The Saints rushing attack will have to overcome the Chiefs in a critical matchup on Monday night

After four weeks, New Orleans ranks first in the NFL in points scored. They have racked up nearly 400 total yards of offense in three of their four games, but a performance of just 219 against Philadelphia has them ranking ninth in total yardage.

Most of what the Saints do on offense relies on a successful ground game to create balance and control the tempo of a contest. This creates plays, potential big plays, and slows the pass rush to QB Derek Carr.

The Saints now face an underrated Chiefs defense that ranks 15th in total yardage and seventh in points allowed. Kansas City gets most of the attention through QB Patrick Mahomes. However, it was their defense more than anything else that was responsible for last year’s Super Bowl title and this year’s undefeated record.

With New Orleans needing to establish the run, here’s how they face Kansas City on the ground.

New Orleans has averaged 147.5 yards per game on the ground through its first four contests, ranking seventh in the NFL. The Saints are only 18th in yards per carry (4.3), but have the most rushing attempts in the league so far. Leading the ground game is versatile eighth-year player Alvin Kamara.

Kamara leads the NFL with 536 yards from the field, including 362 and an NFL-high five touchdowns on the ground. He has at least 77 yards rushing in all four games and averages an impressive 4.5 yards per carry.

Kamara has been battling a rib injury for the past two weeks. It hardly affected him last Sunday against Atlanta, when he ran for 83 yards and had his fourth straight game over 100 yards from offense.

The second most effective runner on this team remains Taysom Hill, perhaps the most versatile offensive weapon in the league. He’s only rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries so far, but has proven to be a legitimate threat from anywhere in the formation.

Hill was a powerful runner with breakaway speed and looked like he would play a key role in the game plan against the Falcons. Unfortunately, his day ended with a rib injury just two quarters into the game. He also suffered a pectoral injury that sidelined him in Week 3 against the Eagles. Hill should play, but his status during the week will need to be closely monitored.

Jamaal Williams should be the main complement to Kamara. However, he failed to play a role in this offense. After recording just 306 rushing yards in 13 games last year, Williams has just 87 yards on 23 carries in 2024. Still, he could be a good short yardage option because of his power.

Wideouts Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave are both excellent open-field runners. Both are dangerous on jet sweeps, but could also be viable options out of the backfield to keep a defense off balance.

New Orleans’ offensive line is a major concern heading into 2024 and started the year strong. Unfortunately, C Erik McCoy landed on injured reserve with a groin injury. Starting player Cesar Ruiz also missed last week with a knee injury. Ruiz could play this Sunday but is expected to have limited practice opportunities throughout the week.

Practice player Shane Lemieux replaced McCoy while Landon Young filled in for Ruiz. Both played reasonably well against the Falcons, but continue to be a problem going forward.

Right tackle Trevor Penning is still inconsistent in pass defense but mauls people as a run blocker when he goes straight. The Saints have had the most success on the left side behind LG Lucas Patrick and LT Taliese Fuaga, their rookie first-round pick and a rising star.

Kansas City ranks eighth against the run after four weeks, giving up an average of 99 yards per game on the ground and just 3.8 yards per carry. After the Ravens rushed for 185 yards in the opener, Kansas City has allowed just 70 yards on the ground in their three games since.

Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson ran for 122 yards in Week 1 against Kansas City. Other than him, no running back has even managed 50 yards against the Chiefs’ stifling defense. Against Kansas City, opposing defenders average a meager 3.1 yards per run.

Linebacker Nick Bolton leads the Chiefs in stops for loss and total tackles. He is one of a trio of quick and aggressive linebackers that includes Drue Tranquill and Leo Chanel who fly quickly to the ball and excel at sideline-to-sideline pursuit.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones is probably the best interior pass rusher in the league. Jones is also a strong runner and regularly blasts the backfield on a weekly basis. Joining him on the inside are run-stuffers Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel and Tershawn Wharton.

The Chiefs aren’t as physical or deep at the rim. However, the end players George Karlaftis, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Mike Danna are lightning quick in making tackles and getting to the ball at lightning speed.

Safeties Justin Reid, Bryan Cook and Nickle Back Chamarri Conner are right behind Bolton in tackles and are involved in a lot of plays. Reid and Cook are each capable of playing in the tackle box, while Conner aggressively hits ball carriers from the edge.

The Saints were most effective when running to their left edge behind Fuaga and Patrick. But for some reason, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak ran more to the right side against the Falcons.

Expect New Orleans to attack more from that side on Monday. Uzomah and Danna are both slightly undersized, especially against the mammoth Fuaga. Kansas City’s linebackers are athletic, but that depends on Penning, Lemieux and either Ruiz or Young to effectively get from behind to the second level and create space for additional yards.

Lemieux and the guard spots face an even greater challenge against Jones and the Chiefs’ defensive tackles. It’s crucial that they prevent penetration inside to blow up plays and also open up cutback lanes for Kamara and the Saints runners.

Baltimore, Buffalo and the Raiders are the only teams that have rushed for more than 100 yards and averaged at least four yards per carry in the last 13 games against the Chiefs. Both the Ravens and Bills had mobile quarterbacks to increase that number, something we won’t see with Derek Carr. Still, it’s essential that the Saints have success on the ground if they are to have any realistic chance of upsetting Kansas City on Monday.