The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs for their second Monday Night Football matchup. Here are three keys to pulling off an upset.
1. Stay on the field.
After starting the season 0-2, the Chiefs are beginning to look like the juggernauts they've been for the past decade, particularly on offense. They're a top 10 scoring unit heading into the Monday night matchup, and they're preparing to play a Commanders defense that is performing near the bottom of several categories.
Although the Commanders have promised changes on defense that will improve the unit's performance, perhaps the best way to beat the Chiefs' offense is to keep them off the field. That's where Marcus Mariota and the Commanders' offense comes into play, although maintaining drives has not been their strength through seven games like it was last year. They currently rank 26th in time of possession compared to ninth at this point in the 2024 season.
Part of the solution could come from getting Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel back on the field together -- something that hasn't happened since Week 3. The absence of one, or as was the case last week, both players, has resulted in teams overcommitting to the run game, preventing the Commanders from establishing consistent drives. For example, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has faced eight defenders in the box on 31.5% of his snaps -- ninth highest in the league.
The hope is that McLaurin and Samuel's presence will help alleviate some of that pressure, and since the Chiefs are around the league average at defending the run, there's a chance the Commanders can exploit that weakness to keep Mahomes on the sideline.
2. Hold your own against the Chiefs' receivers.
Although this version of the Chiefs' offense isn't considered as prolific as previous iterations, they still possess a wealth of talent at receiver. Aside from Xavier Worthy, who broke the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Scouting Combine with a time of 4.21 seconds, there's also Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Collectively, they have helped fuel a passing offense that is sixth in the league and combined for 11 touchdowns.
It's going to be a difficult task for the Commanders' secondary, which has struggled to contain explosive plays all season. They're coming off a game against the Dallas Cowboys where CeeDee Lamb had a 74-yard touchdown catch-and-run and George Pickens had a 44-yard reception that helped set up a touchdown at the end of the first half.
Head coach Dan Quinn was visibly frustrated after the Cowboys game and promised that changes would be coming for the defense. He didn't go into detail but does believe the alterations will improve the group.
"I think that's obvious in that we want to dig in. So, when we wanted to look and assess to where we needed to make change and make adjustments, sometimes they're not these big overhauls that go, that make the major improvement. It's these small calibrations and adjustments."
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. added that there will be some personnel changes on Monday. The hope is that those changes will bear fruit, because while the Commanders can help their defense by staying on the field, the unit will still need to prevent the Chiefs from catching fire.
3. Limit the "Mahomes magic."
It should be clear by now what "Mahomes magic" is and how much it can hurt a defense, but here's a scenario that has happened often with the quarterback under center: the Chiefs are backed up on a third down with Mahomes needing to make a play. He somehow avoids the opposing pass rush, rolls out and scrambles for an explosive play that keeps the drive alive.
Although Mahomes is now 30 years old, scrambling is still a key part of his skill set. According to Pro Football Focus, he leads all quarterbacks in scramble yards with 12 runs of at least 10 yards.
The challenge for the Commanders will be to close off any escape routes for Mahomes, which will be even more difficult with Dorance Armstrong -- their best pass-rusher -- out for the season. Quinn and Whitt said earlier this week that replacing Armstrong will require a mix of players stepping up to fill that gap.
The Commanders have been one of the best teams in the NFL at generating sacks this season, as they rank ninth in sack percentage. They will face perhaps their biggest test on Monday.
