Whether it was a lack of offensive production, untimely penalties, or the mystique of playing an undefeated Kansas City team at Arrowhead Stadium, the New Orleans Saints (2-3) could not find any solutions and were defeated by the Chiefs 26-13 on Monday night.
Two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes tossed for 331 yards and picked up 22 crucial yards on the ground to propel his team to victory. Even with a banged-up receiving corps, Mahomes did what he does so well and that’s adapt. Picking apart the Saints’ zone defense, the difference in offensive efficiency was notable as the Chiefs (5-0) totaled 460 yards of production, compared to a season-low of 220 for New Orleans.
Scoring summary
Following an opening series interception by Saints quarterback Derek Carr, Mahomes and the Chiefs marched down the field in 10 plays to score on a five-yard dive by recently acquired running back Kareem Hunt.
In the second quarter, on their third offensive possession of the game, New Orleans found the scoreboard as Carr tossed a deep ball to speedy wideout Rashid Shaheed for a touchdown. Kansas City continued to control the clock and settled for three Harrison Butker field goals to go up 16-7 at halftime.
Coming back out of the gates, the Saints held their own and forced Butker to miss a field goal on the Chiefs’ first drive of the second half before defensive lineman Khalen Saunders intercepted a ball in the end zone on the next Kansas City drive and returned it 37 yards.
BIG MAN INT!!!
What a catch by Khalen Saunders 😱 pic.twitter.com/guCQU8Leq5
— ESPN (@espn) October 8, 2024
Carr and company turned the short-lived momentum into an eight-play drive with tight end Foster Moreau catching a pass in the end zone to cut the deficit to 16-13 with 14:16 left to play in the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs responded with a touchdown of their own as tight end Travis Kelce tossed a ball to rookie Xavier Worthy for a three-yard touchdown on a trick play. The Saints turned the ball over on downs on the next two possessions as Butker got a redemption field goal that provided enough insurance for the win.
What the coach said
After starting the season with wins against Carolina and Dallas, the Saints have floundered with three straight losses. After Monday’s game, head coach Dennis Allen continued to harp on where he believes his team needs to improve.
“We got outplayed and outcoached in the game today. Defensively, we didn’t play the way we were capable of playing, including tackling,” Allen said. “[Kansas City] has a good team and a good defense. They have some talented players on offense, and they played better than we did tonight. I thought we played well in the red zone but thought Mahomes did a great job of making plays. We have to keep working on our technique and fundamentals.”
New Orleans injury report
Coming into the game with a lengthy injury report, New Orleans left Arrowhead Stadium with an even longer list of players injured.
Derek Carr went down late in the fourth quarter after a broken-up pass, being accompanied to the locker room by trainers. After the game, the veteran quarterback noted that it was an oblique injury and staff had already scheduled additional tests for Tuesday.
“Not feeling good,” Carr told reporters. “We’ll get an MRI tomorrow.”
Along with Carr, several New Orleans players were injured during the game – including center Lucas Patrick and defensive back Will Harris. The Saints now have nine starters battling injuries five games into the season.
Box score leaders
- Saints QB Derek Carr: 18 of 28 passing for 165 yards with two touchdowns and one interception
- Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: 28 of 39 passing for 331 yards with one interception
- Saints RB Alvin Kamara: 11 carries for 26 yards; 6 receptions for 40 yards
- Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt: 27 carries for 102 yards and one touchdown
- Saints WR Rashid Shaheed: 4 receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown
- Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: 7 receptions for 130 yards
- Saints LB Anfernee Orji: 7 total tackles
- Chiefs LB Nick Bolton: 6 total tackles
Next up
The New Orleans Saints return home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 13. Kickoff is set for noon CT and will be broadcast on FOX.
