Overreactions from the Saints close loss to the Chiefs

Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs was tailor-made for overreactions. As if the defending Super Bowl champions coming to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome wasn’t already a matchup for the ages, toss in quarterback Drew Brees’s return to the field after missing the previous four games due to 11 rib fractures and a collapsed lung.

One then only needs to mention that at the last second Saints All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas was placed on the injured reserve (IR) to add more drama to the mix. Saints social media and the CSC chat was flowing with overreactions immediately following the game.

Here are some of the top overreactions from the Saints fanbase after the Saints 32-29 loss to the Chiefs:

The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl bound

It seems like it was just days ago that New Orleans was sitting at a 10-2 record and held the top seed in the NFC. Now, the team has fallen to 10-4 after losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs. Naturally, both can be chalked up to a number of factors such as a lack of preparation and motivation against the Eagles, and Kansas City being the reigning Super Bowl champs.

Despite a 10-4 record many fans have already declared the Saints as Super Bowl bound. Yes, Brees made his return, but the offense was stale as numerous playmakers were either injured or on the IR. If the Saints play the Chiefs again this season it will be in the Super Bowl, but the offense on display Sunday afternoon will not get them through the postseason, much less all the way to the Super Bowl.

Before there can ever be a Super Bowl played by New Orleans they will need to ensure they don’t get relegated to the seventh seed in the NFC (yes, it is possible) and they can do that by beating the Minnesota Vikings this Christmas. Additionally, the Saints defense will need to continue to play at the level shown against the Chiefs and not the one that got beat by Philadelphia.

Key playmakers such Thomas, Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway will need to be at full health to give the offense a much needed spark. Additionally, players like tight end Jared Cook will need to step up in a big way to help navigate this team and offense through the rest of the season and throughout the postseason.

As of right now, to say the Saints are Super Bowl bound is an overreaction as quite a few factors will need to be in New Orleans’ favor come these next few weeks.

Taysom Hill would have won the game against the Chiefs

The Taysom Hill and Drew Brees debate was bound to be a contentious topic the moment Brees’s return was announced. Hill performed admirably during his four game stint when he mustered a 3-1 record, but at the end of the day this is still Drew’s team. The question surrounding Brees was always going to be is he at or near 100%? The answer was obviously no.

Between the worst start of his career in the passing game, Brees looked to be in pain throughout the game and even the way he was able to throw the ball was noticeably different at points throughout the afternoon. These factors have led many to think that Hill would have been the wise choice to be named the starter, or at least to allow Brees to get back closer to 100%.

At the end of the day there is little from Hill’s last four games that prove he could have beat Kansas City. Brees was the best chance to win the game but his playmakers did little to help him. Receivers were not getting open or creating separation and players like Jared Cook did little to come up big and help make plays when they mattered the most.

Where Hill could have helped change the outcome of the game was on third down. With New Orleans converting just one of 11 third downs, Hill could have been utilized in his natural role to help change the tide in that regard. Instead, Hill was likely protected just a little more than usual considering backup quarterback Jameis Winston found himself on the COVID-19-list following a close contact encounter.

Hill could have helped convert more third downs which could have helped the Saints win the game. However, Hill starting the game would have not benefited the team anymore than Brees starting nor would it have likely changed the outcome of the game.

New Orleans has to sign Kenny Stills

Brees has been able to elevate receivers his entire career, this season has not been any different until the team met the Chiefs. With Thomas and Harris down, Brees had to rely on Emmanuel Sanders, Juwan Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey to make plays. Unfortunately, Kansas City quickly realized Sanders was going to be the star of the afternoon and quickly started to double team him. Meanwhile, Humphrey and Johnson were unable to create separation and get open, something that only became more important after Tre’Quan Smith left the game due to injury.

This was a prime opportunity for Jared Cook to step up in a massive way and bail his team and quarterback out, especially on third downs. Instead, he under ran routes (which was so bad Brees was flagged for intentional grounding) and never took advantage of the clear mismatch of his coverage.

Naturally, New Orleans fans started clamoring to add Kenny Stills to the roster after the receiver was released from the Houston Texans. Admittedly, Stills would be a decent addition in terms of depth, but citing Sunday afternoon’s offensive performance to add Stills is an overreaction. Brees will likely improve in health and efficiency as he gets more time and reps under his belt. Additionally, New Orleans now has a baseline for what their receiving corps is capable of, which will allow them to gameplan and scheme to get those guys more involved.

Stills is a good thought, but not necessarily because of the offense’s performance on Sunday, and more due to injuries and depth.

What are your overreactions? Let us know in the comments. Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, follow us on Instagram at @SaintsCSC and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @KadeKistner.