There were two versions of the Washington Commanders on the field against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The first that showed up looked more like the Commanders team that was expected to start the season, minus Jayden Daniels. The offense was moving the ball -- at times, almost with ease against the Chiefs' top 10 defense. The Chiefs were just as effective, but the defensive changes the coaching staff promised earlier in the week seemed to be working. The unit played faster and forced turnovers, doubling their season total in two quarters.

If the first half was what fans hoped they would see from the Commanders in the second season of Dan Quinn's tenure, the second half was more of what the team had looked like for many of the previous seven games. The offense flashed at times but couldn't stay on the field for extended periods, while the defense gave up explosive plays and allowed 21 points as well as 271 yards in the final two quarters.

The potential was there for the Commanders to pull out an upset of the Chiefs, but a mixture of self-inflicted errors and the Chiefs looking more like themselves, a tied game quickly turned into a 28-7 defeat, leaving the Commanders at 3-5 with a daunting schedule ahead.

Quinn said after the game that the Commanders left "a lot" of opportunities on the field, and that was particularly true in the second half. Washington's final four drives ended with three punts and an interception, and most of them were stalled by their own mistakes. Meanwhile, the Chiefs started to gain traction with three consecutive touchdown drives. More than half of the Chiefs' 432 yards came in the second half on possessions of 80, 75 and 94 yards. Patrick Mahomes fueled that surge, as he finished the night with 299 yards and three touchdowns on 25 completions.

Adding to the frustration is that the Commanders, who have already endured several injuries to key players, picked up a few more on Monday night. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil left the game with a hamstring injury, while Terry McLaurin, who scored the team's only touchdown, reaggravated his quad and sat out most of the fourth quarter. Javon Kinlaw also injured his shoulder and did not return.

Quinn knew the Commanders needed to be bold to get a win, and that's exactly how both units played in the first half. Washington got the ball to start the game and had early success on their first three drives. Marcus Mariota, who stepped in for an injured Daniels, completed nine of his first 10 passes and helped get Washington into Chiefs territory on each possession.

All three drives, however, ended in frustration. A pass to Deebo Samuel deflected off the receiver's facemask and into Mike Danna's hands on the opening drive. The Commanders also had two fourth-down conversions that ended with turnovers on downs, one of which was ruled inches short on a five-yard pass to Zach Ertz.

Fortunately for Washington's offense, its defense was also holding its own against the Chiefs. The unit still gave up explosive plays with a 27-yard reception by Xavier Worthy, but both drives ended with interceptions, as Marshon Lattimore and Bobby Wagner both grabbed their first of the season.

The Chiefs eventually looked like themselves, though. With the ball at the Kansas City 28-yard line following Washington's second turnover on downs, Mahomes and his offense marched downfield with help from a 31-yard catch-and-run by Travis Kelce. Rashee Rice was ruled short of the goal line on an eight-yard run, and Kareem Hunt finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown.

The Commanders responded on the ensuing drive. Ben Sinnott got open for a 22-yard catch, and Jeremy McNichols' 18-yard grab moved the unit to the Chiefs' 21-yard line. Five plays later, McLaurin managed to keep both feet in bounds for an 11-yard touchdown that tied things up, 7-7.

Momentum quickly swung back in the Chiefs' favor, though.

It started with the Chiefs' opening drive of the third quarter. They moved 80 yards on eight plays and retook the lead with a two-yard touchdown from Hunt. Jaylin Lane then muffed Harrison Butker's ensuing kickoff, forcing the Commanders to start their drive at their own 1-yard line. They managed to get some breathing room with an 18-yard catch from McLaurin but were forced to punt three plays later.

The Chiefs were back in the end zone eight plays later. JuJu Smith-Schuster started things off with a 24-yard catch, and Kelce finished it with a 10-yard touchdown reception.

The score put even more pressure on the Commanders to respond, and for a moment, it looked like they would. McLaurin's 25-yard sideline grab moved the ball to the Chiefs' 37-yard line, but the Commanders went backwards after the play thanks to a two-yard loss on a Mariota run and a 10-yard sack on third-and-11, forcing their first punt of the night.

That's when the Chiefs went for the final blow. They put together a 13-play, 94-yard drive that took seven minutes off the clock. They only faced one third down on the possession, which they picked up with an 11-yard reception from Rice, who was in the end zone two plays later on an 18-yard catch-and-run.

The Commanders gained just 24 yards on nine plays for the rest of the night. The game essentially ended when Mariota threw his second interception with 12 seconds left, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock.

Although the Chiefs were the Commanders' most difficult opponent up to this point in the season, they face a difficul schedule for the rest of the month. They have two home matchups before heading to Spain to take on the Miami Dolphins, but they are against the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions -- two of the best teams in the conference.

The Commanders will see the Seahawks next weekend on Sunday Night Football at Northwest Stadium.