TheOak

Offense 2.5 fleur de lis (out of possible 4)

Drew Brees was his usual efficient self, going 7-of-10 for 65 yards. A drop by rookie Kenny Stills thwarted a drive, but overall No. 9 was sharp. The running game didn't get really lathered up until backups Khiry Robinson (12 carries, 52 yards) and Travaris Cadet (13-40) took over. Mark Ingram only carried three times for 12 yards and Darren Sproles twice for 3 yards. Ben Watson was used in a few two-tight end sets with Jimmy Graham and looks like another potential threat. Luke McCown was serviceable in backing up Brees, while the young receivers - Kenny Stills, Nick Toon, Preston Parker and Andy Tanner - all left their marks. The line was beaten a couple times of blitzes to pressure Brees, but the quarterbacks were kept clean and the Chiefs went without a sack.

Defense 1.5 fleur de lis

Not exactly a great first impression for new coordinator Rob Ryan and his 3-4 defense. Will Smith look stiff and uncomfortable in his drops at outside linebacker trying to matchup up with lightning-quick Jamaal Charles out of the backfield. Granted, the Saints didn't give up big plays, which was the problem last season, but Kansas City still managed to churn out a methodical 14-play, 80-yard drive on its opening possession. Chiefs starter Alex Smith went 7-of-8 for 68 yards with a QB rating of 102.1 in his only series. The Saints' backups fared much better, particularly along the defensive line, where rookies Glenn Foster and John Jenkins each had a sack. Rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro also looks to be a force. There wasn't much blitzing, which is expected during the season as most teams prefer to play pretty vanilla, but there were some audible groans of déjà vu in the crowd after the first drive.

Special teams - 0 fleur de lis

Poor coverage units pretty much negated an outstanding effort by punter Thomas Morstead. Morstead's 61-yard punt was basically wiped out by Dexter McCluster's 55-yard return in the first quarter, then a 57-yarder by Morstead and crushing tackle by rookie Kenny Vaccaro inside the Chiefs' 5-yard line was nullified by an illegal-formation penalty on Corey White. In the third quarter, Preston Parker fair caught a punt along the left hash but had just Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt between him and the goal line. To cap off the night, Knile Davis returned a kick off 79 yards in the fourth quarter. Garrett Hartley made his only field-goal attempt from 24 yards and added two extra points. If the Saints are going to win the field-position battle, the kick coverage units must improve.

Coaching - 2 fleur de lis

The atmosphere was electric for a preseason game as the crowd eagerly awaited the return of coach Sean Payton. Payton wanted to focus on the running game, but the Chiefs played more eight-man fronts than anticipated so Payton adjusted and took to the air. As noted previously, Ryan's defense, mostly the first unit, bent plenty but didn't break. There were some exotic looks, like the four-safety lineup, but not many pressure packages. Special teams coordinator Greg McMahon had the roughest night. His coverage units were undisciplined in their lanes, surrendering an average of 17.7 yards on punt returns and 45.3 yards on kick off returns.

New Orleans Saints vs. Kansas City Chiefs grades | NOLA.com

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