The Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated as they enter their early bye week. With a 26-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday evening, KC is 5-0 and is therefore one of the two undefeated teams (Minnesota Vikings).

From the first offensive attack of the game, the Chiefs finally looked more determined on offense. The defense forced an early turnover and was able to hold a Saints offense that had been explosive to just 13 total points. Most importantly, Kansas City saw some players turn back the clock and put in some dominant performances.

With that in mind, it’s time to point out some of the more notable achievements from this win. Here are five studs and two duds from the Chiefs’ convincing win.

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

In the absence of Rashee Rice, someone had to step in at wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster did all that and then some. JuJu got some wide open looks due to some delayed releases where he sold like he was blocking. The Saints also seemed to get lost in coverage all evening.

Smith-Schuster had seven catches for 130 receiving yards, good enough for 18.6 yards per catch. That receiving yardage total was his first 100-yard receiving game since the 2022 regular season, when he and the Chiefs won in San Francisco. Not only did he get free on routes in this game, but he also added several yards after the catch. Kansas City’s offense will be fine if it can provide those traits in the future.

RB Kareem Hunt

Speaking of veteran Chiefs skill players turning back the clock, Kareem Hunt was a handful for the New Orleans defense from the jump. He scored the first touchdown of the game. His 102 rushing yards were the most he had tallied since the 2020 season, when he was with Cleveland.

Just like last week, Hunt caused some defenders to miss or bounce off him. He found some additional hidden areas in traffic to help Kansas City stay on schedule and ahead of the chains. Most importantly, Hunt had no problem finding the open lanes and putting his foot in the ground without wasted moves. The Chiefs can continue to rely on him without Isiah Pacheco.

TE Travis Kelce

They told us Travis Kelce was out of shape. They told us Travis Kelce was distracted. It turns out the veteran is feeling as good as ever after celebrating his birthday this weekend. The Chiefs were finally able to put together some quick completions in this game. Many of those went to Kelce out of the gate.

Finally, there were some other extended plays where he and Patrick Mahomes connected on open throws in the middle of the field. Kelce’s nine receptions led the team Monday night. He always knows how to shine bright under the lights. His performance was crucial in keeping the Chiefs rolling through the air early on.

QB Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes may not have thrown a touchdown pass in this game. Still, he looked extremely comfortable and confident, compared to much of the past few weeks. He was on time. He recognized the pressure much more consistently than last week. Additionally, Mahomes even pulled the trigger on throws deep downfield. He did that several times, to boot.

The red zone interception hurts, and it really wasn’t his fault on a tipped pass. Ultimately, Mahomes was able to find rhythm and chemistry with numerous weapons on the depth chart. It felt like he, Andy Reid and Matt Nagy were in their bags for much of the night. His 331 passing yards were his most in a single game this season. That should be a great boost going into the farewell match after a number of slow matches.

Chiefs run the defense

We highlighted the matchup between the Saints’ run offense and the Chiefs’ run defense entering Monday. Once again, Kansas City answered the bell against one of the NFL’s better rushing units. Alvin Kamara rarely got steam on his baggage. The defensive line did an excellent job of breaking free from blockers and filling gaps. Overall, Kansas City held New Orleans to just 46 rushing yards on 15 carries, which equates to just 3.1 yards per carry. For Kamara alone, the star rusher picked up just 26 rushing yards and 2.4 yards per carry on 11 carries.

This Chiefs defense is currently an underrated element of a stout defense. Known more for their various blitzes and the star power of Chris Jones, Kansas City can make opponents one-dimensional with their run-stopping ability. Getting teams into obvious passing situations can go a long way as opponents try to beat Mahomes and Co.

The Chiefs’ Red Zone Offense

The year is 2037. Patrick Mahomes has as many passing records, if not more, than most passers in NFL history. And at that point, Kansas City still might not be able to find consistency in the red zone. But seriously, the Chiefs could have had a bigger margin of victory in this game if not for some ups and downs in the red zone.

KC reached the red zone seven times in this game. Only twice were the Chiefs able to convert those opportunities into touchdowns. This issue has hurt them this season and previous years in the Mahomes era. If the Chiefs can find some improvement there, they could at least enter the playoffs with a 15-win team.

Chiefs offensive tackles

Was it their worst performance of the season so far? Not necessarily. But the Chiefs were again a little shaky at offensive tackle. Jawaan Taylor again received a few penalties. One holding call early negated a touchdown pass. Wanya Morris was injured and returned under some pressure.

The only pass rush New Orleans generated was from the perimeter. Kansas City has tried multiple times with the bat to fix the offensive tackle spots. They aren’t the worst in the NFL at this position. Although comfort in that area is not yet fully available.