The Kansas City Chiefs looked like the two-time defending Super Bowl champions when they pulled out a big 26-13 win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
The Chiefs started early, turning a Derek Carr interception into a touchdown on their first offensive drive. The Chiefs found themselves in a thicket as Kansas City scored on four of their first five drives before halftime.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws to tight end Travis Kelce during the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Monday, October 7, 2024 , in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City would put the finishing touches on their victory when Travis Kelce lined up as quarterback near the goal line. He handed the ball to Xavier Worthy who threw it into the end zone for a 3-yard score.
Patrick Mahomes got Kelce heavily involved in the game. Even though he didn’t score a touchdown, Kelce had nine catches on 10 targets for 70 yards.
Veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster led the way with seven catches for 130 yards. It was the first time Smith-Schuster had over 100 receiving yards since 2022 against the San Francisco 49ers. It was his first stint with the Chiefs.
Mahomes completed 28 of 39 passes for 331 yards. He had one interception and no touchdown passes.
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New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo, right, commits defensive pass interference on Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) during the second half of a NFL football game NFL, Monday, October 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kareem Hunt scored a touchdown and totaled 102 rushing yards on the night.
Carr and the Saints looked like things were going to click. In the second quarter, Carr threw a long pass to Rashid Shaheed for a 43-yard touchdown. The score was then 10-7. But New Orleans didn’t score again until early in the fourth quarter, when Carr found Foster Moreau.
Shaheed had four catches for 86 yards.
Carr’s night would end early as he suffered a hip injury while trying to keep his drive alive on fourth down. The big hit forced him out and let Jake Haener come into the game to finish things off.
The Chiefs improved to 5-0 to start the season as they entered a bye week. The last time Kansas City started a season with five straight wins was 2018. It was Mahomes’ first season as a full-time starting quarterback and they would lose in the AFC Championship .
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs past New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) during the first half of an NFL football game on Monday October 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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New Orleans improved to 2-3 after starting the year at full throttle. The Saints will play their first division game at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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