The New Orleans Saints are in for a major challenge to kick off their preseason: Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid announced Friday that all four of his quarterbacks — Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert, Shane Buechele, and Chris Oladokun — will see the field on Sunday. Mahomes will lead the first-team offense into the first quarter, bowing out for the second-string unit in the second quarter, and so on.
Last time Mahomes visited the Caesars Superdome, he completed 26 of his 47 pass attempts for 254 yards, scoring 3 touchdown passes; he also took off to run 7 times for 37 rushing yards, though the New Orleans defense sacked him 4 times for a loss of 22 yards, also forcing a pair of fumbles.
So Dennis Allen’s defense will need to start fast and slow him down. The former Super Bowl and league MVP is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and he’ll provide a big test right out of the gates for New Orleans’ defense, which has seen a surprising amount of turnover this offseason. Expect young cornerbacks Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo to be targeted right away.
It would have been helpful to run against Mahomes and the Chiefs’ high-octane offense during a couple of joint practice sessions, but that’s something Reid has never adopted in his years as a head coach, zigging where others zag. Let’s hope the Saints come away from this exhibition game with some positive notes to review after the fact.
