September 29, 2024; Inglewood, California, United States; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) is tackled while catching a touchdown pass in the first half at SoFi Stadium Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton (7) defense. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Kansas City Chiefs have played four single games, while the New Orleans Saints are tied for the most points in the NFL.
However, the Chiefs are 4-0 and the Saints are 2-2 as the two teams prepare to face off in Kansas City on Monday night.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs continue to find ways to win games, while the Saints have squandered leads down the stretch and lost their past two games.
The Chiefs have overcome a series of injuries to key players on offense. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has yet to play in a game while on the non-football illness list, but he did return to practice Wednesday. Running back Isaiah Pacheco (fibula) and wide receiver Hollywood Brown (back) have both been placed on injured reserve, joined Wednesday by wide receiver Rashe Rice, who was injured last week. He suffered a knee injury during the team's 17-10 victory over the Chargers.
“There's not another Lachey,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but there are other guys that are really good, so we'll be fine.”
First-round pick Xavier Worthy is averaging 17.1 yards per catch and has two touchdown catches, tight end Travis Kelce is Kansas City's leading healthy receiver, and veteran Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster give quarterback Patrick Mahomes confidence.
“These guys did it the right way,” Mahomes said. “They're always in the right position. They do what they're supposed to do and I think it's a luxury to have these guys because you know they're going to be there, they're going to be open and they're going to be there when their number is called. Will come on stage.
The Chiefs have been one of the NFL's most efficient offenses since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, but this season they've only averaged 23 points per game in scoring (23 points per game) and only 328.3 yards in total offense (328.3 yards per game). Ranked 14th. Still, they're unbeaten in productivity, thanks in part to their seventh-ranked defensive rating (18.0).
New Orleans ranks first in points scored (31.8) and ninth in yards allowed (349.0), winning its first two games, beating the Panthers 47-10 and the Cowboys 44-19.
But two weeks ago, when the Saints took the lead with a touchdown with 2:03 left, Philadelphia marched five times for a 69-yard touchdown with 1:01 left in the game and won 15-12. . Then, last week, New Orleans scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:00 left, but Atlanta won 26-24 on Younghoe Koo's game-winning 58-yard field goal with 2 seconds left.
“I'm glad we gave ourselves a chance to win every game,” Saints head coach Dennis Allen said. “We could have been sitting here 4-0 and we weren't and that's the frustrating thing.”
The loss to the Falcons was especially frustrating as the Saints defense didn't allow a touchdown but a series of turnovers cost them.
Rashid Shaheed smothered an Atlanta punt recovered in the end zone, and a deflected Derek Carr pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, Paulson A.D. Paulson Adebo's 30-yard defensive pass interference penalty gave the Falcons all the yards they needed for the game-winning field goal.
“When you want to be a good team, you have to play a lot of competitive games,” Allen said. “We have to find a way to win those games.”
Five Saints starters missed Wednesday's practice — tight end Taysom Hill (ribs), linebacker Cesar Ruiz (knee), center Sean Lemieux (ankle) ), linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (hand) and kicker Blake Grupp (hip). No one on the Chiefs’ active roster missed practice.
–Scene-level media