The Kansas City Chiefs soared past the New Orleans Saints in a 26-13 win on "Monday Night Football." The Chiefs, 4-0, were looking for their first 5-0 start since the 2018 season. They got it. The Chiefs are thin. On Monday night, they were asking for contributions from recycled players like Kareem Hunt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and even tight end Jody Fortson, all on their second tours with the team after not getting much attention anywhere else. Hunt and Smith-Schuster in particular had monster games on Monday night. The Chiefs' offense didn't look shorthanded. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes can always make it work.
The Chiefs entered the contest with questions at wide receiver, but WR JuJu Smith-Schuster had his best game of the season and finished with seven receptions for 130 yards. Meanwhile, the Saints struggled to score and quarterback Derek Carr exited the game in the fourth quarter with an oblique injury. Carr left the game late in the fourth quarter with a reported oblique injury. To win at Arrowhead Stadium you have to play very well, and the Saints did not do that in the first half. The night started with Derek Carr throwing a wild interception under pressure. It was a bad lobbed-up pass, and safety Bryan Cook made a nice diving catch for the pick. The Saints also gave up a first down after having the Chiefs pinned back on a second-and-34. They had a two-minute drill that took just 34 seconds before a punt and allowed the Chiefs to get a field goal before halftime. Carr now is 3-15 against the Chiefs in his career, including 1-9 in games against Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs Dominate the Saints
The Chiefs at long last won a game by a comfortable margin. After winning their past seven games dating back to last season's playoffs by a one-score margin, they didn't have to push to the end to beat the Saints on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, Kansas City claimed a 26-13 victory that pushed its record to 5-0. The Chiefs have now had a winning streak of at least five games in each of Andy Reid's 12 seasons as their head coach.
Kansas City led 16-7 at halftime and while it could have been worse for New Orleans — the Saints held the Chiefs to a field goal within the red zone on three possessions — it's very tough to come back on the Chiefs. The Saints stuck around though. A Saints interception in the end zone by 324-pound defensive Khalen Saunders and his 37-yard return gave New Orleans a jolt. The Saints went on a touchdown drive after that, and even though the extra point was no good they trailed 16-13 with more than 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Hunt and Smith-Schuster Spark the Chiefs Offense
The Chiefs have been relying on defense since the start of last season and it came through again on Monday night. After the Worthy touchdown, the Chiefs got a stop that essentially ended the Saints' chances. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sent a blitz on fourth-and-8, which forced Carr to rush his throw downfield and it fell incomplete. The game wasn't officially over at that point but it was going to take some huge breaks to overcome a 10-point deficit. The Saints' chances got even worse when Carr went back to the locker room with an oblique injury suffered on that fourth-down hit.
Mahomes had more than 300 yards throwing to an eclectic cast of receivers. Kelce had his second straight productive game with nine catches for 70 yards as he snaps out of an early-season slump. Smith-Schuster, cut by the Patriots in August and picked up by the Chiefs, was a big surprise with 130 yards. Hunt, who was unsigned all offseason, continues to take over the RB1 job in Pacheco's absence. He rushed for 102 yards.
The Chiefs' Offensive Success
The Chiefs are going to have to mix, match and get creative to generate offense due to multiple injuries, but unlike most other teams, they're likely to figure out a way. The Chiefs are without running back Isiah Pacheco and receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, but it really didn't matter against the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs moved the ball just fine, piling up more than 400 yards, and stayed undefeated with a 26-13 win over the Saints.
It's not the offensive lineup the Chiefs planned on going into the season. They figured that some additions would prevent a repeat of last season, when the offense was often frustrated with an inconsistent group of receivers. But Kansas City is making it work again. Their group of retreads made it seem like old timers' day at Arrowhead Stadium. The results were familiar too. The Chiefs got started early turning a Derek Carr interception into a touchdown on their first offensive drive. The Chiefs got into a grove as Kansas City scored on four of their first five drives before the half. The Chiefs would put the finishing touches on their win when Travis Kelce lined up as the quarterback near the goal line. He handed the ball off to Xavier Worthy who ran it into the end zone for a 3-yard score.
The Saints Struggles
The Saints fell to the Chiefs after entering Monday night with a lengthy list of injuries. They needed to play a perfect game to match up with the Chiefs' offense. Instead, New Orleans fell into an early deficit after Carr threw an ugly interception six plays into the game, setting the Chiefs up for their first touchdown. Carr and the Saints seemed like things were going to click. In the second quarter, Carr threw a long pass to Rashid Shaheed for a 43-yard touchdown. The scored was 10-7 at that point. But New Orleans wouldn’t score again until early in the fourth quarter when Carr found Foster Moreau.
Although the Saints had some big moments, such as a 43-yard touchdown pass from Carr to wideout Rashid Shaheed, they couldn't muster the offensive output from their first two weeks, losing their third game in a row.
A Look Ahead
The Chiefs still haven’t played their best, going only 2-for-7 in the red zone on Monday night in what should have been a blowout. They settled for field goals of 26, 34, 28 and 38 yards from Harrison Butker. Kansas City punted only once, but Butker missed a field goal and Mahomes threw an interception in the end zone on a ball bobbled by JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Chiefs outgained the Saints 460 to 220 yards.
Kansas City had much to celebrate as the Royals beat the Yankees before the Chiefs rolled the Saints 26-13. It was the third consecutive loss for New Orleans, which fell to 2-3, while Kansas City remained undefeated at 5-0. The Chiefs have a bye week before returning to action on Oct. 20 when they will face the San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans moved to 2-3 after starting the year firing on all cylinders. The Saints have an early divisional matchup at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Chiefs' offense didn't look shorthanded, but they'll have to find a way to stay afloat if they want to continue their dominance.
