Patrick Mahomes helped Travis Kelce return to for m as the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New Orleans Saints.
On Monday Night Football, the Chiefs overcame several offensive injuries to clinch a 26-13 win over the Saints. The win saw the Chiefs move to 5-0, while the Saints slipped to 2-3 as Mahomes completed 28 of 39 passes for 331 yards along with an interception.
Last week during his press conference ahead of the clash with the Saints, Chiefs head coach Reid played down the chances of a trade for a receiver with the likes of Davante Adams angling for a move. Instead, Reid said: “Right now, I think we’re OK with who we’ve got up at wide receiver there.”
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Down the likes of Marquise Brown, Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice, the Chiefs used JuJu Smith-Schuster to the tune of seven catches and 130 yards, while Mahomes looked for Kelce early and often as he put up 70 yards. However, questions will linger over whether this supporting cast is strong enough as the Chiefs pursue a record three successive Super Bowl titles.
While it was a dominant performance from the Chiefs, Smith-Schuster dropped a potential touchdown pass that was ultimately picked off by the Saints while rookie Xavier Worthy was kept quiet in the passing game with his only meaningful contribution coming via a touchdown run. A creative play out of a four-tight end set that Kansas City ran during the game only further emphasized the holes in the team’s offense.
Perhaps Reid and the Chiefs will move for another weapon to add to Mahomes’ arsenal, even if Kelce enjoyed a productive day.
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Patrick Mahomes linked up with Travis Kelce early to boost the ailing Chiefs offense (
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Early in the first quarter, Alvin Kamara earned a first down with a tremendous cutback run, but the Saints offense was soon trotting off the field. After receiving startlingly quick pressure following the snap, Carr tried to throw the ball away with a jump ball toward the sideline, but the ball was picked off by Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
The Chiefs immediately rolled downfield, with Mahomes leaning on Kelce to move downfield before capping a 10-play drive with Kareem Hunt punching the ball into the end zone on a five-yard rush. It proved to be, for some time at least, the only success Kansas City would have in the red zone.
In the second quarter, the Chiefs offense stalled out deep in Saints territory, leading to a Harrison Butker 26-yard field goal. Carr and the Saints hit back, with Carr firing a 43-yard deep bomb to Rashid Shaheed, and the receiver hauled the pass in after running a perfect route.
The Chiefs had to settle for another pair of Butker field goals, ensuring they held a 16-7 lead at halftime. Late in the third quarter, the fierce Saints defense made a spectacular goalline stand, with Khalen Saunders first making a huge hit on Kelce before the lineman secured a career-first interception when Mahomes’ pass deflected off the hands of Smith-Schuster.
New Orleans took advantage of the swing in momentum with another touchdown as Carr found Fabian Moreau on a six-yard pass after the tight end executed a perfect route. The Chiefs then leaned on the running game, with both Hunt and Carson Steele getting touches to power downfield before Worthy took a handoff from Kelce and burst into the end zone.
Butker added another field goal, while Carr left the game after taking a shot while his fourth down effort fell incomplete. The Saints will hope their starting quarterback is healthy and available for their next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a big NFC South clash on Sunday, Oct. 13.
Meanwhile, Mahomes’ 5-0 Chiefs are set to enjoy a bye week before taking on the 2-3 San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Oct. 20.
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