KC Reporter

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to play the Washington Commanders on Monday night in a nationally televised game. The matchup comes as both teams deal with injuries and look to maintain or improve their positions in the league.

The Chiefs will be missing offensive tackle Josh Simmons due to personal reasons, and offensive guard Trey Smith is listed as doubtful because of a back injury. This situation likely puts Jaylon Moore at left tackle and Mike Caliendo at right guard for the upcoming game. On a positive note for Kansas City, running back Kareem Hunt and cornerback Jaylen Watson are not carrying injury designations into Monday's contest after being on the report earlier in the week.

Washington faces its own challenges, most notably starting quarterback Jayden Daniels being sidelined with a hamstring injury. Marcus Mariota will step in for his third start this season. The Commanders' offense will see the return of wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel after recent absences, which could bolster their attack. Defensively, Washington placed edge-rusher Dorance Armstrong—who leads the team in sacks and pressures—on Injured Reserve following a knee injury. Defensive lineman Daron Payne is questionable with a toe issue, while kicker Matt Gay was added to the injury report over the weekend with a back problem.

Kansas City enters this game following what has been described as one of their most dominant performances in recent years against Las Vegas. In that matchup, they held the Raiders scoreless, allowed only 95 total yards, and gave up just three first downs—the fewest by any NFL team since 2008. It marked Kansas City's first regular-season shutout since 2011 and limited Las Vegas to only 30 offensive plays, which is among the lowest totals recorded during the Super Bowl era.

Currently, Kansas City stands out as the only NFL team ranked in both top-five total offense (370.6 yards per game) and defense (280.3 yards per game). They have scored at least 28 points in each of their last four games—the longest active streak—and have kept opponents under 20 points five times this season.

On Washington's side, running back Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt has emerged as an important contributor amid several injuries at skill positions including Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown being placed on Injured Reserve earlier this year. Croskey-Merritt averages 5.2 yards per carry; he recently had a standout performance against Los Angeles but was contained by Dallas last week.

Tight end Zach Ertz remains consistent for Washington’s passing attack despite ongoing injuries elsewhere on offense. He has caught four touchdown passes—all inside the red zone—and his production is tied for fourth-most red-zone touchdowns among all NFL players this season. While Ertz saw more targets when Daniels started at quarterback compared to Mariota’s starts, he remains a key threat near the goal line.

Defensively, even without Armstrong available due to injury, Washington continues to pressure opposing quarterbacks effectively—they rank fifth league-wide with a pressure rate of nearly 39 percent according to Next Gen Stats. Veteran Von Miller leads remaining pass rushers with four sacks so far this year; Jacob Martin also contributed seven pressures last week against Dallas.

For Kansas City’s offense led by Patrick Mahomes, protection has been strong: Mahomes faces pressure on just over 22 percent of dropbacks—the lowest rate across all teams—and releases passes quickly (an average of 2.56 seconds). If Mahomes can avoid pressure from Washington’s defensive front on Monday night, it may create opportunities given that Washington has allowed one of the highest numbers of long passing plays (25+ yards) this season.

Kansas City also distinguishes itself as having seven different players who have gained at least 250 scrimmage yards so far—a mark unmatched by any other team—which adds depth heading into their attempt for another win.