NFL
Commercial
reside
Up to date 7m in the past
The Washington Commanders, who’re with out the injured Jayden Daniels, journey to Kansas Metropolis to face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on “Monday Night time Soccer.”
Comply with alongside for the newest play-by-play, evaluation, reactions and extra from our workforce of reporters at The Athletic.
Coming into Week 8, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been permitting the third-fewest factors within the league at simply 17.7 factors per recreation.
Holding the Raiders scoreless final week definitely helped that common, limiting Las Vegas to 95 yards of whole offense.
Washington’s offense could have its work minimize out for it towards this sturdy unit.
Commercial
Coming off his worst statistical season, Patrick Mahomes has bounced again in a serious solution to begin this marketing campaign. Listed here are your views on the Chiefs’ quarterback:
The Chiefs are not any stranger to Deebo Samuel, going through him twice within the Tremendous Bowl. He was held in verify in each situations.
In Tremendous Bowl LIV, he caught 5 passes for 39 yards, and in Tremendous Bowl LVIII, he caught simply 3-of-11 targets for 33 yards.
Marcus Mariota’s final begin towards the Chiefs got here through the 2017 postseason when he was the quarterback of the Tennessee Titans.
Dealing with Kansas Metropolis within the AFC Wild Card spherical, Mariota led his workforce into Arrowhead and walked away with the win, throwing for 205 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
The Chiefs’ inactive listing for tonight's recreation makes one roster transfer official: Professional Bowl proper guard Trey Smith won’t play due to a again harm. Smith, who left halfway via final week’s recreation with again spasms, didn’t take part in observe all week and was listed as “uncertain” on Saturday's harm report. Mike Caliendo will take Smith’s place at proper guard, and although he had one in all his greatest professional video games final week, he was additionally inconsistent a season in the past whereas serving because the workforce’s beginning left guard for the again half of the season.
Additionally, for a 3rd consecutive recreation, rookie left sort out Josh Simmons will probably be out whereas away from the workforce for a household matter. Offseason free-agent signing Jaylon Moore will fill in his spot on the left facet of the road.
DL Daron Payne is energetic. So is OL Brandon Coleman, for the primary time since Week 2.
Washington's inactive gamers:
Commercial
Over the past two weeks, the Washington Commanders’ protection has not been capable of cease the run, which may present a chance for the Chiefs’ operating recreation to get going.
In Week 7, Javonte Williams gashed Washington for 119 yards and a landing on 19 carries, every week after D'Andre Swift rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries.
General, the Commanders are permitting 126 yards per recreation on the bottom.
Unfold: Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (-12.5)
Jayden Daniels is out for the Commanders, and Marcus Mariota is in, and this line spiked one other two factors Wednesday. In the meantime, everybody loves the Chiefs once more. All of their receivers are again, and Patrick Mahomes made the Raiders look foolish earlier than taking the fourth quarter off final week. Isn’t it potential the Chiefs stay up for the Payments subsequent week and overlook Mariota was the final quarterback to beat them in a playoff recreation that wasn’t the AFC Championship or the Tremendous Bowl? Look it up. 2017. Give me the 12.5 factors.
The decide: Commanders
Travis Kelce is coming off one in all his quietest video games of the season, however even at 36 years outdated, he stays a dependable security valve for Patrick Mahomes.
Kelce caught simply three passes for 54 yards in Week 7, however total, he has tallied 31 receptions for 375 and a pair of touchdowns.
Rashee Rice’s return may imply massive issues for the veteran tight finish, absorbing among the heavy protection Kelce has confronted.
Commercial
Even at 34 years outdated, Zach Ertz continues to supply high quality manufacturing and consistency on the tight finish spot for Washington.
Showing in all seven video games for the Commanders, the veteran has caught 23 passes for 229 yards and 4 touchdowns, persevering with to be a dependable crimson zone goal.
In Week 7 towards Dallas, Ertz caught three passes for 37 yards and a landing.
Speak about a season debut …
After serving a six-game suspension, Rashee Rice returned to the lineup and wasted little time re-introducing himself to the tip zone.
The 25-year-old is projected to be the Chiefs’ go-to goal the remainder of the season ,and he confirmed why, catching seven passes on 10 targets, totaling 42 yards and two touchdowns.
Up to now, Rice has introduced a dynamic that completes the Chiefs’ offense.
Terry McLaurin is again within the lineup after lacking the Commanders’ earlier 4 video games with a quad harm. This got here after a protracted contract negotiation through the offseason and a quiet first three video games of the season, totaling 10 catches for 149 yards.
The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala has extra on Washington’s veteran wideout under.
GO FURTHER
Commanders’ Terry McLaurin opens up about his harm and up-and-down 12 months
5 hours earlier than kickoff, the Commanders dominated out their kicker, Matt Homosexual, and signed Matthew Wright to the observe squad and elevated him to the energetic roster for tonight’s recreation. 5 hours.
Homosexual was added to the Commanders’ prolonged harm report on Friday with a again subject and listed as questionable. He traveled with the workforce on Saturday, however Washington additionally flew out Wright to Kansas Metropolis as a contingency plan, in line with two league sources.
Wright has been considerably of a employed gun the final two seasons, making the rounds throughout the league. His profession thus far:
(*offseason or observe squad)
Regardless of having restricted reps at most of his NFL stops, Wright has made 87.5 p.c of his field-goal makes an attempt and 95.5 p.c of his extra-point makes an attempt. He’s hit 63.6 p.c from 50 yards out (7-of-11).
Washington has handled a string of accidents throughout the roster this season and is also with out defensive sort out defensive sort out Daron Payne tonight. He missed observe all week and was listed as questionable due to a toe harm. Defensive sort out Sheldon Day was elevated from the observe squad and large receiver Robbie Chosen — who was primarily the Commanders’ fourth receiver towards the Cowboys final week, catching 4 passes for 36 yards in 33 snaps — was launched.
Whereas Jayden Daniels is out this week, Washington’s prime two wideouts are returning to motion with Marcus Mariota underneath heart.
Terry McLaurin has not performed since Week 3 resulting from a quad harm, and Deebo Samuel missed the Cowboys recreation with a heel harm, however each will probably be suiting up tonight.
McLaurin obtained off to a gradual begin earlier than his harm, catching 10 passes for 149 yards in three video games. Samuel has shone when out there, catching 34 passes for 315 yards with three scores.
Commercial
Rookie operating again Brashard Smith continues to see an elevated position within the Chiefs’ offense, offering Kansas Metropolis with explosiveness that Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco have lacked at instances.
In Week 7, Smith rushed for 39 yards on 14 carries and caught 5 passes for 42 yards. He has caught 14 passes for 122 yards whole this season.
Isiah Pacheco was projected to play a big position within the Chiefs’ offense this season, however that has not been the truth up to now. That stated, he’s coming off his greatest recreation of the season, dashing for 57 yards and a landing towards Las Vegas at residence.
Pacheco has been fairly environment friendly, averaging 4.1 yards per try, however he solely has 66 carries, discovering the tip zone as soon as.
Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith proceed to be an element, each close to the objective line and on passing downs.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt has turn out to be the Commanders’ go-to operating again after an offseason crammed with excessive expectations for the rookie.
After his breakout efficiency in Week 5, dashing for 111 yards and two touchdowns towards the Chargers, Washington’s operating recreation has faltered in consecutive losses. “Invoice” is averaging simply 3.1 yards per carry in these two video games, closely impacted by detrimental recreation script and poor offensive performances total.
Whereas Croskey-Merritt is a proficient again, he would possibly face the same destiny towards the Chiefs tonight on the highway.
