Analysis: Demarcus Robinson’s punt return gaffe shaves Chiefs’ halftime lead to 14-9
What a gaffe by Demarcus Robinson to end the first half.
The Chiefs wide receiver fielded a punt on a bounce. All he had to do was field it and go down — or not — and the Chiefs would have had a 14-7 halftime lead Sunday at New Orleans.
Instead, Robinson ran backward, had the ball poked out and the Saints nearly recovered the ball in the end zone. But it bounded out of the back of the end zone for a safety and the Chiefs lead was down to 14-9 at halftime.
The Saints get the ball to start the second half.
Summing it up
The Chiefs were the better team in the first half, but the Saints’ defense prevented the margin manageable for the home team.
The Chiefs led thanks to touchdown passes to familiar targets Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. But the Chiefs also punted away five possessions.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times, and was knocked down five times in the first half. No surprise against one of the NFL’s top-rated defenses.
Brees slow start
After one of the slowest starts of his prodigious career, Drew Brees rallied to help get the Saints on the board in the second quarter.
Brees misfired on its first six pass attempts for the first time in his 20-year career, according to the CBS broadcast. One of those misses included an interception by rookie L’Jarius Sneed.
But Brees, who missed the previous four games recovering from broken ribs, picked up a first down with his first completion on the Saints’ fifth possession and went over the top for a 51-yard strike to Emmanuel Sanders. That led to Taysom Hill’s 1-yard touchdown run.
Sneed’s pick, sack
Rookie L’Jarius Sneed was on an interception-per-game pace after the first two games. He suffered a fractured collarbone in the third game and missed the next seven.
Sneed came up with his third pick of the season in the first quarter, stepping in front of a Drew Brees softer-than-he-wanted sideline pass intended for Lil’Jordan Humphrey. The Chiefs hadn’t been great on turning takeaways into touchdowns this season, but they took advantage this time.
Later in the half, Sneed collected his first career sack, bring down Brees for a 9-yard loss on third down.
Kelce in touchdown twice, one counted
The Chiefs opened the possession after the Sneed interception with a short run by Le’Veon Bell.
The ball came out after a short gain and Travis Kelce was in the perfect spot for the recovery scoop. He rumbled about 35 yards to the end zone. But after a review, Bell was ruled down. No fumble, which denied Kelce the second fumble recovery for a touchdown of his career. His first came in 2014.
But Kelce got his touchdown eventually. Early in second quarter, the Chiefs drove to the New Orleans 1 — a possession that included 23-yard completions to Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins — and Mahomes threw a chest pass to Kelce. He followed his blocking into the end zone.
The reception was No. 600 in Kelce’s career.
Hill’s touchdown ties team record
The Chiefs used misdirection for their first touchdown.
Tyreek Hill crossed in front of Mahomes and returned to his original position before the snap. Hill leaked into the end zone from the 5 to receive his 15th touchdown of the year.
That ties the team record set by Dwayne Bowe in 2010.
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 5:13 PM.