Photo Courtesy: All-Pro Reels
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Are you ready for some Monday Night Football?
We look at the Monday Night Football game as the game that wraps up the week of football. The schedule is scripted near the end of the season before and placed in stone weeks before the start of training camps. This game would totally suck if both teams were struggling to score points, play defense or have no underlining back stories. Hence the NFL being able to “flex” games as they see fit so that us fas get to watch the best game available to us. This week’s Monday Night Football match up looks to be a good one! Last season the Chiefs won the Super Bowl and now they are looking to be the first team ever to three-peat. The Saints put a whoopin’ on Carolina and Dallas in back-to-back weeks to start the season but has dropped their last two games against the Eagles and Falcons. This game will be closer than what anyone thinks.
What to watch for:
This game will come down to how well the Chiefs offense plays and if the Saints defense can apply pressure. The Chiefs offense will always find a way to put up points. They seem to come alive in the 4th quarter. It’s like Head coach Andy Reid and his staff find the weak links of the opposing defense and begin to exploit them. The Saints offense is averaging close to 31.8 points per game and the defense is giving up about 17.5 points per game. That should be a recipe for success, but they are 2-2 right now. The team that can create turnovers and control the clock will win easily.
Game Info
New Orleans Saints vs Kansas City Chiefs
Monday – October 8 – 7:15 p.m.
TV: ESPN
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO
New Orleans Saints (2-2, 1-1 Away)
In the last two games, the Saints have fallen off in a way that has their fans scratching their heads and wondering, “How did they dominate the Panthers and Cowboys?”. Here’s a fun fact, they stopped running the ball and started throwing 5 to 10 yards passing plays and using gimmick schemes. The Saints have lost what got them quality wins to start the season. In their last 2 games, the Saints are averaging 18 points after the starting the season averaging 45 points. Saints quarterback Derek Carr will need to take back control of the offense and limit himself on trying to win it by himself. Running back Alvin Kamara will need to touch the ball at least 10-15 in the first half.
Kansas City Chiefs (4-0, 2-0 Home)
The Chiefs are a dangerous team that could easily lose on Monday night. For this team to be the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champions, they are barely beat teams this season. I know a win is a win… but I expect a dominating win from this team each and every game. One thing about the Chiefs coaching staff is that they are among the best in the league at make in-game adjustments and finding a way to win. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 904 passing yards with 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He’s dynamic but is prone to turn the ball over because of his style of play. Wideout Rashee Rice is out for the rest of the season, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB Isiah Pacheco and WR Hollywood Brown are all listed on the injury report. The Chiefs have interchangeable parts at every skilled position so they will be just fine.
Prediction
ESPN has the Chiefs with a 60.6% chance of winning at home Monday. The over/under is 43.5, so take the over. The line is Kansas City -6. I’m taking the Chiefs by 9! Kansas City is the better team right now and the Saints have been too inconsistent!
Final Score
Chiefs – 33
Saints – 24
