Week 5 of the NFL season concludes with the New Orleans Saints taking on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead on "Monday Night Football." These teams last played in Week 15 of the 2020 season, a game the Chiefs won 32-29. Of course, both teams have changed quite a bit since then, especially the Saints.
Sean Payton was still the Saints' head coach and Drew Brees their quarterback. Current coach Dennis Allen is 2-2 against the Chiefs in his career, while quarterback Derek Carr is 3-14. ODDS AND TRENDS Kansas City opened as an eight-point favorite, which is unsurprising as they are undefeated and playing at home against a visiting Saints team reeling from back-to-back losses.
The line has since moved to -5.5. When these teams last met, Patrick Mahomes was still playing on his rookie contract, Carr was in his first season with the Raiders, and Allen was in his sixth as the Saints' defensive coordinator.
Mahomes completed 26 of 47 passes against Allen's defense for 254 yards and three touchdowns. If this game were in Week 3, right after back-to-back 40-point games by the Saints offense, the line probably would not have opened with such a large spread. Injuries had already started to take a toll on the Chiefs offense.
Could the Saints have been the favorite in that scenario? No, as long as Mahomes is healthy, the Chiefs will never be a home underdog. But those Saints are not the ones taking the field Monday night, and the public does not seem too eager to get behind New Orleans in t.