Commanders vs. Chiefs Week 8 NFL Monday Night Football Picks and Parlays 

Arrowhead Ambush: Mariota Walks Into the Lion's Den

Well, so much for that "rookie magic" carrying the Commanders into primetime. If you're a Washington fan, you woke up to the news you were absolutely dreading. The team confirmed it Friday: Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will not play Monday night at Kansas City. It’s a low-grade hamstring strain he picked up last week, but against this defense? On that turf? No way they were gonna risk their franchise guy.

Well, it’s Mariota time.

Daniels is out, so it’s Marcus Mariota making his third start of the season. Mariota is a professional, a fantastic backup, but it’s not the Carolina Panthers, his old squad, he’s leading into the fray, none other. Monday Night Football in Arrowhead against a Chiefs’ defense putting it all on the line.

Last week, the Chiefs beat AFC West rivals Las Vegas Raiders 31-0 in a complete annihilation. Steve Spagnuolo, or Spags, has that defense working like a well-oiled machine. Chris Jones is ruining game plans, and the secondary is playing with a scary level of confidence. They only let the Raiders get three first downs. The whole game.

But now Mariota also has to contend with the noise (the Chiefs fans held the record for loudest fan noise in September 2014), let alone the Commanders’ offense line, which is hardly the indomitable wall it could have been, that’s got their hands full. Clearly, the game plan is now toast in the shredder. No more long range shots, no more plays off script that Daniels had only just begun to make with any success.

The 10.5 point favorite Chiefs just smell blood in the water for their opponents. This game has quickly changed from “ intriguing rookie challenge” to “likely blowout." Mariota is throwing himself into the loudest environment in professional football with the hot defensive team in the league.The 48.5-point line will be mostly Kansas City.