4 Takeaways From the Chiefs' Win Over the Commanders

The Chiefs are still red hot, even if it took them a while to get going on Monday. The Commanders, meanwhile, continue to struggle.

Kansas City (5-3) scored three straight touchdowns to open the second half en route to its 28-7 victory over Washington (3-5) on Monday Night Football. It marked the Chiefs’ fifth win in their last six games, as they continue rounding into what is the latest Super Bowl contender of their dynasty. The Commanders have now lost three straight and four of their last five. 

Here are my takeaways:

Sure, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has lost a step. He’s not the truly dominant force he once was. But he still looks plenty effective at 36, and he proved to be a difficult cover for the Commanders defense on Monday night.

The perennial Pro Bowl tight end caught six catches for a season-high 99 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s victory. Kelce had a pass bounce off his hands for an interception by Washington’s Bobby Wagner early in the second quarter but was otherwise terrific. He had two receptions of 30-plus yards (one in the second quarter and another in the third), both of which set up Kareem Hunt touchdowns.

Kelce became the fifth tight end in NFL history to record 80-plus receiving touchdowns, joining Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

While Kelce stood out, he wasn’t the only Chiefs pass-catcher to shine.

Third-year wide receiver Rashee Rice added 90 receiving yards and a touchdown on a team-high eight catches. Fellow wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught four passes for 42 yards, including a 27-yard gain. JuJu Smith-Schuster (two catches, 29 yards) added a 24-yard catch of his own.

Part of what makes Kansas City’s passing attack so deadly is that it can beat you