Chiefs Shut Down Saints for Victory

All hail to the Chiefs.

It was not the most aesthetically pleasing win that the Chiefs have earned over their seven-year run, but it was a win any way you slice it, as the two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs locked up a 26-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints Monday night. With the win, the Chiefs remain undefeated, improving to 5-0 and joined the Minnesota Vikings as the only other undefeated NFL team through the first five weeks of the season.

“We got outplayed,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “We really couldn’t get a whole lot going on either side of the ball.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his best game of the season, completing the lions’ share of his passes. His tight end/safety blanket Travis Kelce hauled in several of them. And Kareem Hunt, who they just reunited with and brought back into the fold after five years away, plowed into the end zone once again, sending a beautiful display of red fireworks flying over Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.

“It was a great feeling to get back in the end zone. I missed it very much,” said Hunt, who only returned to the Chiefs a couple of weeks ago, after an injury to starter Isiah Pacheco. “That’s why I threw up a heart. To show my love for Kansas City.”

The Chiefs improved to 5-0 and the Saints fell to 2-3 after suffering their third consecutive loss.

The Chiefs controlled the game from the opening kick and were the better team by far on both sides of the ball. But struggles in the red zone allowed the Saints to stay within striking distance until late in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs were up and down like a seesaw, scoring a single touchdown with a trio of Harrison Butker field goals and a goal-line interception in their first five trips to the red zone. But they broke through for their second touchdown late in the game on a 3-yard run from Xavier Worthy to ice the win. Worthy then gave the ball to his mother for her birthday.

The Saints got back into the game in the third thanks to a tipped end zone interception by defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. The former Chief returned the rock 36 yards and quarterback Derek Carr led the Saints to their second touchdown, a 6-yard pass to tight end Foster Moreau that made it 16-13 after missing the all-important extra point, at the start of the fourth quarter.

However, Mahomes did what he does best and quickly led the Chiefs on a scoring drive to make it 23-13. The Saints marched back into Chiefs territory on the ensuing possession but Carr’s fourth down attempt to rookie receiver Mason Tipton fell incomplete. Carr, who was 18 of 28 for 165 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on the game’s first possession, took a big hit by blitzing defensive back Chamarri Conner on the play and had to leave the game with an oblique injury. Prior to exiting, Carr moved past 40,000 yards passing and his touchdown to Moreau was the 250th of his eleven-year career.

“I couldn’t do what I needed to do in the simplest form,” said Carr, who plans to get an MRI exam on Tuesday.
Second-year quarterback Jake Haener played the final possession.

With the Saints using a makeshift offensive line, running back Alvin Kamara could only manage 26 yards on 11 carries. Receiver Rashid Shaheed had an explosive night with four receptions for 86 yards including a 43-yard touchdown catch in the first half.

Mahomes was 28 of 39 for 331 yards and one interception. Defensive end Chase Young and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee had the Saints’ sacks. The Chiefs, who dominated time of possession, amassed more than 400 yards of total offense but were forced to kick four field goals. Running back Hunt had 102 yards on 27 carries and tight end Travis Kelce caught nine balls for 70 yards.

The Saints lost safety Will Harris to a hamstring injury in the first half and center Lucas Patrick, playing in place of starter Erik McCoy, left in the second half with a collarbone injury but returned.

The Saints will host Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

Kansas City has a week off before traveling to San Francisco to take on Brock Purdy and the 49ers on October 20.