The Chiefs are well on their way to yet another Super Bowl appearance. How do they keep doing it year after year? Two reasons. They have superior coaching and excellent talent acquisition. The Chiefs are without Rashee Rice and Isaiah Pacheco and they are still finding ways to win. They lost arguably the best corner in free agency, and the defense has not missed a beat. The Chiefs remain the gold standard, yet there is much room for improvement.
All week the rumor mill has been buzzing about the Chiefs considering adding talent to the wide receiver room. With the Davante Adams situation unfolding, many think the Chiefs are his likely destination. I am skeptical. That is not Brett Veach’s way. He always finds exceptional talent at a bargain, and Davante Adams is no bargain.
In this game the defense led the way. They secured an interception on the opening drive, gifting the offense the ball. It was a perfect defensive play. The Chiefs brought pressure off the edges forcing Derek Carr to step up, rushing his throw which turned into a pop fly that Bryan Cook hauled in for an interception. Then the Chiefs execute a ten-play touchdown drive. Only four passes occurred on the drive. All four passes connected with tight ends.
Kareem Hunt has the Chiefs rush game running hot. Despite the Saint’s stout defense, Hunt hammered away at their interior 102 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. In fact, Andy Reid called the perfectly balanced game of 39 rushing plays to 39 passing attempts. Balance is key when playing a tough defense. However, in order to have balance, the run game must be effective. Hunt’s play is more than effective.
Patrick Mahomes arguably played his best game of the season. Though he threw an interception and no touchdowns, he was forced to spread the ball around to eight receivers, six of which he connected with two or more times. Though Mahomes starting throwing to his tight ends early, he eventually established a rapport with Ju Ju Smith Schuster, connecting seven times on eight targets for 130 yards.
Travis Kelce also had his best game of the season as he was caught nine of ten receptions for 70 yards.
Overall, the Chiefs likely played their best game of the season. This is their first double digit win of the season and they left at least ten points on the table. They missed a field goal and Khalen Saunders brought down an interception in the Saints own end zone. Saunder’s interception was pure luck. Ju Ju ran a hard slant into the end zone and bobbled the ball into the air. Saunders came down with the ball rumbled all the way to the 40-yard line, holding it high and against his chest. That play was a seven-point swing as the Saint’s rode the momentum of Saunders spectacular luck all the way into the end zone.
The Chiefs time of possession was forty minutes to the Saints twenty minutes. The defense kept giving the ball back to their offense and the offense ran clock rushing the football. When you run the ball effectively you wear down the opposing defense and run the clock.
The biggest issue the Chiefs had today is one that has plagued them all year. The Chiefs were terrible in the red zone. Instead of scoring touchdowns, they kicked field goals. They had seven red zone trips this evening. Only two of those trips netted a touchdown. Four other trips were field goals, while the fifth was the aforementioned interception in the end zone. The Chiefs must improve in this area as they get ready to start playing AFC West games.
The other main issue the Chiefs has is the poor play of their offensive line in pass protection. The offensive line was penalized six times. Most of those penalties were holding calls. Second, the offensive line was porous causing Mahomes to run all over the place. Still, he found ways to connect with his receivers down the field. Poor offensive line play is not sustainable as the Chiefs head into the meat of their schedule.
Overall, the Chiefs still played exceptionally well despite the above criticisms. When the defense plays well, the offense is allowed to make mistakes. Mahomes and company churned up a stout Saints defense for 460 yards. Hopefully as the season progress, the Chief’s offense will tighten up their offensive line and become more effective in the red zone.
