The Washington Commanders dropped their third consecutive game with a 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

1. A promising first half.

In many respects, the Commanders started the Monday night game against the Chiefs looking like a different team compared to the first seven games. They had energy on both sides of the ball; two of their playmakers were back in the fold on offense; and the changes they made on defense seemed to ignite the unit.

The spark seemed to catch the Chiefs off guard, and that allowed the Commanders to match them for a time. Actually, there's an argument to be made that the Commanders outplayed the Chiefs for two quarters. They outgained the Chiefs, 194-156, converted five third downs to the Chiefs' three and controlled the time of possession, 17:14-12:46.

The quarterback battle between Marcus Mariota and Patrick Mahomes wasn't a lopsided affair but was clearly in the former's favor to start the night. Mariota completed 14 of his 17 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Mahomes was limited to 8-of-15 for 89 yards and two interceptions. That disparity can be credited to Washington's defense, which put pressure on the Chiefs quarterback and forced him to make errant throws.

Although the game obviously didn't end in the Commanders' favor, it was perhaps the best half of football they had played all season. The next step is for them to maintain that energy for four quarters, but it does at least instill some confidence in the roster if it's able to get healthy.

2. Missed opportunities on the first three drives.

Head coach Dan Quinn wanted the team to be bold against the Chiefs, which meant keeping the offense on the field for as many fourth-down attempts as possible. It was a logical move to execute against the Chiefs' high-powered offense, although it meant that every drive needed to end in the end zone.

While it might have been the right approach, the Commanders had trouble executing the plan. Their first three drives ended with some form of a turnover after moving into Chiefs territory, the first of which occurred when a pass from Mariota to Deebo Samuel at the Kansas City 18-yard line deflected off the receiver's helmet and into the hands of a Chiefs defender.

Washington's next two drives didn't get as far but still ended in frustration. The offense moved from its own 7-yard line to the Chiefs' 40 before being forced to attempt a fourth-and-6. Mariota's pass to Zach Ertz was ruled short on a virtual measurement. Their next attempt at a fourth-down conversion ended on an equally sour note, as Mariota's pass to Terry McLaurin was off target.

Mariota said after the game that the offense didn't do its job, and there is some truth to that. As good as the Commanders did to stay competitive in the first half, it could have been much better.

3. The defensive changes worked at first.

The Commanders vowed to make changes on the defensive side of the ball to help the unit play faster and generate more turnovers, and for the first half, at least, they achieved that goal.

The Chiefs had just as much trouble getting production from their offense, as both of their drives ended in interceptions -- a first for Mahomes, who had never thrown two in the first quarter of a game. The first came after the Chiefs moved to the Commanders' 26-yard line. Mahomes targeted Hollywood Brown down the left sideline, but Marshon Lattimore, who kept up with Brown step-for-step, jumped in front of the pass for his first interception as a Commander.

The next came on a pass to Travis Kelce on the Chiefs' ensuing drive. Mahomes' pass deflected off the tight end's hands, allowing Bobby Wagner to get underneath it for his first pick of the year.

Another win for the Commanders' defense came at the end of the first half. Mahomes and the Chiefs had 56 seconds to move into field goal range but only gained 15 yards on five plays before time expired. It was an important stand for the Commanders since the Chiefs started the second half with the ball.

The Chiefs couldn't be contained forever, but like several other aspects of the first half, there was some promise in how the Commanders' defense performed against one of the best units in the league.

4. Too many explosive plays in the second half.

The Chiefs' offense eventually erupted in the second half, and a lingering problem for the Commanders' defense -- explosive plays -- was one of the key factors.

Of the 249 yards the Chiefs gained on their three touchdown drives, 105 of that came from four plays. Kelce broke free on a 38-yard catch-and-run, which led to a two-yard touchdown run by Kareem Hunt. JuJu Smith-Schuster grabbed a 24-yard catch that moved the Chiefs into Commanders territory. Rashee Rice's 25-yard catch was partially negated by his taunting penalty, but he made up for it with an 18-yard touchdown reception.

Quinn said those plays and others were not the result of miscommunication, but rather "Just plays we got to get right."

Regardless of the reason, the Commanders still have more work to do in preventing explosive plays. The Chiefs finished the night averaging 6.4 yards per play and 7.7 through the air.

5. The offense stalled in the third and fourth quarters.

The defense wasn't the only unit to blame for the disparity between the first and second halves. The offense, which looked efficient for most of the first two quarters, struggled to match the Chiefs' production.

The Commanders' final four drives were all cut short, as Mariota and the offense found little success through the air or on the ground. They gained 66 yards in the final two quarters, most of which came from two drives. The sparks, like McLaurin's 25-yard sideline catch, were quickly snuffed out by negative plays. For example, the Commanders moved backwards 12 yards after McLaurin's catch, putting the offense out of field goal range and forcing a punt.

The Commanders' lack of success on the ground was among the most concerning parts of the night. They gained just 18 rushing yards in the final two quarters, giving them 60 for the night. Mariota finished the game leading the team with 28 yards, but no offensive player carried the ball more than nine times.

Washington couldn't afford to have wasted drives against the Chiefs. Perhaps part of those struggles was because of the injuries the unit accrued Monday night, but like the rest of the team, the offense left Arrowhead Stadium with more questions than answers.