The Chiefs will be back in prime time when they host the Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 8. What could’ve been a matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels will lose a bit of its luster after the latter was ruled out due to a calf injury.
In Daniels’s absence, Marcus Mariota will make his third start of the season for Washington. He’s filled in admirably for the young star, but the Chiefs’ defense will present a difficult task for the former No. 2 pick.
Kansas City will be playing with a depleted offensive line, as left tackle Josh Simmons has already been ruled out and right guard Trey Smith missed practice all week and is considered doubtful to play.
Monday’s showdown will be the first time these two teams have faced off since 2021. The Chiefs have recorded a win in each of their last eight meetings, and Washington hasn’t beaten Kansas City since 1983.
Let’s make some bold predictions for the Monday night clash between a couple of rather unfamiliar foes.
Patrick Mahomes will throw for four-plus touchdowns without an interception
Mahomes is playing some of the best football of his career of late, and with Rashee Rice back in the fold following his six-game suspension, the Chiefs’ quarterback will have all of his favorite targets available for Monday’s game.
Rice excelled in his return, catching seven passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns last week. I’m expecting Mahomes to keep feeding him the ball on Monday night in what will be a big game for the Chiefs’ offense.
The Commanders struggle in coverage, ranked by PFF as the NFL’s third-worst coverage team with a grade of 45.9. They’ve surrendered the seventh-most passing yards per game (238.3) and opposing quarterbacks have recorded the league’s fourth-highest average passer rating (105.0) against Washington’s defense.
Mahomes has thrown for six touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last two games, and he’s rushed for a score, too. I’m predicting he’ll have another big game through the air on Monday and record four or more passing touchdowns for just the second time this season.
Chiefs will hold Commanders’ offense without a touchdown
The Chiefs’ defense pitched a shutout against the Raiders in Week 7, shutting down their rivals in a 31–0 win. The group is rolling right now and I’m expecting that to continue in Week 8, especially with Mariota set to draw the start in place of Daniels.
Mariota has thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions on the year, and coughed up one fumble. Against a Chiefs defense that PFF grades as the second-best coverage unit in the NFL, Mariota will have difficulty finding open receivers and moving the ball downfield.
After a strong start to the year, rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has cooled off a bit. He’s not scored a touchdown in either of his last two games and is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry during that span. Kansas City has surrendered an average of just 77.3 rushing yards per game over its last three contests, and it will look to make life difficult for the rookie on Monday night.
I’m predicting the Chiefs’ defense will put on another lights-out performance and that Washington will be held without a touchdown on Monday night.
Chiefs will win in a blowout
As evidenced by the previous two predictions, I’m not expecting Monday’s game to be all that competitive. With Mahomes playing at an elite level and the Commanders missing their starting quarterback, this has the makings of a statement win from a Kansas City squad that’s shaken off its slow start to the year.
With Mahomes playing at an MVP level, the Commanders will struggle to slow down the Chiefs’ offense. I’m expecting this game to get out of hand in a hurry, as Kansas City will jump out to a commanding lead early and won’t take its foot off the gas. That will force Washington to throw the ball more frequently, though I’m anticipating Mariota will struggle to find success through the air.
I’m predicting the Chiefs will win by at least two touchdowns and improve to 5–3 on the season heading into their highly anticipated matchup against the Bills next week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Commanders vs. Chiefs: Three Bold Predictions for 'Monday Night Football' in Week 8.
