Chiefs Win First Game In Dramatic Fashion, Beat Saints In OT

Step away from the ledge, Chiefs fans – Kansas City has won a game! The team picked up a road victory this Sunday against New Orleans in dramatic fashion, finishing the Saints off in overtime after an impressive comeback from a double-digit deficit.

In the third quarter, it appeared that the Chiefs were on their way to an 0-3 start, as the team trailed the Saints by 18 points and had no answer for Drew Brees and the high-powered New Orleans offense. Matt Cassel had just thrown a terrible interception, and the Chiefs offense looked lost. However, the Kansas City coaching staff made a brilliant (and obvious) move to help get the team back in the game – it fed Jamaal Charles the ball. Charles ripped off a 91 yard touchdown run – the longest in team history – to help get the Chiefs back in the game. New Orleans moved the ball on the next drive, however Stanford Routt intercepted an underthrown Brees ball at the goal line.

From there, the Chiefs defense finally looked like the unit it was expected to be this season. Brees never completed another pass, and the Saints offense never got another first down. The fourth quarter belonged to Kansas City, as Ryan Succop hit three field goals in the period and the team also got a safety on a sack from Justin Houston, who had a monster game for the Chiefs. Once overtime started, the Chiefs had all of the momentum, and after the defense once again held the Saints on New Orleans’ first possession, the team found itself with great field position. A few short passes and a gutsy fourth down conversion moved the team into field goal range, where Succop nailed his sixth kick of the day to give Kansas City the win.

Winning this game was obviously huge, but it is the way Kansas City pulled this out that should have fans excited. The team relied on its playmaking running back to move the ball late and stopped asking Matt Cassel to throw the ball down the field, which should be the team’s game plan every week. The most encouraging sign was the play of the defense - the Chiefs absolutely shut down the Saints during the fourth quarter and overtime and looked like one of the best defenses in the NFL.

Kansas City faces a tough schedule this season, but if its defense continues to play well, it should be in every game. This win should give the Chiefs some momentum and badly-needed confidence after the Kansas City media spent all of last week ripping the team.

Up next for the Chiefs is a home game against the San Diego Chargers, who were beaten badly by the Atlanta Falcons yesterday. Kickoff at Arrowhead stadium is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

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Kansas City Chiefs - New Orleans Saints Preview

Six times in the last seven years, the Kansas City Chiefs have started a season 0-2. Despite several slow starts, the team has often righted the ship and still had a decent, if not good, season. Will that be the case this year, or are the Chiefs headed for an early draft pick in the first round? We will have a better idea after the team travels to New Orleans to play the Saints on Sunday.

The Saints are reeling this season, with an 0-2 start themselves and a defense that ranks dead last in the NFL. The Saints struggles were somewhat expected, as the team is currently without head coach Sean Payton and several key players as a result of the bounty scandal. New Orleans is giving up an average of 186 yards per game on the ground, while Kansas City has run the ball effectively this season. Jamaal Charles is expected to play, and the team’s other running backs have also been effective this year. Expect Kansas City to pound the ball on the ground to exploit the Saints’ weakness and to keep New Orleans’ high-powered offense on the sideline.

New Orleans not only has struggled on defense, but its offense has been a turnover machine this season. Drew Brees already has over 600 yards and four touchdowns, but he has also thrown four interceptions. Brees has over 100 passing attempts through two games, while the team has only rushed the ball 37 times. Running back Pierre Thomas has been effective for the Saints, but this team still lives and dies by Drew Brees. If Kansas City can force some turnovers and steadily pressure Brees, they will have a chance to spring an upset. If the Saints’ All-Star QB connects on some deep balls early, Kansas City will be staring at an 0-3 start.

In the team’s upset of the previously undefeated Packers last season, the Chiefs showed the blueprint to beating a team like New Orleans. Kansas City must protect the football, sustain long drives and pressure the quarterback. With the Saints’ defense playing even more poorly than the Chiefs (which is saying something), the team should be able to move the ball and keep Brees on the sideline. Expect the Chiefs to score some points on Sunday, the key will be the defense. If Kansas City can force a few turnovers, the team will have a great opportunity to pick up its first win of the season. If not, the Chiefs will find itself in a shootout with Drew Brees in a dome… which is likely a recipe for disaster.

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