The Kansas City Chiefs are back under the lights this week. Monday Night Football presents a very intriguing matchup for many reasons against the New Orleans Saints.
Going into the season, uttering that sentence was probably not very likely. But in most weeks, the Saints have been competitive, and Derek Carr is firing under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 4-0 after September, despite not being necessarily satisfied with much of their victories.
Monday will be a bit of a homecoming for some former Chiefs, pending health. Tyrann Mathieu got hurt last week. But with his documented toughness, this would be a difficult game to make him sit out for. An injury for Willie Gay may also make things tough, in terms of his availability against his old team. Finally, Khalen Saunders is going to be an underrated piece on New Orleans' defense going up against his old KC squad.
Who are the major players worth highlighting entering Monday night? Here are three key matchups for Chiefs vs. Saints.
Chiefs Wide Receivers Vs. Saints Cornerbacks
The Rashee Rice injury is still not confirmed. At this point, there may be a silver lining to what happened on Sunday, if Rice avoided something more serious. Even with a diagnosis still absent, the rest of the Chiefs wide receivers are inevitably going to be under the spotlight Monday night.
Xavier Worthy will likely face more pressure on his shoulders without Rice. The usage of him is likely not going to change. But in terms of snap count, that will be worth monitoring for the rookie from Texas. Moreover, Kansas City will have to replace the underneath and intermediate options that Rice gave this week. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson are probably the names that are going to receive more targets in that area. Can Patrick Mahomes connect with them on quick completions, perhaps?
The Saints' cornerback room is quietly one of the more well-rounded in the NFL. Marshon Lattimore may not be as elite as he used to be. However, his ball skills and stickiness in coverage is still very effective. Alontae Taylor is a versatile, do-it-all piece who can break up passes or win as a blitzer. Chiefs wideouts will have to respond to his physicality.
On the other hand, Paulson Adebo continues to develop into a largely reliable piece. He seems to answer test after test for the Saints. Will they be able to put the clamps on this weakened Kansas City wide receiver group?
Saints Offensive Line Vs. Chiefs Defensive Line
Going into the season, the Saints had one of the more questionable offensive lines in the NFL. They have still not been perfect. But up to this point, the New Orleans blocking unit has certainly held their own in tough situations against stiff competition. Rookie Taliese Fuaga has already made the Saints feel validated by making him their first-round pick last April. Veteran Lucas Patrick has also been grounded after bouncing around teams in recent years.
The play-action pass game and the running game have helped Derek Carr stay away from obvious dropback passing situations too often. Kansas City will likely try to turn up the heat against this battle-tested New Orleans offensive line. Chris Jones is already off to a terrific start, per usual.
But outside of that, names like Tershawn Wharton and Mike Pennel have been stout on the interior. If the secondary pieces can continue to create as much pressure as they have, the Chiefs are possibly going to force the Saints' hand with how they attack with Carr.
Kareem Hunt Vs. Saints Front Seven
Kareem Hunt's return to Kansas City was one of the few positives on offense last week. The burst he showed was encouraging. His ability to break tackles and bounce off of defenders is still there, as well. With what he showed in Los Angeles, it is safe to say that Andy Reid could ride his hot hand heavily against the Saints. Hunt is a decisive runner who can offer a determined running style without any dancing or wasted movements.
Seeing how New Orleans tries to corral him will be fascinating. The Chiefs are given lighter boxes than most, due to how often they air it out with Mahomes. But with this front seven of the Saints, this defense has a chance to challenge Kansas City with some tenacity. The deeper NOLA defensive tackle room does not get blown back very much. And at linebacker, Pete Werner is an instinctive piece who is technically sound at a consistent rate. This group has helped New Orleans start off hot as a run defense, ranking seventh in the NFL in yards allowed.
