JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kareem Hunt turn back the clock with 100-yard games to help the Chiefs defeat the Saints

Smith-Schuster, 27, and Hunt, 29, each returned to the Chiefs this season, but not until August.

Smith-Schuster, who initially played for the Chiefs in 2022, was released by the New England Patriots on August 9th and acquired by KC a few weeks later to fill the void left by Brown's shoulder injury.

“After I was released, I just waited patiently,” Smith-Schuster said. “When Andy Reid called he told me we could do a small package deal (together). Even if I came back to a place like this, it would be fine with me. I was okay with just being the leader in the room. I was OK with just being the rah-rah guy and trying to help our young guys get it right.”

Hunt — a 2017 pick by the Chiefs who was released in 2018 after an incident in which video showed him pushing and kicking a woman — wasn't signed until Sept. 17 in hopes of being replaced Pacheco could be out for a year with a broken fibula.

Both arrived on Monday evening, with a production not seen in years.

Smith-Schuster recorded his first 100-yard game since Week 7, 2022, when he was on his first run with the team with the Chiefs.

Hunt ended a much longer losing streak, surpassing 100 yards rushing for the first time since Week 10 of the 2020 season with the Cleveland Browns.

It's clear that Reid is the driving force and is able to bring out from his previous talents what they haven't been able to do in years.

“Coach Reid knows her abilities and knows how to put her in great positions,” Mahomes said. “Kareem just runs extremely hard. He gets every meter out of it. He catches the ball and does whatever it takes to go out and win. Then JuJu, even though he didn't get many reps, was in the playbook and learning. The things he lost in one year, you will see two years ago. He fits well in this offense and it was cool to get these guys moving up.

Rice will likely be out for the season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, about 90 minutes before the Chiefs' kickoff. Brown and Pacheco's return plans have yet to be determined, but it's certainly not anytime soon.

So Kansas City's offense will continue to be a patchwork.

“It’s going to stay that way until we start getting some of these guys back,” Mahomes said.

Whether Smith-Schuster and Hunt will continue to lead remains to be seen. It's clear they're both happy to be back in Kansas City and contributing in some way.

“A lot of people get a lot more reps,” Smith-Schuster said. “As you can see, we had a lot of people out there. Mecole (Hardman) out there working, Worthy, Skyy (Moore) and all the guys just working. We have Jody (Fortson) back and that’s nice. “Cool, more tight ends. It's pretty cool to see all that, but I'm happy when it's like this The ball comes to me, it comes to me. If not, I just have to live by being patient and when the time comes, just play.

The Chiefs' offense is still far from the glitzy, glamorous version of previous seasons, and injury problems have hardly helped.

Nonetheless, after a bye in Week 6, they are one of two teams still undefeated, and Hunt and Smith-Schuster are important contributors to that. No one could have predicted this at the start of the campaign, but somehow Reid and Mahomes pulled it off.

In Kansas City, at least on this night, Hunt and Smith-Schuster found new youth and productivity.

“If the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to get in,” Smith-Schuster said. “I love adversity. I love being down. I love the doubts. I always bet on myself. I came here on a one-year contract and bet on myself. And it worked for me. So I came back here.” is kind of a given.”