he rebounded with near-perfect play in the second half. One of his touchdown passes went to Kelce, tying him with Priest Holmes for the franchise record of eighty-three touchdowns. Another went to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who hauled in nine passes for ninety-three yards in his second game back from suspension.

The Commanders, now 3–5, were led by quarterback Marcus Mariota, who started in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. Mariota threw for 213 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Washington’s only score came on a 54-yard touchdown reception by Terry McLaurin, who returned from a quad injury but aggravated it late in the game.

The first half was marred by mistakes from both sides. Each team traded interceptions and failed to capitalize on key opportunities. Kansas City finally broke the stalemate with a 72-yard touchdown drive, but Washington responded with a 66-yard scoring drive capped by McLaurin’s catch, which was initially ruled incomplete before being overturned.

In the second half, the Chiefs reasserted control. Hunt capped an 80-yard drive with his second touchdown, and Kelce followed with his record-tying score. Kansas City sealed the win with a 94-yard touchdown march finished by Rice, overcoming multiple penalties along the way. “It just shows the growth we've had as a team,” Mahomes said. “Even though we didn't start the way we wanted to on offense, it showed we can battle through adversity and play the brand of football we want to play.”

With the win, the Chiefs improved to 5–3 and extended their streak of scoring at least 28 points to five consecutive games. Reid praised his team’s perseverance: “You need mental toughness. There's so much parity. You have to fight through the highs and lows. I appreciate the effort.”

Kansas City travels to Buffalo next week for a rematch of last season’s AFC title game, while Washington returns home to host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.