- Associated Press - Thursday, December 17, 2020

KANSAS CITY (12-1) AT NEW ORLEANS (10-3)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS

OPENING LINE - Chiefs by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Chiefs 6-7, Saints 7-6

SERIES RECORD - Chiefs lead 6-5

LAST MEETING - Chiefs beat Saints 27-21, on Oct. 23, 2016, at Kansas City

LAST WEEK - Chiefs beat Dolphins 33-27; Saints lost to Eagles 24-21

AP PRO32 RANKING - Chiefs No. 1, Saints No. 4

CHIEFS OFFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (17), PASS (1)

CHIEFS DEFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (26), PASS (14)

SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (7), PASS (21)

SAINTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (2), RUSH (2), PASS (4)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - The Chiefs have clinched the AFC West for a franchise-record fifth straight season. Kansas City clinches a first-round bye with a win and losses by Pittsburgh and Buffalo. … Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL with 4,208 yards passing and last week became the third QB in NFL history to pass for at least 4,000 yards in three of his first four NFL seasons … Mahomes completed 24 of 34 passes for 393 yards and two TDs vs. three interceptions against Miami last week. He has at least 315 yards passing in six straight, tying the longest such streak in NFL history. … Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a former LSU star who last played in the Superdome less than one year ago when the Tigers beat Clemson for the 2019 college football national championship. … Edwards-Helaire had 91 scrimmage yards last week, with 59 yards receiving. … Tyreek Hill is tied for the NFL lead in touchdowns receiving with 14. Hill had 79 yards receiving with one TD, and one TD rushing at Miami. He has two or more TDs in 14 career games, tied for the second most by a receiver in his first five seasons in NFL history. … TE Travis Kelce has caught at least eight passes for 125 or more yards and a TD in each of his previous two games. Kelce has 100 yards receiving in five of past six games and leads NFL tight ends with 90 catches for 1,250 yards receiving. His nine TDs receiving are tied for the most by any NFL tight end this season. … Safety Tyrann Mathieu is a former LSU star who lost a national championship game in the Superdome in January 2012. Mathieu has interceptions in his past three games. … Defensive end Frank Clark had a sack last week. Defensive tackle Chris Jones had a sack and his first-career safety in Week 14. … The Saints can win the NFC South for a fourth straight season with a win or Buccaneers loss. … QB Drew Brees has been designated to return from injured reserve and could be eligible to play after missing four games with fractured ribs and a punctured lung. … Brees has nine TDs passing and two rushing in five home starts this season. … QB Taysom Hill has started the Saints’ past four games and passed for a career-high 291 yards last week, when he also threw two TD passes and one interception. … Running back Alvin Kamara had seven receptions and 94 scrimmage yards with a TD rushing at Philadelphia. Kamara has seven TDs rushing in his past six games. He ranks third in the NFL with 1,422 scrimmage yards (1,422) and is tied for third in scrimmage TDs with 14. … Kamara leads all running backs with 77 receptions as he closes in on becoming just the third running back in NFL history with at least 80 catches in four seasons. … WR Michael Thomas led the Saints with eight receptions for 84 yards last week. Since 2016, Thomas leads the NFL with 510 receptions, the most by player in his first five seasons in NFL history. … WR Emmanuel Sanders caught his fourth TD pass of the season last week. … TE Jared Cook had his sixth TD receiving of the season last week and second in two games. … DE Cameron Jordan is the only player with at least sacks in each of the past nine seasons. … LB Demario Davis needs nine tackles for his fourth-consecutive 100-tackle season. … Defensive end Trey Hendrickson is tied for third in the NFL with a career-high 10 1/2 sacks. … Safety Malcolm Jenkins had his 11th career fumble recovery last week. … Fantasy tip: Thomas, sidelined by injuries earlier this season, has ramped up his production in recent weeks. He has eight or more catches for 84 or more yards in three of his past four games, including two games in which he eclipsed 100 yards receiving.

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