JACKSON: NFC South in reach as Saints face Chiefs
10/04/2024
By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS — After what was easily the most exciting shootout game of the 2024 NFL season so far, the Atlanta Falcons knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in dramatic, last-second fashion. For New Orleans Saints fans, it may be tough to accept any Falcons win as a positive thing, but that does seem to be the case here as New Orleans prepares to travel to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
The Falcons’ win over the Buccaneers means the Saints, even with the loss against Kansas City, would only be one game behind tying for the NFC South division’s first place.
It’s not a perfect set up for New Orleans who did drop a head-to-head matchup with the Falcons in week four. However, it does keep the division within reach for the team which started out hot the first two games, but have cooled off in the recent pair of contests.
The Saints will face a major test against the Chiefs on Monday night, but do have some match up advantages. If they found a way to pull the upset, New Orleans could put itself right back in position to be tied at the top of the division. They will have to rely on their ability to generate turnovers, stop the gap scheme run game and find a way to generate the explosive plays that made them a true threat early in the season.
Even if the Saints were to drop this game against the Chiefs, they would find themselves in good position thanks to Atlanta’s win. Next week, the Saints will host Tampa Bay. That game will give New Orleans an opportunity, with a win, to tie Tampa at 3–3 for second place at worst.
If the Saints were to pull that off, there is a chance that the Falcons would be a part of a three-way tie at the top of the division. However, that feels like a longshot with Atlanta traveling to take on the winless Carolina Panthers, who have been hapless throughout the majority of the season.
If the Saints want to put themselves in the best position coming out of Week 5, they will have to pull off quite the upset against the Chiefs. While most of the focus will be on head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it has been the Chiefs defense that has been the story of their 4–0 start.
The Chiefs have been one of the best teams (No. 7) in the NFL in limiting zone run yards (3.55 yards per carry). The zone run scheme is the bread and butter of the Saints wide zone offensive system. That likely means that New Orleans will have to find a new way to attack and win if their run game is hampered.
This game may very well come down to the arm of Saints quarterback Derek Carr and the hands of wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
Carr and his weapons may find some explosive opportunities in the passing game thanks to Kansas City’s defensive approach. The Chiefs tend to leave the middle of the field open by not dedicating a deep safety to the middle of the field That opens the potential for plays to be made in the middle of the field. This is a zone on the field where Carr and Shaheed specifically started out their season hot. This game may come down to the tandem’s ability to rekindle that fire.
Olave should be able to be a threat in that area as well, particularly in the intermediate zone of the field. He and Carr have been increasingly effective 10 to 19 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage in the last few weeks. New Orleans will need to retain that success in order to extend drives and potentially put points on the board.
Many times it’s easy to make a Chiefs game all about what Kansas City wants to do on offense. Which makes sense, considering their quarterback and his top target in tight end Travis Kelce, not to mention the remarkable offensive system that has brought them three championships in five years. However, in the early going of the 2024 season, there have been some cracks in the foundation for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
If New Orleans wants to take advantage of those faults and play themselves back into the conversation for their division with force, a win against Kansas City would prove a lot about who this team can prove to be by season’s end. That includes a defense looking to bounce back after some late-game miscues that kept them from seeing a 4–0 start themselves.
