KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 27: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Washington Commanders warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - The Washington Commanders are facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs for Monday Night Football, and they will once again be without Jayden Daniels.
A tough matchup:
It won’t be an easy game for the team as they take on three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who started the season slow at 0-2, but since then they have gone 4-1.
Meanwhile, Washington has been dealing with multiple injuries all season and tonight will be without Daniels for a third game — this time due to a hamstring injury.
Now, the team will see how Marcus Mariota does under the bright lights of prime time.
"It's a tough environment. Kansas City is very good in prime-time games. I think they like three and one this year a prime time," former Washington player Shawn Springs said. "They seem like they're great consumer content guys. We have to go out there and, you know, as an underdog, I understand we're going into a hostile environment. Kansas City, we’ve got to play hard."
Mariota has been a reliable backup, winning both games he’s started for JD5, and the team has averaged nearly 12 points more with him under center.
Injury updates:
The good news on offense: Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are back on the field together for the first time since week three.
But keeping up with Mahomes is a different story.
The Chiefs have scored 30 or more in four straight games and they can spread the ball to just about anyone.
That puts pressure on Washington’s defense, which has been inconsistent with only three takeaways all season, too many missed tackles and too many big plays allowed.
And on the road, opponents are completing seventy percent of their passes.
If there’s ever a game to get to the quarterback, this is it, but they might have to do it without Daron Payne, who missed practice all week with a toe injury.
"You're not going to stop him. How can you slow him down? How do you keep him in the pocket, to get him to make a mistake? Don't let him get explosive plays. Make him earn everything," Springs said. "It really comes down to, ‘don't beat yourself.’ No explosive plays because guys are not in the right position on coverage."
Another thing you can’t do against Mahomes is give him the ball back — Washington has had five turnovers in the last two games and Mahomes will make you pay.
Dig deeper:
On special teams, Washington will be with a new kicker, signing Matthew Wright just a few hours ago for Matt Gay, who was ruled out for a back injury.