The Starting 11: Most Interesting Storylines Ahead of Chiefs vs. Commanders

Since that Oct. 17, 2021, game, the Chiefs have won 100 games – 13 more than any other club -- and own the league’s best winning percentage (100-35, .741). Buffalo, who gets the Chiefs on short rest in Week 9, is second over that stretch at 87-46, .654).

But before that AFC showdown, the Chiefs (4-3) host Washington (3-4) on Monday Night Football (7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN/ABC, KMBC Ch. 9, 96.5 The Fan).

Here’s the Starting 11 for the Chiefs-Commanders game in Week 8…

1-Another week, another classic individual rivalry

Von Miller has 4½ sacks of Patrick Mahomes in 10 career meetings, including playoffs. Miller played in Mahomes’ first NFL start, the 2017 season finale in Denver (a week before the Chiefs met Marcus Mariota in the playoffs), but got only one quarterback hit. In fact, three of Miller’s sacks came in a Bills uniform. Miller had one last season in Buffalo and two the year before in the Bills’ 24-20 win at Kansas City.

Miller enters this week with at least half a sack in five of his last six games overall. He leads all active players with 133½ sacks and, against the Chiefs, has a sack in three of his past four games. Miller and Mahomes both played high school and college football in Texas.

2-Number of the Week (40,000)

Mahomes needs 34 passing yards on Monday to reach 40,000 career, including postseason. has 39,966 career passing yards, including the playoffs. Only one other player has reached the milestone in his first nine seasons, Peyton Manning (41,082 from 1998-2006).

3-What happened to Marcus Peters?

Mariota on Monday night will make his third start this season in place of an injured Jayden Daniels. Tennessee’s No. 2 overall selection in the 2015 draft, Mariota has plenty of experience against the Chiefs, including a 22-21 victory at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2017 playoffs.

But later in that 2015 first round, the Chiefs also made a significant selection. They drafted cornerback Marcus Peters 18th overall out of Washington. Peters, the first of two impressive cornerbacks the Chiefs got from the Huskies in the first round, was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and an All-Pro each of his first two seasons.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Chiefs traded Peters to the Rams for a 2018 fourth-round pick (124th overall, Armani Watts) and a 2019 second-rounder (63rd overall, Juan Thornhill) to Chiefs for Marcus Peters. Kansas City also sent the Rams their sixth-rounder in 2018.

4-Spotlight – individual matchup

Washington cornerback Mike Sainristil against Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. Sainristil leads the team in both interceptions (two) and passes defensed (six). Rice in his first game of the season last week had a career-high two touchdown catches.

5-Spotlight – team matchup

The return game figures to play a big role in Monday’s matchup. Washington ranks first in the league in limiting punt returners (3.5 yards/return). The Commanders are also sixth-best in covering kickoffs, allowing just 24.0 yards per return. What’s more, Luke McCaffrey ranks second in the league with 29.7 yards per kickoff return. And Jaylin Lane returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown against the Raiders.

6-Streak speak

Including postseason, the Chiefs have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 26 straight games (Lamar Jackson in the 2024 opener), the league’s longest active streak. The last time a running back topped 100 on Kansas City was 33 games ago, the Raiders’ Zamir White on Christmas Day 2023.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington’s rookie phenom, was available in the seventh round when the Chiefs chose Brashard Smith on April 26. Smith went to Kansas City at No. 228 overall and Washington selected Croskey-Merritt at 245.

7-Did you know?

Monday’s matchup includes Travis Kelce (1,035) and Zach Ertz (798), who’ve combined for 1,833 career receptions. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the third-most combined catches for opposing tight ends in an NFL contest. The only other games with higher combinations were:

• Nov. 23, 2017: 2,045, Jason Witten vs. Antonio Gates

• Nov 4, 2012: 1,942, Jason Witten vs. Tony Gonzalez

8-Under-the-radar storyline

Incredibly, Steve Spagnuolo has been part of eight Super Bowl teams, including five with the Chiefs and one with the Giants and Eagles. But he’ll never forget his first, in 1983 with the Washington Redskins.

A player personnel intern for Bobby Beathard, Spagnuolo was with the team on Sept. 18, 1983, Washington’s only victory over the Chiefs. On the strength of four Nick Lowery field goals, Kansas City jumped out to a 12-0 halftime lead, but the Redskins stormed back with 27 unanswered points. Joe Theismann and John Riggins then led the team to its second straight Super Bowl berth, a loss to the Raiders.

The Chiefs have won 10 of 11 all-time meetings against Washington.

9-Trend time

The Chiefs have just two giveaways this season, the lowest mark in the league. Washington has just three takeaways, tied for 31st. Only the Jets (one) have fewer this season.

10-Rookie Road

Monday marks Kevin Knowles’ fourth NFL game but his first as a member of the 53-man roster. He earned a promotion Tuesday after reaching the maximum three practice-squad elevations this season.

A 5-11, 190-pound defensive back out of Florida State, Knowles made his mark on special teams during the preseason, against Chicago Aug. 22, when he blocked a Cairo Santos extra-point attempt.

11-And last but not least

Patrick Mahomes meets his former college coach, Kliff Kingsbury, for the second time. In the 2022 season opener at State Farm Stadium, Mahomes beat Kingsbury’s Arizona Cardinals, 44-21, passing for 360 yards and five touchdowns. Kingsbury recruited Mahomes to Texas Tech and served as his only college head coach before the Chiefs traded up in the first round to select the quarterback No. 10 overall in 2017.

Mahomes has 45 career games with at least three touchdown passes. With another against the Commanders, he’d tie Dan Marino (46 games) for the most by a player in his first nine seasons in NFL annals.