Kansas City Chiefs - Red Zone Problems Doom Chiefs as Saints Win, 30-20

Red Zone Problems Doom Chiefs as Saints Win, 30-20

Nov 16, 2008, 3:45:00 PM

by Bob Gretz

The Chiefs offense had trouble scoring TDs in the Red Zone, while Kansas City’s injury-riddled defense could not slow down the potent New Orleans offense. Those factors combined to leave the Chiefs on the short side of the scoreboard once again, losing 30-20 to the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.

Unlike the previous three games that came down to the last minute and where the Chiefs had an opportunity to win the game, this one was controlled throughout the second half by the Saints. The visitors grabbed a three-point lead on the final play of the first half and then scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns that had the Chiefs fighting from behind and uphill for the game’s final 30 minutes.

Without four starters, the Chiefs defense actually held the Saints offense under its season average. But they still gave up 369 yards to QB Drew Brees and the No. 1 ranked NFL offense. The Saints scored three touchdowns and got three FGs from rookie K Garrett Hartley. WR Lance Moore finished with 102 yards on eight catches.

Offensively the Chiefs had a pair of touchdown passes between QB Tyler Thigpen and WR Dwayne Bowe and 330 yards in total offense. But the fact they had to settle for a pair of field goals in the Red Zone instead of touchdowns stymied their chances to break what is now a six-game losing streak.

Both teams traded punts to start the game, but when the Saints got their second chance with the ball, the Chiefs defense forced another turnover, their 10th in the last four games. S Jarrad Page picked off a Brees pass and gave the Kansas City offense possession at the New Orleans 47-yard line.

Thigpen drove the offense nine plays to the end zone. On first down, Thigpen found Bowe for a 14-yard gain. RB Larry Johnson took a direct snap on a fourth-and-one play and picked up the first down on a four-yard run. Thigpen later found WR Mark Bradley for a 12-yard gain to the New Orleans four-yard line. On second-and-goal, Thigpen lofted a ball into the end zone where Bowe out-jumped Saints CB Usama Young for the touchdown to give the Chiefs an early 7-0 lead.

New Orleans came right back with a 54-yard kickoff return by WR Courtney Roby that set up Brees and the Saints offense at the Chiefs 44-yard line. Nine plays later, the drive stalled and Hartley came in and hit his first three-pointer, this one from 30 yards to cut the Chiefs lead to 7-3 just before the end of the first quarter.

On the first play of the second quarter, P Dustin Colquitt got off a kick from his own end zone with good hang time but poor distance as the 38-yard punt was fair-caught by the Saints at the Kansas City 43-yard line. Brees took seven plays to punch the ball into the end zone. The big play was a third-down throw where the New Orleans quarterback beat a Chiefs blitz with a 24-yard gain to uncovered RB Pierre Thomas. Four plays later, RB Deuce McAllister dove over the right side of the Saints offensive line for the TD and the Saints had a 10-7 lead.

Thigpen brought the Chiefs right back and drove them to within inches of the end zone but could not get the touchdown. The big play of the possession was a 42-yard completion from Thigpen to WR Will Franklin as the quarterback made a nifty throw on the run. Four plays later the Chiefs thought they had a touchdown when Johnson leaped over the line and appeared to cross the goal line. Game officials ruled no score and upheld that decision on replay review after head coach Herm Edwards challenged the call.

Johnson lost one-yard on the second down run and Thigpen’s pass for Bowe in the end zone went incomplete on third down. Barth came in and kicked a 20-yard FG to end the 14-play, 78-yard drive and tie the score at 10-10. But New Orleans regained the lead just as the half ended. Brees took the Saints offense 62 yards on 12 plays before Hartley kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Saints a 13-10 lead at intermission.

On their first possession of the third quarter, the Saints burned the Chiefs for a TD on just two plays. After a short Colquitt punt gave them field position at the New Orleans 48-yard line, Brees threw incomplete on first down. A five-yard penalty against the Chiefs moved the ball into Chiefs territory at the 47-yard line. Brees and WR Lance Moore then hooked up on a 47-yard TD throw where Moore beat Chiefs CB Ricardo Colclough with an inside move before racing down the sidelines and into the end zone to give New Orleans a 20-10 lead.

The Chiefs came back and put together a 14-play drive, but once again could not get into the end zone, despite having a first-and-goal at the Saints three-yard line. Johnson was stopped for no gain and then Thigpen threw twice for Bowe but both passes went incomplete. Barth’s 21-yard FG pulled the Chiefs closer, as they trailed 20-13. But the Saints roared right back down the field and put another touchdown on the board. With Brees throwing often and effectively and Thomas picking up yardage on the ground and through the air, New Orleans ended up with another touchdown. Thomas scored on a one-yard run as the Saints surged ahead 27-13.

Kansas City’s offense responded with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that finally finished in the end zone. The big moment came on a fourth-and-two play, Thigpen ran a quarterback draw that broken open for big yardage. He ran for 32 yards and the officials tacked on three yards more for a horse-collar tackle against New Orleans and the Chiefs had first-and-goal at the Saints three-yard line. Johnson was stopped for a two-yard loss, but Thigpen and Bowe hooked up on second down for a five-yard TD pass to make the score 27-20.

After the Chiefs defense forced the Saints to go three and out, Thigpen guided Kansas City to the Saints 40-yard line. After an incompletion on third-and-two, the Chiefs opted to punt on fourth and two, pinning the Saints at their own 12-yard line. This time, Kansas City couldn’t stop the Saints as New Orleans was able to add an insurance FG with a 12-play, 71-yard drive that ran six minutes, 27 seconds off the fourth-quarter clock. Most of the damage was done on the ground by Thomas. The possession ended with a 35-yard FG by Hartley that gave the Saints a 10-point lead to make the final count 30-20.

Now 1-9, the Chiefs will be back at Arrowhead next weekend, hosting the Buffalo Bills on November 23rd at Noon.

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