What we learned from the Chiefs' win over the Saints on Monday night

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1. The Chiefs continue to win ugly. When Kansas City was chosen Xavier Worthy In the first round, the die-hard fantasy football fans cheered. Finally, the Chiefs would boast an explosive offense again! Well, that hasn't come to fruition in five weeks, but the numbers that matter – wins and losses – still fall in the right column for Kansas City, which went 5-0 with 460 yards of offense. But it rarely looks pretty. Patrick Mahomes was once again a master of Andy Reid's offense, extending plays and connecting with a motley group of pass catchers (aside from the very famous ones). Travis Kelce), but the Chiefs had some issues in the red zone. They failed to score a touchdown on four consecutive trips to the red zone Monday night and missed a field goal, allowing the Saints to stay in a game they should have chalked up as a loss long before the decision was made. And yet, similar to their victories over Los Angeles, Atlanta and Baltimore, the Chiefs found a way to get the job done. They still look like the back-to-back champions that they are, even if people want to nitpick because it's not pretty enough.
2. The mighty saints have disappeared. Those jubilant first two weeks of the 2024 season seem like months ago at this point. After amassing 91 points in their first two games, the Saints have scored 49 points in their last three games, each of which ended in a loss. This was even more disappointing than their late-game collapse in the loss to Philadelphia in Week 3, as they were dominated in time of possession to the tune of nearly 2-1. They failed to run the ball well or putt often Derek Carr in no-win situations, which only added to a very unpleasant evening for the quarterback, who often appeared out of shape and was rushed by Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Too often, Carr was forced to back off and pray downfield as the Chiefs' pass rush came at him, starting on their very first possession of the drive (which ended with a…). Bryan Cook interception of a ball that Carr tried to throw into the sideline). The Saints are unbalanced and can occasionally block a shot from deep Rashid Shaheedlooking more like their terrible 2023 version, not the exciting device that started the season on a heater. At 2-3 they need to figure this out quickly.
3. Let’s be honest with Patrick Mahomes. Look, the numbers aren't what we expect from the superstar quarterback, but for those scanning the box scores, just look at who he's playing with right now. Kareem Hunt And Carson Steele are his two best options for carrying the ball. The Chiefs used 12 personnel at a rate (26%) that was 10th in the NFL, and because they lost Rashee Rice Last week, Mahomes' job got a lot harder on Monday night. Luckily, Smith-Schuster had his best game in nearly two years and was able to stave off a fall that could have dramatically changed the game. But as the film suggests, don't be fooled: Mahomes' playmaking ability is keeping this offense afloat. The mere fact that he threw for 331 yards alongside Smith-Schuster, Travis Kelce, rookie Xavier Worthy and a number of relative flukes should be praised, statistics be damned.
4. Steve Spagnuolo's brand still works. When a defense pressures a quarterback more than 50 percent, it usually means you had a good night. That was the case for the Chiefs' defense, which pressured the Saints' quarterbacks 21 times on Monday night – a rate of 55.3% – while also covering the Saints' receivers for an average target distance of 2.8 yards. Spags increased the blitz 14 times, but because the Chiefs' rush was so effective, it seemed like that number could have been well over 20. When it came to third down (and fourth down in the fourth quarter), everyone knew what was coming, but the Saints had no answer. Through the first four weeks, Kansas City has been a slightly above-average defense, but performances like Monday night's may be the start of a gradual rise, similar to the one that helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl last season. I can't guarantee that right now, but considering they've been a top-5 unit in points allowed per game, total yards allowed per game, and sacks since 2023, I have a feeling they're headed that way will follow.
5. Dennis Allen's defense hurts. New Orleans entered Monday night without a linebacker Pete Werner And Willie Gay Jr.plus defensive end Payton Turnerwhich obviously didn't help their efforts. But this group — which should be Allen's specialty — isn't playing well enough right now. Entering Week 5, New Orleans ranked 17th in total yards allowed per game and 24th in passing yards per game, averaging 233.8 yards per game. Mahomes broke that mark with 331 on Monday night. New Orleans held its own in the red zone and lived up to its reputation as the NFL's best red zone defense in Week 5, but when the offense stalled and the defense gave up a total of 460 yards despite registering a QB pressure rate over 34%, that's not a good sign. The individual highlights were in the red area (e.g. Khalen Saunders' magical interception), but the goal is to avoid travel to that area. The Saints didn’t do that well enough on Monday night.

Inside the Saints-Chiefs' next-generation stats (via NFL Pro): Weighing 324 pounds, Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders reached a top speed of 15.79 mph on his 36-yard interception return, the third-fastest speed of a ball carrier weighing over 320 pounds since 2016.

NFL Research: JuJu Smith Schuster finished Monday night with seven catches for 130 yards, marking his first 100-yard game since Week 7 of the 2022 season, during his last appearance with Kansas City. Smith-Schuster played 24 games before Monday without exceeding the 100-yard mark.