Mickles: Chiefs help Saints get back on track

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 18, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The struggling Kansas City Chiefs were just what the doctor ordered for the wounded New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Backed up against the wall with a 4-5 record after their lackluster 34-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons one week earlier, the Saints needed a win in the worst way when they walked into Arrowhead Stadium to face a team that had lost 17 of its last 18 games.

In the aftermath of their 30-20 victory over the Chiefs, the Saints are a little better off in the NFC playoff race today. One week after they were tied for 11th in the NFC standings, they’re now tied for eighth — just a half-game behind the seventh-place Philadelphia Eagles.

While it was almost silly to even talk about the playoffs after they fell flat against the Falcons, the Saints knew they had to do something starting with the matchup with the Chiefs.

After all, there certainly was no margin for error in the highly competitive NFC when they took the field.

“Coming into this game, we knew we had done enough talking,” running back Pierre Thomas said. “We just said, ‘We can’t talk anymore.’ We had to go out and show everybody. We had to play the game and prove to everybody that we can play, and show we’re not down and out.”

“Things weren’t going our way and certain guys stepped up and talk about it,” agreed defensive end Bobby McCray, who had one of the team’s four sacks. “There had been a lot of talking, but we got to the point where we didn’t need more talking. We had to do what we had to do between the hashmarks.”

After dispatching the Chiefs, who gave them a tussle after losing three straight games that they could have won, some players dismissed the notion their backs were to the wall — or at least they didn’t want to think that they were playing to perhaps save their season.

“We weren’t trying to think like that,” strong safety Roman Harper said. “We just wanted to win bad, we were all in and we just knew that we had to get some wins.”

Thomas and Harper certainly did their part to get that done.

Thomas picked up a depleted backfield by rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown and catching four passes for 56 yards, with one 22-yard reception setting up his TD.

Harper had a team-high 10 total tackles with one pass defense. He and weakside linebacker Scott Shanle took turns shadowing Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, who caught five passes for 39 yards.

“It wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t pretty at times, but it was nice to get that win,” strongside linebacker Scott Fujita said.