http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/10183156.htm
Defense revives another loser
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
NEW ORLEANS — As opposing offenses continue to find relief for what ails them, the Chiefs and their defense are now in their fourth season of serving as the NFL version of a Red Cross sign.
The Saints entered Sunday's game with an ugly 3-5 record, a quarterback in Aaron Brooks who has been treated more rudely than Hurricane Ivan by frustrated fans, and a running back in Deuce McAllister who had exactly one 100-yard rushing game this season.
So what happened?
The Saints picked up a win and took a step toward saving coach Jim Haslett's job. Brooks turned boos into cheers, and McAllister broke off a season-high 127 yards in 16 carries despite playing on a tender ankle.
To add insult to injury, former Chief Joe Horn — who was behind the likes of Andre Rison and Derrick Alexander during his four-season stint in Kansas City — torched the Chiefs' secondary for five catches, 167 yards and a game-winning 42-yard touchdown.
For any Chiefs defender willing to buck up and answer questions after the game, a familiar culprit was identified: the big play.
One week after Tampa Bay's offense had a breakout game against the Chiefs, Brooks registered his longest pass completion of the season, McAllister had his longest carry and Horn had his two longest receptions. A Saints squad that had played like strangers thrown together for a flag football game last week in San Diego suddenly looked like a well-oiled machine.
The Chiefs have allowed 26 pass plays of 20 yards or more, six of them for touchdowns, and 29 runs of 10 yards or more, three of them for touchdowns. Of course, when the Chiefs weren't missing tackles, blowing coverages or otherwise making the Saints look like the 49ers of the 1980s, they were helping the New Orleans cause with ridiculous penalties.
“Three things killed us today,” middle linebacker Kawika Mitchell said. “Penalties, turnovers and big plays. That's it right there..”
Including personal-foul calls on safety Jerome Woods and defensive end Jared Allen, Chiefs defenders were responsible for seven of the team's season-high 12 penalties — not to mention two more that were declined. The defense helped keep the Saints' first scoring drive alive with three flags.
Horn's game-winning touchdown catch, in which he split safeties Woods and Greg Wesley on a deep post pattern, came one play after the defense committed its worst sin.
New Orleans faced a first-and-10 at the Kansas City 42 with 5 minutes, 35 seconds remaining, and Brooks was ready to take the snap when the Chiefs hurried and called a timeout.
One problem: They had only 10 men on the field.
That timeout became critical later in the game when the Chiefs began their final drive with only 8 seconds remaining. Had they kept that third timeout, Trent Green and the offense would have had at least 40 more seconds to work with for that drive.
Vermeil could offer no explanation for the penalties his defense racked up, though. The Chiefs have been the least-penalized team in football during Vermeil's tenure and were flagged 79 times for 698 yards last season. This season, they've already been flagged 73 times for 629 yards.
The loss was also galling because the Chiefs were facing a Saints offense that had self-destructed all season.
The Saints have scored a measly 10 first-quarter points, McAllister has been hobbled by an ankle injury and had 343 yards rushing coming into the game, and Brooks had looked anything but comfortable.
Still, the Chiefs squandered an early 10-0 lead and let the Saints, who were getting booed by the home crowd almost from the first play of the game, off the hook.
“They were ready to fold, and we let them back in the game,” Allen said. “That's what's so frustrating about this one. We had them, but we let 'em get away.”