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The AFC Juggernaut, Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) travel to the Big Easy to spar with the New Orleans Saints (10-3), who are coming off their first loss in nine games. In Week 14, The Taysom Hill led Saints fell victim to their biggest “trap game” since those notorious defeats to Fitzmagic or Jared Goff in Week 1 or Week 2.
As for the Chiefs, the half a billion-dollar quarterback Patrick Mahomes marches a defending Super Bowl champion squad that is clinching onto an eight-game winning streak. Despite Mahomes being a future Hall of Fame talent and a ridiculous single team loss on the year, They ought to not be held too high on a pedestal. In the last five games, the Chiefs haven’t won a game by a margin of more than six points!
So, will we see the Week 14 Saints team show up against the Chiefs, or will we witness the energized, healthy Saints squad that hung four touchdowns in a half against the Buccaneers? Let’s get into the X’s and O’s of how these teams match up, and maybe, just maybe, New Orleans fans will inhale more hope coming off a mind-boggling, nonsense defeat.
Cameron Jordan vs Yasir Durant (not likely Mitchell Schwartz)
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There is a lot of conversation about the Chiefs being an electrifying, healthy team with Travis Kelce-Hill-Mahomes intact. Well, this isn’t quite the case. Mitchell Schwartz, the All-Pro Right Tackle for the Chiefs has missed eight games this season. And it appears that Mahomes will be missing his favorite blocker next Sunday (Schwartz). Reid blatantly won’t say if Schwartz will participate in his first game off IR (signs point towards the healthy options).
Without Schwartz in the line of duty, this would leave Mike Remmers. The back-up right tackel (Mike Remmers) also has a strong chance of missing Sunday’s action after exiting the 3rd quarter in last week’s contest from a back injury. And without Remmers & Schwartz, where do they turn to? Well, that would be Yasir Durant.
Durant is an undrafted rookie & he will be lining up against All-Pro edge rusher, Cameron Jordan. This game will hold the highest stakes of 2020 thus far, which will have held more aspirations of Super Bowl hopes in all of Jordan’s career.
Jordan carries 6.5 sacks on the season and he’s been heating up in the Brees-less Saints squad. The Chiefs have reason to worry about Trey Hendrickson (10.5 sacks) on the year. Sure, the Chiefs could help Durant with chips and double-teams, but Jordan finally needs to dominate an exposed match-up (every time) in this monster showdown.
Marshon Lattimore vs Tyreek Hill
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The Saints desperately need the former defensive rookie of the year, Marshon Lattimore to show up on Sunday. Lattimore needs to play at the same caliber he portrays against Mike Evans in Week 15. Lattimore hasn’t shown that same fire, which was evident in a fourth-down conversion for a touchdown his way in Week 14 (pictured above).
Lattimore’s opponent in Week 15 will be a lot more dangerous than the likes of Alshon Jeffery. The Chiefs Number one WR, Tyreek Hill has been a phenomenal, top-five WR throughout the season. Hill has captured 1,158 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns in 13 games thus far.
If we are gifted with a Marshon Lattimore performance from the Packers, Raiders, or Eagles game, it will be hard to imagine Mahomes won’t shred the Saints secondary after they adjust to assist Lattimore.
Malcolm Jenkins/Ceedy Duce vs Travis Kelce
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The Chiefs prolific tight end is on a historic record-breaking pace in this strange regular season. Kelce is bound to annihilate the regular season receiving yard record by a tight end (George Kittle). Kelce is a mere 128 yards away from going down in history.
I point out the word “mere” because Kelce has unveiled 136 receiving yards in each of the last two games. And Kelce should have a plethora of opportunities to dwell with success against a safety core that doesn’t match up well one on one with tight ends (think Darren Waller).
Malcolm Jenkins has been flirting more around the box in his ageless career and Ceedy Duce hasn’t been a lockdown defender when facing offensive weapons towering over him. If Kelce exposes the Saints as Waller did in Week 2, we should expect Dennis Allen to be trigger happy with exotic blitzes against the NFL’s top offensive trio (QB, WR, TE).
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