Monday Night Mayhem: Saints' Many Issues Exposed By Chiefs

A third straight loss on Monday night exposed several ongoing problems that could send the Saints season spiraling into disaster

Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (50) intercepts a pass intended for Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints lost their third game in a row on Monday night, this time falling to the Kansas City Chiefs by a 26-13 mark on the road. Unlike previous losses to Philadelphia and Atlanta, there was little doubt in the outcome of this one throughout the night.

Kansas City dominated the Saints in every facet. They outgained New Orleans in total yardage, 460-220, along with a 139-46 advantage in rushing yards. The Chiefs would have won by four touchdowns or more if it weren't for five of their seven trips to the red zone that ended without a touchdown.

Some fans want to vilify coach Dennis Allen or quarterback Derek Carr. Others want to use injuries as a reason for the team's shortcomings. The reality is that the Chiefs exposed a ton of things that are wrong with the Saints.

1. Coaching

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen talks to an official during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

By his own admission, Dennis Allen said that his team was out-coached on Monday. This wasn't the first time that Allen has admitted this out loud and was certainly not the first time it was extremely clear when watching a game.

Allen's Saints are now 4-14 against teams with a .500 or better record when they play them. Good teams find a way to win when the game is on the line and come up with key plays in crucial moments. With the Saints, the opposite has been true, almost without exception.

Yes, the players on the field are responsible for their own mistakes and for general execution. However, the Saints have too often come into a game looking unprepared and even more often been unable to make in-game adjustments to an opponent's game plan. That's coaching.

2. Offense

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Those 91 points scored in the first two weeks feels like a decade ago. For two of the last three weeks, this was more like a bitter reminder of the rudderless unit we saw the previous two years.

Okay, here's an area that can be explained away a bit because of injuries. The Saints went into Monday night without their starting right guard, starting center, and the player that replaced him. Midway into the game, a brand-new signing Connor McGovern came into the game at center as Lucas Patrick was moved back to left guard to replace a floundering Nick Saldiveri.

None of the combinations worked. Derek Carr was pressured or hurried on most of his dropbacks as the Saints rushed for a pitiful 46 yards and 2.7 per carry. For a system that predicates nearly everything they do on their ability to run the ball, those numbers are a death sentence. Still, the last few weeks have also highlighted a problem that has little to do with injuries up front.

This offense goes absolutely nowhere if an opponent controls Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed. The Saints have zero complementary options outside of Taysom Hill, who's missed two of the last three games with his own injury issues.

Kamara has had a fabulous start, but is dealing with rib issues and often looks like a man alone on an island. Olave is a very good receiver, but one could argue that he's not a true number one. Top-tier wideouts don't disappear when his team needs him most. Shaheed is more than just a deep threat, but the Saints haven't seemed to figure out how to use him any other way.

What damns the passing attack most, other than protection breakdowns, is the lack of a big and physical consistent threat in the middle of the field. Juwan Johnson clearly isn't it, and there's nobody else on the roster that is skilled enough to draw attention away from Kamara, Olave, or Shaheed.

Carr isn't an elite quarterback that can make average players into consistent threats. Now, he's out at least a few weeks with an oblique injury. In his place will be one of two inexperienced mid-round draft picks, Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener. If offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is a savior, now would be the time to prove it.

3. Defense

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs after a catch against New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

One thing Dennis Allen supporters could hang their hat on, and accurately so, was the fact that he's considered an outstanding defensive coach. New Orleans was expected to be one of the league's best defenses. Through five weeks so far, this has simply not been the case.

Good defenses don't have crucial breakdowns in the waning moments of games. Yet, that's exactly what this unit did in losses to Philadelphia and Atlanta. Those same sort of breakdowns cost victories against Minnesota, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati over the previous two seasons. When the Saints climbed to within three points of the Chiefs in the fourth quarter, the defense promptly gave up a 50-yard play to JuJu Smith-Schuster on the next drive.

It's certainly not a crime to give up plays to a good quarterback like Patrick Mahomes. However, the Saints were absolutely helpless against TE Travis Kelce (9 catches on 10 targets for 70 yards). That marked the second time in three weeks that a tight end ripped New Orleans coverage apart.

Additionally, an average (at best) wideout like Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 130 yards. Receivers like Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Tolbert, Darnell Mooney, and Mecole Hardman are routinely making big plays against a secondary that should be among the best in the league.

Kansas City had 460 yards of total offense. They hadn't surpassed 355 yards of offense this season and had not had an output of 400 yards or more in their last 15 regular season games. This was a Chiefs offense that was without its top two wideouts and top two running backs.

The Saints continue to fail to get pressure on the quarterback in the most critical moments of games. Tackling, coverage breakdowns, and lack of discipline plague this defense. Opponents have averaged over five yards per rush against New Orleans, with two runners eclipsing 100 yards.

New Orleans ranks 23rd in total yardage surrendered. They've stiffened significantly in the red zone, ranking first in the NFL in that category. This bend, but don't break philosophy was effective when the Saints were scoring points at a good clip the first few games but not as much in recent weeks. A ''rope-a-dope'' only works when you're able to occasionally hit your opponent back.

All these ingredients mixed together lead to a recipe of disaster. These issues went unnoticed because of an offensive explosion the first two games but have been exposed badly in recent weeks. The Saints now face a must-win situation in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the possibility of a loss sending them spiraling into another season of mediocrity.