Chiefs’ new look attack with old faces beat the Saints to move to 5-0

On Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs ran a number of plays with four tight ends. It was voluntary.

The Chiefs will have to mix, match and get creative to generate offense due to multiple injuries, but unlike most other teams, they will likely figure out a way.

The Chiefs are without running back Isiah Pacheco and receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, but against the New Orleans Saints it didn’t really matter. The Chiefs moved the ball well, piling up over 400 yards, and remained undefeated with a 26-13 victory over the Saints.

The Chiefs are thin. On Monday night, they solicited contributions from recycled players like Kareem Hunt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and even tight end Jody Fortson, all on their second tour with the team after not getting much attention elsewhere. Hunt and Smith-Schuster in particular had monster games on Monday night. The Chiefs’ offense didn’t appear to be short-lived.

Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes can always make it work.

Saints make mistakes early on

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 pass and safety Bryan Cook made a nice diving catch for the pick. The Saints also gave up a first down after the Chiefs were pinned back on a second-and-34. They had a two-minute drill that lasted only 34 seconds before a punt was made, allowing the Chiefs a field goal before halftime.

Kansas City led 16-7 at halftime and while it could have been worse for New Orleans – the Saints held the Chiefs to three possessions on a field goal inside the red zone – it’s very difficult to get back on the Chiefs .

The Saints, however, hung on. A Saints interception in the end zone by 324-pound defensive end Khalen Saunders and his 37-yard return gave New Orleans a shock. The Saints then went on a touchdown drive, and although the extra point was no good, they trailed 16-13 with more than 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs had been pretty good between the 20s, but their failures in the red zone kept New Orleans in the game.

Chiefs maintain lead in fourth quarter

As usual, the Chiefs were creative around the goal line and it paid off with a big touchdown in the fourth quarter. Travis Kelce took the shotgun snap from center, handed it off to Xavier Worthy and the rookie receiver got a three-yard touchdown. That restored the Chiefs’ lead to 10 points.

The Chiefs have relied on the 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, forcing Carr to rush his throw downfield and causing it to fall incomplete. The game wasn’t officially over at that point, but it would take some big breaks to overcome a 10-point deficit. The Saints’ chances got even worse when Carr returned to the locker room with an oblique injury sustained on that fourth goal.

Mahomes threw for over 300 yards to an eclectic cast of receivers. Kelce had his second straight productive game with nine catches for 70 yards as he comes 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 season, continues to take over the RB1 job in Pacheco’s absence. He rushed for 102 yards.

It’s not the offensive lineup the Chiefs had planned coming into the season. They thought some additions would prevent a repeat of last season, when the offense was often frustrated by an inconsistent group of receivers. But Kansas City is making it work again. Their group of tire retreads made it seem like an old-fashioned day at Arrowhead Stadium. The results were also known.