Travaris Cadet #39 of the New Orleans Saints leaps over Jalil Brown #30 of the Kansas City Chiefs during a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on August 9, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

The New Orleans Saints opened up their 2013 preseason schedule on Friday night, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-13, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Kansas City scored the first ten points of the game, with the first six coming on a one-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles on their first possession of the game. That run capped off a 14-play, 80-yard drive, that took 6:23 off the clock, and after the point-after conversion the Chiefs led, 7-0, at the 8:43 mark of the opening period.

On their next possession, the Chiefs added three more points, courtesy of a Ryan Succop 43-yard field goal, extending their lead to 10-0 at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter.

The only points of the second quarter were the first of the contest for New Orleans, as Garrett Hartley connected on a 24-yard field goal, which closed out a 10-play, 74-yard drive, and cut the Kansas City lead to 10-3 at the 13:29 mark of the second quarter.

The Chiefs took that seven-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Saints starting quarterback Drew Brees, who played in only two possessions in the first half, completed 7-of-10 passes, for 65 yards.

New Orleans dominated the third quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points, to take a 17-10 lead.

Their first touchdown of the quarter, and of the game, came at the 8:50 mark of the third quarter, as quarterback Luke McCown connected with Preston Walker on a two-yard touchdown pass, capping off a 12-play, 80-yard drive.

The second touchdown came with only :38 left in the period, when Walker caught another McCown pass from two yards out, capping off a 10-play, 82-yard drive, to give the Saints the lead, 17-10.

Kansas City got three points closer at the 14:48 mark of the fourth quarter, when Succop nailed his second field goal of the game, this one from 32 yards, which closed out a short four-play, 12-yard drive, and cut the New Orleans lead to 17-13.

But that's was as close as they would get, as New Orleans held on for the four-point win, and sent the home crowd home happy.

The Saints out-gained the Chiefs, in terms of total yards, 427-215, including a 308-156 advantage through the air, and finished with 26 first downs, compared to 15 for the visitors.

McCown paced the way for the victors, finishing the evening completing 18-of-28 passes, for 216 yards, along with two touchdowns, and one interception, while Nick Toon had six receptions for 66 yards, with Parker recording the two touchdowns.

Khiry Robinson was the leading rusher for New Orleans, with 52 yards on 12 carries.

The victory moves the Saints to 1-0 in the preseason, while the Chiefs fell to 0-1.

New Orleans returns to preseason action next Friday, when they host the Oakland Raiders.

 

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