A clutch 51-yard field goal by Wil Lutz saved the New Orleans Saints from losing to the slumping Panthers on Sunday, a game where they held a 21-0 lead in the second quarter.
To be precise though, the Saints actually blew that double-digit advantage as Cam Newton and co. successful made a huge comeback, tying the game up at 38 all through a 2-yard rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion catch by Devin Funchess with less than three minutes left to play.
Yes, the Saints should consider themselves fortunate for not losing a game they should have won, but they also need to thank their ageless quarterback in Drew Brees from leading them to a second-straight victory. The 37-year-old pro threw for 465 yards and four touchdowns, allowing him to pass the retired Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard games in league history.
Now can Breesus continue this personal onslaught in their trip to Kansas City this Saturday? Maybe so. He and the Saints, however, are going to find themselves in a tight spot since they are facing one of the best pass defenses this season. The Chiefs are limiting opponents to an average of 236.6 yards passing per contest, the ninth-fewest overall.
With that, you can expect New Orleans, which hasn’t really found that much success on the ground, to run more than the usual. Mark Ingram, the team’s leading rusher (221 yards, 1 TD) is their main and only threat here, so there’s certainly a lot of pressure on him to not just gain yards, but also add points in the scoreboard.
The Saints are 4-6 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Home is where the Kansas City Chiefs are at their best. They’ve won their last eight games at Arrowhead Stadium (4-4 ATS). That stretch includes a dominant Week 3 victory over the Jets, during which the Chiefs forced eight turnovers and did not allow a single touchdown.
Furthermore, the Chiefs defense was just as solid in yesterday’s 26-10 road win in Oakland, allowing the Raiders to just 286 yards of total offense and one touchdown. This breathtaking effort was also complemented by the Kansas City offense, particularly through the ground.
Spencer Ware led all backs with 24 carries for a career-high 131 yards with one touchdown. Jamaal Charles, meanwhile, didn’t come up with as many yards or carries, but he finally scored for the first time since Week 3 of the 2015 season. Those two are bound to have another productive outing for this weekend’s game against the visiting Saints, who are yielding more than 400 yards of total offense this year.
No matter how porous New Orleans’ defense has been thus far, though, their offense remains very dangerous. The Saints are currently the second-highest scoring team (31.0 PPG) in the league and rank No. 1 in passing yards per game (335.4). Hence, the Kansas City D better be locked-on, especially on Drew Brees and Brandin Cooks, all game long.
Writer’s Prediction
The Chiefs win, but they don’t cover the -7 spread.
