In a matchup that features two teams going in opposite directions, the Washington Commanders will be at Arrowhead Stadium tonight to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Things have been somewhat shaky for the Commanders, who are on a two-game losing streak after starting the season 3-2. It also doesn't help that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels is expected to miss his third contest of the campaign due to an injury. Then again, backup QB Marcus Mariota doesn't see Daniels' absence as an excuse for the team to lose.

“We have the right guys in the locker room and truly believe in what we're building here,” Mariota told reporters on Thursday. “It's the NFL. You're going to kind of go through these valleys. At the end of the day, we have the guys in there to climb out of it, and I'm fortunate to be a part of it.”

One thing working in Washington's favor is the health of their playmakers. Standout wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are both expected to be in the lineup on Monday. This is a welcome change since McLaurin has been out since September 21st, and Sameul missed last week due to a heel injury.

“Well, it's fun to have them out there at practice first and foremost. Those guys are not only unbelievable football players, but they're great leaders,” Mariota said. “When you go through these kinds of adverse situations, and you're kind of going and dealing with these valleys as a team, it's nice to kind of get a spark with those guys coming back out on the field.”

On the other side of the ball, defense has been an area of concern for the Commanders as of late. Over the last two weeks, they've allowed opponents to score 34.5 points per game. Head coach Dan Quinn said that he believes that unit will play better tonight.

"I think what you'll see is improved play," Quinn told reporters during an October 23rd press conference. "I think that's obvious that we want to dig in. So when we wanted to look and assess where we needed to make changes and make adjustments, sometimes they're not these big overhauls that make the major improvement. It's these small calibrations and adjustments. That is definitely underway."

The Kansas City Chiefs are playing much better than the Commanders at the moment. They're on a two-game win streak and are 4-1 in their last five matchups. Though they're hitting their stride, quarterback Patrick Mahomes explained how the group is still looking for ways to improve.

“Every game you can look at, and you can find things you can be better at,” Mahomes said during an October 23rd press conference. “You learn from the mistakes you made throughout the game. You see what you did well, and then try to maximize that as well. It’s a steady building process that we have to continue to get better.”

The Chiefs are not going to take this game against the Commanders lightly, even if they're missing their starting quarterback.

“[We] look forward to the challenge of playing Washington. We know they’re a good football team,” Kansas City head coach Andy Reid told members of the media on Thursday. “It’s a veteran group of players that are good football players. They’ve got a head coach that I consider right at the top of his profession at this time. He’s as good as anybody... And he’s got good coordinators there.“

Andy Reid also knows that Marcus Mariota is a legitimately good quarterback at the NFL level. In 2017, he led the Tennessee Titans to a Wild Card playoff win over the Chiefs in Kansas City.

“Mariota, we know, has come in here and won a game. We get it," Reid chuckled. "He’s a good football player. We don’t slight that at all.”

Prediction for Washington Commanders @ Kansas City Chiefs (-11)

The Chiefs are probably going to win this game. The tough decision will be determining if the Commanders cover the massive 11-point spread. Even though Marcus Mariota has been solid, Kansas City's offense is on a tear right now. That probably won't bode well for a Washington defense that is 29th in passer rating allowed. KC will find a way to cover the spread.

Prediction: Commanders 19 - 31 Chiefs

How to watch Washington Commanders @ Kansas City Chiefs (-11)

Commanders @ Chiefs starts at 8:15 p.m. EDT at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. You can watch it on ESPN or ABC, or stream it via the ESPN app, ABC app, or YouTube TV.

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