The Kansas City Chiefs came out looking flatter than a week-old soda against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. They ended the first half down by a double-digit deficit and failed to show a single sign of life in the first quarter, even against New Orleans’ second-team units.
Patrick Mahomes got minimal playing time early, and even if he had gotten more chances to make something happen the abysmal play of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense would’ve doomed his efforts.
A better effort in the second quarter helped make the score at halftime more respectable, but there remains plenty of work to do if the Chiefs intend to win this game.
The first half of this game did not go Kansas City’s way, to say the least. Check out our observations of the Chiefs’ first two-quarters of the preseason below:
Chiefs defense looked rusty and porous
It’s a good thing that this game doesn’t count, because if it did Kansas City would be in trouble. The coverage by their secondary was soft, the push from the Chiefs’ defensive line was minimal, and every level of the unit looked slow in its pursuit of ball carriers.
The lone highlight was rookie Chamarri Conner’s sack of Jameis Winston early in the second quarter. If this defense doesn’t wake up in the second half, this game will be a blowout.
The cat is out of the bag on Andy Reid's tight end sneak
Andy Reid’s tight end sneak was an excellent way to keep Patrick Mahomes from taking unnecessary risks last season, but the cat is officially out of the bag on the unique gadget play. Reid attempted to pick up a first down on fourth and inches in the first quarter, electing to give the ball to Blake Bell up the middle and saw his offense get absolutely stonewalled.
If this play can’t pick up six inches in the preseason, don’t expect it to fool anyone during the regular season, especially now that teams have film of the play from last year.
Chiefs featured Clyde Edwards-Helaire in first quarter
Clyde Edwards-Helaire made his return to the Big Easy in this matchup, and Andy Reid seemed keen to force the issue in getting him the ball during the first quarter. Edwards-Helaire is sure to have lobbied for a featured role as a Louisiana native and seems to have gotten his wish after getting three carries and two targets in the passing game on Kansas City’s first few drives.
Kansas City won the penalty battle through two quarters despite sloppy play
Kansas City managed to be penalized less than New Orleans despite their sloppy play in the first half. The Chiefs were only called for two infractions that totaled 11 total penalty yards while the Saints were flagged four times for 35 yards. Their first-half play may have left a lot to be desired, but at least they managed to keep the penalty battle on their side.
