Live In-Game Updates: Commanders Can't Overcome Mahomes' Hot Start, Fall 24-14 to Chiefs
The Washington Commanders travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs as both teams continue their NFL preseason schedules on Saturday.
The new-look Commanders are hoping new quarterback Carson Wentz and a revamped defense can improve from last season's 7-10 mark. This is not last season's Commanders, as Wentz was brought in - along with some other additions - to conceivably make the team a contender in the NFC East.
The Chiefs are also a different team from last year's squad as star wideout Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason, and Kansas City went with hyphenated receivers in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Saturday will also serve as a dress rehearsal of the full product Washington will field in the regular season. Coach Ron Rivera has a plan for his starting unit.
"We are gonna most certainly play 'em. How far they go, it’s still up to debate. There are some guys that will be on pitch counts that once they hit that number, they'll be done," Rivera said.
The Chiefs' plan is for their starters to play close to a full half of football.
In his Commanders preseason debut, Wentz completed 10 of 13 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in Washington's 23-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field Saturday.
WHAT: Washington Commanders (0-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
WHERE: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri (76,416)
WHEN: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 4 p.m. ET
TELEVISION: WRC-TV, Channel 4
RADIO: WMAL 105.9
Betting via SI SportsBook
SPREAD: Washington Commanders +5
MONEYLINE: Commanders +175, Chiefs -213
Make sure to follow along with in-game updates as they happen with Commander Country.
The Commanders have won the coin toss and will receive the opening kickoff.
Washington will begin at its 23-yard line after Antonio Gibson brings the ball out of the end zone.
FIRST QUARTER:
Rookie running back Brian Robinson gets the start at running back after his impressive debut last weekend.
Wentz connected with rookie wideout Jahan Dotson for a quick 12-yard catch-and-run.
Wentz attempted to connect on a downfield shot to receiver Curtis Samuel on 3rd and 6, but the pass was broken was up. The Commanders were forced to punt on their opening drive.
Kansas City begins its first drive at its own 13-yard line.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took the field and immediately connected with star tight end Travis Kelce and new receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling .
Washington's defense forced Kansas City into a 3rd a 10 situation, but Mahomes, against the blitz, found receiver Justin Watson for a 39-yard gain.
TOUCHDOWN CHIEFS: Mahomes found tight end Jody Fortson in the left side of the end zone for a tip-toe touchdown, as the Chiefs take an early 7-0 lead.
The Commanders will start their next drive at their own 25-yard line.
Wentz connected with star receiver Terry McLaurin for an 18-yard catch on the first play of the drive. But that was all the Commanders could muster, as punter Tress Way punted it away.
Kansas City begins the next possession at its own 18-yard line.
Mahomes pulled off another difficult throw, this time finding tight end Noah Gray on a high-arcing pass for a 30-yard gain. He followed this up with his signature sidearm throw for a first down to Watson.
At the end of the first quarter, Kansas City still held on to its 7-0 lead.
SECOND QUARTER
TOUCHDOWN CHIEFS: Mahomes found Fortson in the end zone for the second time in the first half as Kansas City builds a 14-0 lead.
The Commanders will begin the next drive at their 30-yard line.
After two runs from Robinson, Wentz found tight end Armani Rogers for a 15-yard gain. McLaurin hauled in his second catch of the day to bring up a 2nd and 1 for Washington at the Kansas City 36-yard line. Robinson picked up the first on the next play with a two-yard gain.
The drive was looking promising, but the Kansas City defense got home to Wentz in the pocket and sacked the quarterback on third down at the Chiefs 40-yard line. This put Washington out of field-goal range.
Way punted for his third time in the half, as the ball sailed into the end zone for a touchback.
The Chiefs would begin the next drive at their own 25-yard line up 14-0.
After two scoring drives, Mahomes sat and was replaced by Shane Buechele, who scrambled for a 13-yard gain on the first third down of the possession.
But after two plays no gain and a sack by Montez Sweat on third down, the drive stalled and Kansas City was forced to punt.
The Commanders would begin their next drive at their own 16-yard line.
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke replaced Wentz and found receiver Cam Sims and Gibson on his first two throws. He also took a long shot down the field to receiver Dyami Brown, but the pass was broken up.
Faced with a 3rd and 2, Gibson picked up the first down on a four-yard carry.
Heinicke then connected with Dotson for an 11-yard catch-and-run and had a 22-yard toss to Gibson one play later. The Commanders were now set up outside the red zone.
A roughing-the-passer penalty put the Commanders at the Kansas City 12-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS: Heinicke found Sims in the back of the end zone with 16 seconds left. The nine-yard score capped an 11-play, 84-yard drive to end the half.
Sims, who had just taken a major shot a few plays before, gathered himself to come up with the much-needed score for Washington.
HALFTIME: Kansas City 14, Washington 7
Commanders halftime stats:
QB Carson Wentz: 6 of 9 for 64 yards
QB Taylor Heinicke: 8 of 10 for 78 yards and a touchdown
RB Brian Robinson: eight carries for 31 yards
RB Antonio Gibson: two carries for three yards, three catches for 37 yards
WR Terry McLaurin: two catches for 27 yards
WR Cam Sims: two catches for 23 yards and a touchdown
THIRD QUARTER:
The Chiefs will receive the second-half kickoff and will start at their own 25-yard line.
Buechele found Daurice Fountain for a 27-yard gain. The Commanders were then called for an unnecessary roughness penalty, which set the Chiefs up at the Washington 25-yard line.
FIELD GOAL CHIEFS: But the Commanders held up near the red zone and forced a Harrison Butker field goal. The Chiefs ballooned the lead to 17-7.
The Commanders started the next drive at their 18-yard line, but a quick three-and-out halted any momentum that could've carried over from the touchdown that ended the first half.
The Chiefs began their next drive at their 35-yard line. A 14-yard run by Beuchele and a Washington penalty set the Chiefs up right outside the red zone.
But then a holding call by the Chiefs put them at the Washington 35-yard line. And after an incomplete pass on 3rd and 19, Butker hooked a 53-yard field goal as the lead remained 17-7 for Kansas City.
As rookie quarterback Sam Howell entered the game, the Commanders started with great field position at their own 43-yard line.
But Howell was sacked and then Washington was called for a false start, forcing the Commanders into a 3rd and 13. Howell showed off his arm strength on a third-down deep shot to Brown, but the pass was broken up.
The Chiefs would begin the next drive at their 21-yard line.
Kansas City went just five plays before punting it away. The Commanders began at their own 20.
FOURTH QUARTER:
The Commanders' next drive took up seven plays but resulted in just 21 yards before another punt.
When Kansas City got the ball back, it was more of the same, as the Chiefs punted it away again.
Washington's next possession began at its own seven-yard line. Howell scrambled twice on the drive's first two plays before finding tight end Eli Wolf for an 18-yard completion.
On the next play, Howell tossed it short to Alex Erickson for a catch-and-run of 34 yards. Another long pass saw Howell find receiver Dax Milne for 22 yards.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS: After the string of big gains set Washington up for a 1st and goal, running back Jaret Patterson plunged into the end zone for a one-yard score. The Commanders now trailed 17-14 with seven minutes remaining in the game.
The Chiefs began their next drive at their own 25-yard line.
Down 17-14, the Commanders' defense held strong and forced another Kansas City punt after a six-play, 28-yard drive. Howell now had his chance to be a preseason hero.
But instead, it was the exact opposite. Howell threw a costly interceptions right into the hand of the Kansas City defense, setting the Chiefs up for a 1st and goal after a 22-yard return on the pick.
Three plays later, Kansas City running back Tayon Fleet-Davis rushed for a one-yard score to build the Chiefs' lead to 24-14 with just under two minutes remaining.
Washington's next drive began at its own 26-yard line, but there wasn't more to this one. Howell was sacked after the Commanders picked up a first down, which set Washington back. After a failed fourth-down conversion, the Chiefs got the ball back and had nothing more to do than kneel for the win.
FINAL: Kansas City 24, Washington 14
