Chiefs’ offense cruises past Saints in MNF as KC moves to 5-0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs soared past the New Orleans Saints in a 26-13 win on “Monday Night Football.”

Kansas City entered the contest with questions at wide receiver, but WR JuJu Smith-Schuster had his best game of the season and finished with seven receptions for 130 yards. Meanwhile, the Saints struggled to score and quarterback Derek Carr exited the game in the fourth quarter with an oblique injury.

Here are keys to know from the game:

The Chiefs at long last won a game by a comfortable margin. After winning their past seven games dating back to last season’s playoffs by a one-score margin, they didn’t have to push to the end to beat the Saints on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

Instead, Kansas City claimed a 26-13 victory that pushed its record to 5-0. The Chiefs have now had a winning streak of at least five games in each of Andy Reid’s 12 seasons as their head coach.

Silver lining: The Chiefs would not have signed Kareem Hunt had Isiah Pacheco not broken his leg. But Hunt is now helping the Chiefs stay afloat in Pacheco’s absence and is playing well enough that he deserves significant playing time when Pacheco returns. Having both players available would give the Chiefs some nice depth. Hunt finished with 102 yards and one touchdown off 27 carries.

Describe the game in two words: Seeing red. The Chiefs were 2-of-6 scoring touchdowns inside the New Orleans 20. Kansas City lost a touchdown in the red zone when Smith-Schuster deflected a pass at the goal line that went for a New Orleans interception.

Most surprising performance: Smith-Schuster had just two catches in the Chiefs’ first four games, but he had five against the Saints. Smith-Schuster filled the role Rashee Rice had been playing before his injury. He picked up a lot of his yards by running well after the catch (82 YAC). But he also deflected a pass at the goal line that went for an interception. — Adam Teicher

Next game: at San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET, Oct. 20)

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Joe Buck recounts Khalen Saunders’ Taylor Swift connection moments before wild INT

Joe Buck had just finished referencing Khalen Saunders’ brother’s connection to Taylor Swift as the big man picks off Patrick Mahomes in the end zone.

With 9:38 left in the fourth quarter, Carr threw up a deep pass to wide receiver Mason Tipton on fourth down and got up slowly after it fell incomplete. He walked off the field clutching his hip, was evaluated in the injury tent and went to the locker room with an oblique injury, capping a night for the Saints that went from bad to worse.

The Saints fell to the Chiefs after entering Monday night with a lengthy list of injuries. They needed to play a perfect game to match up with the Chiefs’ offense. Instead, New Orleans fell into an early deficit after Carr threw an ugly interception six plays into the game, setting the Chiefs up for their first touchdown.

Although the Saints had some big moments, such as a 43-yard touchdown pass from Carr to wideout Rashid Shaheed, they couldn’t muster the offensive output from their first two weeks, losing their third game in a row.

Pivotal play: The big-man pick. Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders had a number of friends and family in attendance to see him play his former team, including his brother Kameron, who is a backup dancer for Taylor Swift. The moves clearly run in family, as Saunders caught a one-handed interception in the end zone and ran it back 37 yards in the third quarter.

Troubling trend: Cornerback Paulson Adebo‘s penalties. Adebo had a late-game pass interference penalty against the Falcons last week that led to the game-winning field goal. He had another troubling late PI flag against the Chiefs that almost led to a touchdown late in the third quarter. Adebo’s seven penalties are tied for fourth most in the league.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Saints couldn’t run the ball efficiently behind an injury-hampered offensive line. The Saints’ offense has worked best this season when they’re able to run the ball at will. They weren’t able to do that with any consistency against the Chiefs, relying instead on low-percentage deep passes to try to move the ball. Carr attempted nine passes with 15-plus air yards tonight. He was 2-of-9 for 64 yards with an interception and a touchdown on those plays.

QB Breakdown: Carr was up-and-down until he left with his injury, finishing 18-of-28 for 165 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jake Haener entered the game in his absence for his first true snaps this season, finishing 2-of-7 for 17 yards — Katherine Terrell

Next game: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday)