By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Kareem Hunt found the end zone twice, and the Kansas City Chiefs shook free from a tie game at halftime for a 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday night.
Mahomes was nearly perfect after throwing two early interceptions, one of which was hardly his fault. One of his touchdown passes went to good buddy Travis Kelce, giving him 83 scores to tie Priest Holmes for the Chiefs career record, and another went to Rashee Rice, who caught nine passes for 93 yards in his second game back from a six-game NFL suspension.
It all helped the Chiefs (5-3) win for the fourth time in five games and extend a streak of dominance over Washington. They have won nine straight in the series and 11 of 12 overall; the lone loss came way back on Sept. 18, 1983.
Marcus Mariota had 213 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Commanders (3-5), who fell to 1-4 away from home this season. Mariota started in place of Jayden Daniels, who hurt his hamstring in last week’s loss to Dallas.
Terry McLaurin returned from a quadriceps injury to catch three passes for 54 yards and the score. Deebo Samuel also returned from a bruised heel, but after two early catches, he managed just one more the rest of the night.
Most of the first half was an exercise in poor execution by both offenses.
The Commanders’ opening series ended when Mariota’s pass bounced off Samuel for an interception. The Chiefs’ ended when Mahomes also was picked off. Kansas City proceeded to stop Washington on fourth down, only for Mahomes to have a pass bounce off Kelce’s hands for his second interception – which the Commanders again failed to capitalize on when Mariota overthrew everyone on fourth-and-1 deep in Kansas City territory.
To recap: Two picks by the Commanders, who had created three turnovers all season; two thrown by Mahomes, who had thrown just two previously; and two failed fourth-down conversions by a Washington offense desperate to get points.
All told, five empty drives.
Then, two very productive ones: Kansas City marched 72 yards for a touchdown, and the Commanders answered with a 66-yard drive that McLaurin finished with a TD catch that was first ruled incomplete but was overturned upon review.
Ultimately the Chiefs, who were 12½-point favorites, according to BetMGM, started to play like it in the second half.
They opened with a methodical 80-yard drive that Hunt finished with his second score. Then, after quick punt by Washington, the 36-year-old Kelce capped a 75-yard drive with his record-tying touchdown reception.
The clinching blow came midway through the fourth quarter, a 13-play, 94-yard drive by the Chiefs – well, 119 yards if you include all the penalties they had to overcome – that finally broke the Commanders. Rice finished it with an 18-yard touchdown reception after he had twice come up just shy of scoring earlier in the game.
That made it five consecutive games in which Kansas City has scored at least 28 points and put this one well out of reach.
INJURIES
Washington: Matthew Wright kicked in place of Matt Gay, who was out with a back injury. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil hurt his hamstring on the opening series. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton hurt his ankle in the second quarter but returned to the game.
Kansas City: Left guard Trey Smith (back) was inactive.
More to come on this story.
UP NEXT
The Commanders host Seattle on Sunday night.
The Chiefs play at Buffalo the same day in an AFC title game rematch.