The New Orleans Saints defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-13, in Friday's preseason opener.
Chiefs vs. Saints: Reaction to New Orleans’ 17-13 preseason win
The Chiefs starters had a solid preseason debut, but the backups couldn’t get the job done as the Saints eked out a 17-13 win.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
As usual, the starters didn't get much face time. Drew Brees completed seven of 10 passes for 65 yards and Mark Ingram had just three rushing attempts. New Chiefs starter Alex Smith was solid in his Kansas City debut, completing seven of eight passes for 68 yards.
Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride was pleased with the performance of the first team, particularly the first drive that led to a Jamaal Charles touchdown:
Of course, one drive means very little as the 2012 Chiefs would tell you. Those Chiefs looked outstanding in the first half of their first preseason game, consistently driving down the field. And then they ended up being one of the worst teams in the history of the Chiefs franchise.
So that's some perspective but it's hard not to be excited about how things turned out for the Chiefs starting offense, who had one drive together on Friday night against the Saints. Alex Smith completed 7-of-8 passes for 68 yards. His one incompletion was thrown away. The Chiefs first possession was 14 plays for 80 yards and a touchdown. Jamaal Charles touched the ball eight times -- five carries, three receptions -- on that first drive. Anthony Fasano had two receptions.
The game turned once the backups came in. Luke McCown led the Saints' second half comeback, completing 18 of 28 passes for 216 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He hooked up with Preston Parker for both Saints touchdowns, sealing the win. Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles was discouraged by the poor play of the defense, but was mostly pleased with the backups:
But the defense. Ugh, the freakin’ first team defense. It felt soft, just like last years version, after the Chiefs drove 80 yards down field for a touchdown in the opening stanza on their way to a 10 point lead. I was instantly transported back to 2012. Sure, the defense didn’t give up any big plays on that drive, instead giving up a lot of the underneath stuff. As it turns out, however, a crapload of successful small plays still add up to a crapload of yardage. Who knew?
...
It’s all good, though. I’m not one of those reactionary fans who’s ready to write off the whole season. It’s just the first preseason game. I get it. And I’m willing to focus on the positive while forgetting the negative.
For more Chiefs coverage, head to Arrowhead Pride. For more on the Saints, check out Canal Street Chronicles.
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