The Washington Redskins have at least a .500 all-time record against all but 12 current franchises in the NFL. Their worst winning percentage against any active team is .111 (1-8) against the Kansas City Chiefs. On Monday night, the Redskins visit the AFC’s lone unbeaten team looking for their first-ever win at Arrowhead Stadium, one of the toughest places to play in the league. Make sure you check 5Dimes before wagering on the game, and that sportsbook has the Chiefs as 7-point betting favorites.
The Skins don’t play the Chiefs very often so that winning percentage is a tad misleading, but Washington’s lone victory was at home on Sept. 18, 1983, by a 27-12 score. Kansas City has won the past six since then, last 45-10 at FedEx Field on Dec. 8, 2013. That was part of a season-ending eight-game losing streak for Washington. Jamaal Charles rushed for 150 yards and a TD on 19 carries. The Redskins won’t have to worry about Charles this time as he’s now in Denver, but they will have to worry about current running back Kareem Hunt.
Incidentally, the Redskins are one of just two active franchises to have never won a game at Arrowhead Stadium. The other is the Arizona Cardinals. This will also be the Redskins’ first matchup against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Do you know what Washington and Kansas City have in common other than leading their respective divisions? (Skins are tied at 2-1 with the Eagles and Cowboys atop the NFC East.). It’s possible that neither starting quarterback could be with their respective club next year.
Alex Smith is off to a fantastic start for Kansas City. He is completing a league-leading 77.4 percent of his passes for 774 yards, seven touchdowns and an NFL-best rating of 132.7. That would set a record if over an entire season. However, the Chiefs gave up a fortune in draft picks to Buffalo move up from No. 27 to No. 10 in this year’s draft to take Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
You don’t give up that much to sit a guy more than one season in the modern-day NFL. Reports are the Chiefs could look to trade Smith this offseason. He started that 2013 game vs. Washington and was 14-for-20 for 137 yards and two scores.
Of course, Skins fans know all about the situation with Kirk Cousins as it’s unlikely the team can slap the franchise tag on him an unprecedented third time next offseason. That would mean Cousins would earn nearly $35 million in 2018. He’s expected to hit free agency and many believe he could land in San Francisco with former Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Cousins did play in relief of a struggling Robert Griffin III in the 2013 matchup, going 7-for-16 for 59 yards.
Washington’s defense, off a stellar effort against Oakland, will be tasked with slowing rookie sensation Kareem Hunt, a third-round pick out of Toledo who is the 5Dimes favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Hunt was selected No. 86 overall.
Hunt leads the NFL with 401 yards rushing and has found the end zone six times already (four rushing, two receiving). Hunt is the first player in NFL history to record a 50-plus-yard touchdown in each of his first three career games.
The Chiefs will have another rookie in a potentially key role in kicker Harrison Butker, who was just signed this week off the Carolina practice squad. They needed a kicker with Cairo Santos landing on injured reserve. Santos was 3-for-3 in field goal attempts this season and had made all 12 of his extra-point attempts.
There are other chinks in the Chiefs armour, but not many. Can the Redskins find those chinks and do something that they have never done before?
Win a game at Arrowhead Stadium.