For Week 5 of our New Orleans Saints game previews, we’ve reached the team’s toughest test of the season. Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs in KC. An early-season matchup against the best player in the world, Patrick Mahomes, in front of a nationwide audience. Doesn’t get any better than this.
Coming into the 2024 season, Kansas City returns a lot of the members of their Super Bowl team except for a few areas where there’s a bit of turnover. The most notable spot is on the defensive side of the ball where the team agreed to a trade with the Tennessee Titans earlier in the offseason to send Louisiana native, star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to Nashville, weakening their defensive back room. The team also elected to not re-sign linebacker Willie Gay Jr. who played a pivotal role for their team over the course of his career. On offense, the wide receiver position will look a lot different for Patrick Mahomes and Co.
The team’s front office came into the offseason with an emphasis on speed which was reflected in their additions. Former Arizona Cardinal first round pick Marquise Brown agreed to a one-year deal with the team worth $7 million at the start of free agency. The team went on to add at that spot a couple months later when Texas receiver Xavier Worthy was selected by the team with their first round selection in the draft. The two combined have recorded sub-4.3 40-yard dash times in their pre-draft processes, making them one of the fastest duos in the entire league.
As far as the numbers are concerned, last season the Chiefs put together top ten units on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the team was ranked 8th in yards per game (351.3) just behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Defensively, the team was ranked 2nd in yards allowed (289.8) only behind the Cleveland Browns who sat atop the league. It is easy to see this and say their could be some fluctuation on each side. Gaining a couple of these speedsters on offense along with Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce could give the team a boost on offense. It is also easy to see that the team no longer has one of the league’s top corners on their team which could hurt them a little bit going into this season.
When it comes to the all-time series history of these two teams, the Chiefs currently hold the edge winning 7 of their 12 matchups dating back to their first one in 1972. The Chiefs have won the last three games against the Saints, all of which were one-score games. The Saints will now have an opportunity to end this streak of wins by the Chiefs but it will be an uphill battle for sure.
- Game information: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints
- Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
- Date: Oct. 7
- Time: 7:15 p.m. CT / 8:15 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
