The Kansas City Chiefs remain spotless, at least in the standings. Despite some stalled red-zone trips while hosting the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, the reigning Super Bowl champions closed Week 5 on an encouraging note, rediscovering some of their offensive groove in a game that saw Patrick Mahomes spread the ball to eight different receivers and dominate time of possession. Derek Carr and the Saints briefly threatened to pull close with some dazzling highlights of their own, but this cross-conference prime-time affair mostly belonged to the home team, which left with a 26-13 victory.
The Chiefs' win, which pushes K.C. to 5-0 on the year, was punctuated by solid performances from a slew of Mahomes' skill weapons, including Kareem Hunt (102 rushing yards), JuJu Smith-Schuster (7 catches, 130 yards) and Travis Kelce (9 catches, 70 yards). Steve Spagnuolo's defense also came through when it mattered most, forcing an early pick of Carr and ultimately forcing the Saints' quarterback to exit early with an oblique injury suffered on an all-out blitz in the fourth quarter.
New Orleans' play of the night belonged to former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who secured an end-zone interception of Mahomes after Paulson Adebo tipped a slant to Smith-Schuster, then raced his 324-pound frame for a big gain. The Saints struggled mightily on the ground, however, and surrendered 460 total yards by the end of the night.
Here are the takeaways from Monday's showdown.
The final score didn't show it, but the Chiefs dominated the game from start to finish. Kansas City had the ball for 39 minutes, 56 seconds and totaled 460 yards of offense in the victory, scoring on six of nine possessions (excluding kneeldowns). The only reason the game was close was because the Chiefs were 2 of 7 in the red zone, including an interception when Kansas City was looking to extend a 16-7 lead in the third quarter.
Kansas City's defense also held New Orleans to 220 yards, including 46 on the ground. The Saints were held scoreless on seven of nine possessions and started out with just 112 yards in the first half. Getting 102 yards and a touchdown from Kareem Hunt in just his second game at running back was also massive from a Kansas City offense that needs help on the ground with Isiah Pacheco out.
The Saints couldn't get anything going on offense against the Chiefs defense. Outside of a 43-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed, the Saints generated just 3.1 yards per play in the first half. The Saints didn't score on five of their first six possessions, punting four times and turning the ball over on the other.
The offense really struggled once Derek Carr left with an oblique injury, as Jake Haener went just 2 of 7 for 17 yards in his one series. Without Carr for an extended period of time, the Saints could be in real trouble.
With the Chiefs leading, 16-13, early in the fourth quarter, Patrick Mahomes found JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 50-yard gain on second-and-6 to get Kansas City deep into the red zone. Smith-Schuster finished with 7 catches for 130 yards, as that 50-yard reception eclipsed his total from the first four games (17 yards).
50-yard completion for JuJu and he’s at 117 yards on 6 catches!
— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024
📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7djKfPURaE
The Chiefs scored three plays later on an Xavier Worthy rushing touchdown with Travis Kelce under center to take a 23-13 lead. The 50-yard catch by Smith-Schuster set up the score, which erased any doubt the Chiefs may lose this game.
Travis Kelce's pitch to Samaje Perine on third-and-22 is the latest lateral that worked in a team's favor this season. With the Chiefs up, 10-7, late in the second quarter, Mahomes threw a pass across the middle to Kelce -- who ran to his left and pitched the ball to Perine.
Kelce with the pitch on 3rd & 22 😂
— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024
📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/PW8dXNhIrx
Perine took the lateral 15 more yards to set up a fourth-and-1 at the Saints' 23-yard line. Kareem Hunt got the first down on the next play to extend the drive -- despite Kansas City once facing a second-and-34. That lateral set Kansas City up for a score to extend the lead, even if it was only a field goal.
The Chiefs enter their bye week with a 5-0 record, returning in Week 7 against the 49ers on Sunday, Oct. The Saints host the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 13.
That does it for this cross-conference showdown. The Saints briefly threatened to pull close, but this was the Chiefs' game through and through. Credit to Andy Reid's offense showing up, even if the red-zone trips didn't pay off for long stretches. Kareem Hunt, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce all stepped up to keep the ball in the home team's hands.
Harrison Butker is now 4 for 5 on three-point tries, responsible for 14 of the Chiefs' 26 points. This ballgame is effectively over, unless Jake Haener takes the field in place of the injured Derek Carr and pulls off a miracle.
As if there's any doubt about Kareem Hunt's spot in the Chiefs' RB pecking order, by the way, the veteran is up to 28 carries on the night, miles ahead of rookie Carson Steele (5). It'll be interesting to see how the roles are shaken up if/when Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire return to the mix, perhaps later this season.
Injury update: The Saints are calling it an oblique injury for Derek Carr, who's receiving treatment in the locker room. He's been ruled questionable to return. Even if New Orleans gets the ball back, it won't have much time.
Patrick Mahomes is piling up the yards through the air -- 316 so far -- but the Chiefs quarterback can still be crafty with his legs, too, as evidenced by this shifty scramble for a first, keeping the ball in K.C.'s hands with the fourth-quarter clock ticking:
The Saints QB appeared to favor his hip or back when he took a shot airing it out on New Orleans' last drive. Was facing an all-out blitz from Steve Spagnuolo's Chiefs when he let it fly. Second-year reserve Jake Haener is the No. 2.
One Saints player who's been curiously quiet tonight: Chris Olave, who's managed just two catches for 10 yards on two targets. Rashid Shaheed has delivered when called upon downfield, but it might speak to what Trent McDuffie's doing in coverage for K.C.
Seconds after the Saints finally pull within one score, Andy Reid's offense strikes back, with Patrick Mahomes finding a wide-open JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 50-yard catch-and-run, pushing the former Pittsburgh Steelers star close to 120 yards on the night. Then, to cap it off, Travis Kelce lines up in the Shotgun and hands to Xavier Worthy, showcasing Reid's creativity and finally bucking the trend of red-zone hiccups, with the rookie wideout shooting into the end zone for six. It's 23-13 Chiefs.
We have a ballgame, folks. Khalen Saunders' incredible end-zone interception return robs the Chiefs of a bigger lead and gives Derek Carr and Co. decent field position. Then Carr goes to work, operating decisively to find Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara for big gains on quick strikes. He caps it with one of the prettiest passes of the night, lobbing to a wide-open Foster Moreau off his back foot. Blake Grupe misses the ensuing extra point, but it's now 16-14 Chiefs. K.C. should be dominating the scoreboard given how much the Chiefs have controlled the clock, but red-zone woes have haunted them all night.
Per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, Saints DT Khalen Saunders reached a top speed of 15.79 mph on his 36-yard interception return, the third-fastest speed by a ball-carrier weighing over 320 pounds since 2016. That man was hustling.
Talk about an unexpected takeaway for Dennis Allen's defense! With the Chiefs marching toward an even bigger lead, Patrick Mahomes darts one over the middle to a slanting JuJu Smith-Schuster, only for Paulson Adebo to come flying in and muscle the ball into the air ... and into the arms of former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who proceeds to take the interception out of the end zone and race -- complete with a 324-pound frame -- for a major return. The Saints somehow have life again!
The Saints try to get the ground game going, with three Alvin Kamara carries in four plays, and go nowhere. They just aren't winning in the trenches. Nick Bolton and Mike Pennel with the stuffs. And it's a six-play, one-yard drive that once again ends in a punt. So it's back to the Chiefs, who have a real chance to put this one in the bag, if not mathematically then psychologically. Saints have no momentum right now, even with their solid defensive outing.
Another Chiefs possession, another shot at three points. But this time, Harrison Butker is no good, with the ball just bouncing off the uprights from 51 yards out. Butker had been a perfect 3 for 3 on the night before this one. K.C. still leads it 16-7, dominating the time-of-possession battle, 24:15 to 10:30. New Orleans has had absolutely no ground game thus far.
The Chiefs lead this 16-7, and while they could probably be ahead even more considering they've had to settle for three field goals, you have to feel decent if you're a K.C. fan, considering the concerns coming in about their pass catching depth. JuJu Smith-Schuster has come up big in multiple spots, Travis Kelce has come back to life as an over-the-middle chain-mover, and even Kareem Hunt looked to have fresh legs early on. The Saints aren't completely out of this, with Derek Carr finding Rashid Shaheed wide open downfield, but they've also been boom or bust with their possessions. They need to start winning up front, which will be a mightily tall task given their injuries, in order to build some methodical drives.
JuJu Smith-Schuster showing up multiple times for the Chiefs on their drive before half, breaking wide open after Patrick Mahomes gets a ton of time to throw and picking up 31, then working toward the sideline to get K.C. in field-goal range and making yet another grab coming across the middle to move the chains. There's a wide receiver! Harrison Butker hits his third field goal of the night to seal the drive, and put K.C. up 16-7.
Nothing doing for the Saints on their drive immediately following the Chiefs' long field goal series, with Derek Carr quickly airing one out down the sideline, only for his target to haul it in out of bounds, and Alvin Kamara getting stuffed in the backfield by Nick Bolton on a screen. Ugly showing if you're New Orleans, trying to keep pace on the road. Dennis Allen's "D" has held up reasonably well so far, keeping things in front of them. But Mahomes gets another crack at expanding the lead before halftime.
Harrison Butker drills a 34-yard try, so Dennis Allen can take a small sigh of relief, but the Chiefs are now up 13-7 with halftime around the corner. Travis Kelce already up to seven catches on the night; he's been very busy over the middle. Patrick Mahomes is on pace for almost 40 throws in this one, spreading the ball around and nearly doubling the Saints' time of possession.
Unfazed by their recent fumble on a reverse, the Chiefs go right back to the creative well, this time with some seemingly unplanned magic, as Kelce seamlessly laterals the ball to Samaje Perine while approaching contact before the first-down marker. K.C. then proceeds to hand it to Kareem Hunt on fourth-and-1 to move the chains. Bold stuff from the home squad.
The Chiefs are fortunate to avoid a turnover, with rookie running back Carson Steele trying to execute a reverse pitch to Xavier Worthy, only to be struck by a blitzing Alontae Taylor and lose the ball. Worthy gets on top of it, however, to preserve the Chiefs' possession. Taylor follows it up with a hard hit on a Patrick Mahomes scramble. He's playing much bigger than he looks.
Injury alert: Saints safety Will Harris exits with a non-contact lower-body injury, and former Las Vegas Raiders starter Johnathan Abram, just elevated from the practice squad, steps in on the back end. Harris appeared to favor his leg while chasing Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy toward the sideline.
"I told you! I told you!" Derek Carr can be seen declaring to his team's sideline, right after launching a bomb to his deep man, Rashid Shaheed. This time, the connection is there! Shaheed blazes past Bryan Cook coming across the middle, and the pass goes for 43 yards and six points. It's officially 10-7 Chiefs, and we've got ourselves a ballgame again. Credit to Carr for delivering it downfield with a rusher coming right off his blind side, too.
Harrison Butker is good from 26 yards out to give the Chiefs a two-score lead, up 10-0, but only after an otherwise impressive drive from Patrick Mahomes comes up short in scoring range. Both Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce were heavily involved again. The latter, who started the season slow, is already up to five catches through one and a half quarters.
Derek Carr tries Rashid Shaheed for another deep ball and nearly gets picked by Bryan Cook a second time. Ends up overthrowing everyone. Shaheed was covered fairly well by two defenders. New Orleans punts away, down 7-0 late in the first.
So just like that, the old friend really is the lead ball-carrier in Kansas City. A week after kicking off his second stint with the team, the veteran running back gets five carries on the Chiefs' first series, capping it with a touchdown. It's 7-0, K.C. after Derek Carr's interception afforded the home team an early possession.
A big splash play from the Chiefs defense early, which is bad news for New Orleans: Bryan Cook makes a leaping pick of Derek Carr to end the Saints' first offensive series. Carr was trying to find his deep man, Rashid Shaheed, in K.C. territory, but also making an ill-advised heave off his back foot in the face of pressure.
Alvin Kamara already busy for the Saints on their first possession:
We're underway at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Can the Chiefs stay unbeaten? They're up against a real defense tonight.
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