On Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs ran several plays with four tight ends. It was voluntary.

The Chiefs will have to mix, match and get creative to generate offense due to multiple injuries, but unlike most other teams, they will likely find a way.

The Chiefs will be without running back Isiah Pacheco and receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, but that didn’t really matter against the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs moved the ball quite well, managed more than 400 yards and remained undefeated with a 26-13 victory over the Saints.

The Chiefs are thin. On Monday night, they solicited contributions from recycled players like Kareem Hunt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and even tight end Jody Fortson, all of whom were on tour with the team for the second time after receiving little attention elsewhere. Hunt and Smith-Schuster in particular played monster games on Monday evening. The Chiefs offense did not appear to be shorthanded.

Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes can always do it.

Saints make some mistakes early

To win at Arrowhead Stadium you have to play very well, and the Saints failed to do that in the first half.

The night started with Derek Carr throwing a wild interception under pressure. It was a poorly thrown pass, and safety Bryan Cook made a nice diving catch for the pick. The Saints also gave up a first down after pinning the Chiefs on a second-and-34. They ran a two-minute drill that lasted just 34 seconds before a punt, allowing the Chiefs to score a field goal before halftime.

Kansas City led 16-7 at halftime, and while things could have been worse for New Orleans – the Saints held the Chiefs to a field goal on three possessions inside the red zone – the Chiefs are very difficult to come back from.

However, the Saints stuck with it. A Saints interception in the end zone by 324-pound defensive end Khalen Saunders and his 37-yard return sent New Orleans into a frenzy. The Saints then went on a touchdown drive, and although the extra point was of no use, they trailed 16-13 with more than 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs were pretty good between the 20s, but their mistakes in the red zone kept New Orleans in the game.

The Chiefs maintain the lead in the 4th quarter

As usual, the Chiefs got creative around the goal line and it paid off with a big touchdown in the fourth quarter. Travis Kelce took the shotgun snap from the middle, passed it to Xavier Worthy and the rookie receiver scored a 3-yard touchdown. The Chiefs’ lead was now 10 points again.

The Chiefs have relied on defense since the start of last season, and it came through again on Monday night. After the Worthy touchdown, the Chiefs got a stop that essentially killed the Saints’ chances. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sent a blitz on fourth-and-8 that forced Carr to rush his throw downfield, and it failed incomplete. The game wasn’t officially over at this point, but it would take some big breaks to overcome a 10-point deficit. The Saints’ chances got even worse when Carr returned to the locker room with an oblique injury sustained on a fourth-down hit.

Mahomes threw for more than 300 yards to a diverse cast of receivers. Kelce had his second straight productive game with nine catches for 70 yards, emerging from an early season slump. Smith-Schuster, who was traded by the Patriots in August and acquired by the Chiefs, was a big surprise with 130 yards. Hunt, who was out of contract throughout the offseason, continues to take over the RB1 job in Pacheco’s absence. He rushed for 102 yards.

It’s not the offensive lineup the Chiefs had planned for the season. They figured some new additions would prevent a repeat of last season, when the offense was often frustrated with an inconsistent group of receivers. But Kansas City is making it work again. Their group of retreads made it seem like vintage car day at Arrowhead Stadium. The results were also known.