Patrick Mahomes has built a career on calm under pressure and brilliance when it matters. Monday night against Washington, he delivered both—just not in the order anyone expected.
The Kansas City Chiefs opened their game with back-to-back interceptions from Mahomes, a career first for the two-time MVP. It looked like an off night was brewing. But then came the second half.
Mahomes found his rhythm, his receivers found space, and the Chiefs found the end zone three times in succession. The result: a 28-7 dismantling of a depleted Washington Commanders squad missing starting quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The tale of two halves couldn’t have been more stark. Mahomes struggled early, completing just over half of his throws with no touchdowns and a passer rating of 31.7. By the second half, he was nearly flawless, posting an 89.5% completion rate, three touchdowns, and a rating of 152.3.
The spark came on a gutsy 4th-and-goal call by head coach Andy Reid, who trusted Mahomes to deliver—and he did, with a pinpoint 2-yard strike to Kareem Hunt. From there, Kansas City never looked back.
Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice each added scores as the Chiefs’ high-octane offense clicked into gear. Their defense kept Washington quiet, sealing the team’s fifth win in six games and their fifth double-digit victory of the season.
With stars like Kelce, Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Marquise Brown all healthy, the Chiefs seem to be peaking at the right time. That’s good news, because a tough stretch awaits. A Week 9 showdown with Buffalo kicks off a gauntlet that includes matchups against the division-leading Broncos and rising Colts.
Still, if Monday’s second-half performance is any indication, Kansas City is ready to take on all challengers. The Chiefs didn’t just bounce back—they bounced forward.