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Postgame notes: New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs | 2023 NFL Preseason Week 1

Saints quarterback room combined to complete an efficient 27-of-38 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns

  • New Orleans moves to 1-0 in the preseason after its opening victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Caesars Superdome. The Saints return to action on Sunday, Aug. 20 when they play the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium following two days of joint practice on Thursday and Friday. Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. CST. The game will be aired regionally on the Gray Television network of stations in the Gulf Coast (FOX 8 in the New Orleans area).
  • Attendance at the Caesars Superdome was 70,028.
  • It was New Orleans' first victory to open a preseason since a 24-20 win at Jacksonville on Aug. 9, 2018.
  • Quarterback Derek Carr, safety Tyrann Mathieu, wide receiver Michael Thomas, defensive end Cameron Jordan, and kicker Wil Lutz served as the team captains
  • The Saints tallied 21 first downs compared to 17 for the Chiefs.
  • Defensive back Ugo Amadi and defensive end Kyle Phillips each recorded interceptions, Phillips' helping set up the game-winning 31-yard field goal by kicker Blake Grupe
  • New Orleans converted 7-of-16 (43.8%) third-down attempts.
  • Defensively, the Saints held Kansas City to 5-of-13 (38.5%) on third-down conversions.
  • The passing attack was key for New Orleans as the quarterback room combined to complete an efficient 27-of-38 passes (71.1%) for 267 yards and three touchdowns, Carr, Jameis Winston and Jake Haener each tossing scores.
  • Amadi recorded a second-quarter interception off a pass tipped by cornerback Alontae Taylor from Chiefs quarterback Shane Buechele. Amadi finished with two tackles.
  • Linebacker Ryan Connelly led the team with four tackles and one pass defensed.
  • Linebacker Zack Baun added three tackles including a sack in the third quarter
  • Phillips intercepted Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun on a third down with 1:04 remaining in the fourth quarter to help fuel the Saints' come-from-behind victory.

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  • Carr led a 12-play 80-yard drive to open the game, capped off by a 4-yard touchdown pass to receiver Keith Kirkwood. Carr completed six-of-eight passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in his lone drive of action.
  • The touchdown pass from Carr to Kirkwood was the second time the Saints scored on their first offensive drive of a preseason game since the 2012 Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals, when Mark Ingram scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown. In the 2022 preseason opener at Houston, running back Dwayne Washington caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton on New Orleans' first drive.
  • Winston took over for the remainder of the first half and completed 11-of-13 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown with a 121.8 passer rating. Quarterback Jake Haener played the entire second half totaling 105 yards and completing 10-of-17 passes. He added his first career touchdown pass on a 2-yard score to running back Ellis Merriweather as part of a 76-yard drive late in the fourth quarter.
  • Running back Jamaal Williams led the Saints in rushing with 28 yards and tied a team-high nine carries with Merriweather (24 yards).
  • Wide receiver A.T. Perry made his first NFL catch on a pass from Winston for a 14-yard gain with 6:46 remaining in the first quarter and later caught a 29-yard touchdown. Perry led the team with six catches for a team-high 70 yards and a touchdown.
  • Wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. had the longest punt return with an explosive 22-yard return in the third quarter. He also added one assisted special teams stop.
  • Linebacker Ty Summers finished with two solo tackles, one sack and one special teams stop.
  • In making his Saints debut, Tulane graduate and rookie linebacker Nick Anderson had one assisted tackle and one assisted special teams stop.
  • Linebacker Nephi Sewell recorded one assisted tackle and led the team with two special teams stops.
  • Punter Blake Gillikin punted three times for 114 yards (38.0 avg.) and had a team-long 47-yard boot.
  • Lutz made his lone field-goal attempt of 36 yards and made both of his extra points.
  • Grupe added the game-winning field goal from 31 yards out as time expired.

Check out the game action from the New Orleans Saints game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL Preseason.

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