Drew Brees: New Orleans Saints QB Takes on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3

Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints
Sunday, 9/23/12, 1:00 PM EST, TV: CBS
Opening Point Spread: New Orleans -10
Current Betting Line: New Orleans -8
Opening Total: 53
Current Total: 53
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Saints vs. Bucs NFL Game Preview — The New Orleans Saints desperately need a win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3

Kansas City will look to capture its first victory of the 2012 NFL season this weekend, as the squad has been outscored by a 75-41 margin in lopsided losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills. “I don’t know if it’s a must-win, but we’ll look at it as a must-win,” stated Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs fell behind by a 21-0 margin to the Bills last week and were unable to recover, but quarterback Matt Cassel did manage to finish with 301 passing yards and two touchdowns. Kansas City is 8-6 ATS as a road underdog the last two-plus seasons, which is important to factor when looking at the pro football odds page.

The Chiefs have been terrible defensively in the first two weeks, as Crennel is also serving as the team’s defensive coordinator, as the group has zero takeaways and has allowed opponents to score on 12 of 22 possessions. On the other side of the ball, Kansas City will look to run the rock, ranking fifth in the NFL in averaging 151.0 yards per game on the ground. It’s important to note that running back Jamaal Charles is listed as probable as he continues to work back from a knee injury.

New Orleans figured to struggle a bit without Sean Payton on the sidelines, but nobody predicted an 0-2 start, with the defense allowing 75 points in the first two weeks. The Saints should improve each week without their head coach that’s suspended for the entire year, as Drew Brees is virtually an extension of him on offense. He has thrown for 664 yards, but has also been picked off four times. New Orleans is 3-1 ATS as a home favorite of 7.5 to 10 points, with the “over” going 3-1 in those contests.

The Saints know they have a tall mountain to climb, considering that teams that open a season with two losses have only a 12 percent chance of making the playoffs since the 1990 campaign. New Orleans needs to sure-up its defense in a hurry, with the unit ranking last in all of football in allowing 461 yards per game, including 186 on the ground.