The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Washington Commanders, 28-7, behind a strong second half on Monday night to move to 5-3 on the season.
Following an ugly first half that included five combined turnovers (including a pair of failed fourth-down attempts by Washington), Kansas City – which entered halftime tied with the Commanders at seven points apiece – ripped off 21 unanswered points to begin the second half and run away with the game.
"I thought our guys played a great second half. The first half, we lacked a little bit, but in the second half, we came around," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "There were a lot of individual accolades for the guys, but the main thing is we played as a team in the second half."
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led Kansas City to touchdowns on each of its first three second-half possessions, completed 17-of-19 passes for 210 yards and three scores following the break.
Mahomes' first touchdown throw – a 2-yard toss to tailback Kareem Hunt – took place on fourth down and broke a 7-7 tie, providing Kansas City with a lead that it never gave up. It was a sign of things to come for Mahomes, who then found tight end Travis Kelce for an 11-yard score and wide receiver Rashee Rice for an 18-yard touchdown on the Chiefs' following two possessions.
It was all part of a big game for both Kelce and Rice, who combined for 15 catches and 192 receiving yards on the night, and for Kelce, his third-quarter touchdown grab marked the 83rd regular-season score of his brilliant career, matching Priest Holmes for the most total touchdowns in franchise history.
"He's like the true Chiefs' Chief. He's the guy who's been here through the whole thing and been with Coach Reid the entire time," Mahomes said. "He helped set the culture of what it means to play for Coach Reid and play in Kansas City…He's breaking all the records now."
The Chiefs' defense, meanwhile, turned in another stellar effort that held Washington to only 260 yards. Kansas City was particularly stout in the second half, holding Commanders' quarterback Marcus Mariota to just six completions for 58 yards.
It all helped the Chiefs win their fifth game in their last six tries, moving Kansas City to 5-3 on the season and just one game behind the Denver Broncos for first place in the AFC West. The Chiefs, who have now won three in a row, have outscored their opponents by a mark of 89-24 since Week 6.
In terms of injuries, Coach Reid mentioned Nick Bolton (knee) and Isiah Pacheco (knee) following the game. Reid added that they'll "just see how they do" moving forward.
Now on a short week, Kansas City will quickly turn the page toward a matchup with the Buffalo Bills this upcoming Sunday.
