KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The highlights that usually accompany another win by the Kansas City Chiefs tend to showcase Patrick Mahomes making a did-you-see-that throw, Travis Kelce turning a broken play into a big gain, or Tyreek Hill wagging his finger at some helpless defensive back as he speeds away.
Rarely do they showcase the big guys up front that make everything happen.
They probably should after Sunday.
With their fifth different starting offensive line facing one of the league’s best defenses, the Chiefs managed to grind their way past the New Orleans Saints in crunch time.
They opened enough holes for Clyde Edwards-Helaire — before he left with an ankle injury — and Le’Veon Bell that Mahomes and Co. merely had a supporting role in finishing off a 32-29 victory over the Saints that wrapped up a perfect season for the Chiefs on the road.
“We scored points against a good defensive front,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You are talking about one of the best defensive fronts if not the best, statistically. We ran the ball efficiently, especially in the second half. We threw the ball well with the exception of a couple of blitzes that they had. They got us at the end, but we were clean for the most part.”
Eric Fisher started at left tackle despite missing practice recently with a bad back. Nick Allegretti, a 2019 seventh-round pick, started at left guard. Austin Reiter handled the middle of the line. Stefan Wisniewski signed with the Chiefs a month ago and was starting at right guard. Andrew Wylie started at right tackle for the first time since college.
Quite the group to send up against the NFL’s third-rated defense — and No. 4 against the run and No. 5 against the pass.
They were still good enough against the rush to allow Mahomes to throw for 254 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. And when the Saints started to get to him, the Chiefs (13-1) pivoted to the run, and Edwards-Helaire and Bell produced 141 yards on 29 carries and allowed Kansas City to control the ball more than 41 minutes.
“Attitude,” Bell said. “We had to come in with the mindset we could get the job done with whatever we needed, whether we had to throw it or run it. Really in the second half, we were called upon to run the ball a lot. I think the guys up front did a tremendous job of moving guys off the ball and creating lanes for me, 25, and 31 to make some plays.”
WHAT’S WORKING
The Chiefs’ pass defense is vastly improved and it showed Sunday. Take away Emmanuel Sanders’ 51-yard reception and Drew Brees was just 14 of 33 for 183 yards with an interception (and another that Tyrann Mathieu dropped).
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The Chiefs have struggled to find a reliable punt returner. Mecole Hardman has made plenty of poor decisions and it was Demarcus Robinson’s turn on Sunday. He fielded a punt near his own goal line in the closing seconds of the first half, ran backward and had the ball punched out for a safety that drew the Saints within 14-9 at the break.
STOCK UP
