Behind Enemy Lines: 5 questions with Saints Wire for Week 15
The Kansas City Chiefs are getting ready to face the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Week 15. It’s their first time making the trip to New Orleans since Andy Reid has been the head coach in Kansas City It’s only the 12th time in NFL history that these two teams have met.
To learn more about Kansas City’s opponent, we spoke with managing editor John Sigler over at Saints Wire and asked him a few questions.
Chiefs Wire: New Orleans suffered a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14. What went wrong for the Saints, and how do they fix it heading into Week 15?
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John Sigler: There was plenty of blame to go around. Taysom Hill turned the ball over with an untimely fumble and an interception off a screen pass he threw with too much heat. The offensive line was beaten from all sides by the Eagles' pass rush. Star kicker Wil Lutz missed a pair of field goals. And the defense crumbled, snapping their NFL-record streak of 55 games played without allowing a 100-yard rusher. The team looked gassed in their third consecutive road game. If they can get healthy and rest up at home this week, they should fix many of the little mistakes that combined for a perfect storm to lose in Philly. But that's easier said than done.
Chiefs Wire: Who do you think gives the Saints the best chance to win this game? Drew Brees or Taysom Hill?
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John Sigler: Brees is the better quarterback, so I'll go with him. Even if he's a little rusty coming off an injury. He doesn't need training wheels to run the offense the way Hill does, keeping all areas of the field in play and rarely overlooking the open receiver. There's an argument that Hill makes the Saints more dangerous by adding his mobility, but he hasn't been using his legs much lately. Either he is making a point to try and throw from the pocket to prove he's a true quarterback, or Saints coach Sean Payton is limiting him by not giving him the green light to run. Give me Brees, if he's healthy.
Chiefs Wire: The Saints are known for having one of the better defensive units in the league. What do you anticipate they’ll try to do in order to slow down players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill?
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John Sigler: Expect a large dose of Malcolm Jenkins against Kelce. He's been the Saints' go-to matchup for pass-catching tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and T.J. Hockenson, and he's won most of those battles (Raiders tight end Darren Waller had a field day with the entire Saints defense back in Week 2, though). Jenkins is such an experienced cover man that it's tough to surprise him, even for a route-runner as crafty as Kelce. As for Hill: I'd anticipate a team effort centered on C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who should guard Hill from the slot. It's possible the Saints shadow Hill with No. 1 corner Marshon Lattimore, but he's not as versed in slot coverage as Gardner-Johnson or even veteran No. 2 Janoris Jenkins. At the end of the day, I expect the Saints to shift plenty of doubled coverage Hill's way.
Chiefs Wire: Are there any unheralded Saints players who Chiefs fans should know about ahead of this game?
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John Sigler: Trey Hendrickson has been a breakout player for the Saints this year, and he should do well against a banged-up Chiefs offensive line. At one point he was tied with Myles Garrett for the NFL sacks lead. The fourth-year defensive end is a terrific athlete who can win off the snap with his speed, but he's learned enough pass-rush techniques to give some tackles trouble. On offense, watch out for tight end Adam Trautman. The rookie has earned more and more snaps each week for his blocking, but he's a strong run-after-catch threat who makes the most of his limited targets. He could surprise in a big spot.
Chiefs Wire: Do you have any hot takes, and what’s your prediction for the outcome of this game?
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John Sigler: My hottest take might be that the Chiefs have been lucky to achieve the record they have. They've dug themselves several graves in recent weeks and were fortunate to escape with a couple of wins. On paper, this Saints team is strong enough to beat anyone, anywhere, and if each unit is firing on all cylinders they could hand Kansas City its second loss of the season. But I'll stick with my prediction and call this a Super Bowl preview, with the Chiefs again winning narrowly in New Orleans. Chiefs 27, Saints 25
