ESPN NFL

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The New Orleans Saints have fallen behind early and often this season. And they have seldom come back.

Eric Allen's Analysis

Will this win temporarily silence the rumblings in New Orleans? I don't think this win will silence the rumblings in New Orleans because this is the Saints' pattern. This team is just as inconsistent as they are talented, and that's saying a lot. They've been in the situation where they will play well one week and then will get killed the next week, so the fans and media are probably waiting with bated breath for next week's performance. If they don't win next week then this week's victory was completely for naught, and the coaching staff's jobs will still be in trouble. The alleged meeting at the beginning of the week between coach Jim Haslett and the team doesn't surprise me at all. I've been in a locker room with coach Haslett in similar circumstances, and he tells it like it is. He's not going to candy-coat anything for the players because that wouldn't be fair to them. He understands and wants his players to understand that if they aren't playing hard then it will only sully their reputations around the league. It's a known fact that coaches talk and compare notes on players, and it's difficult for a player to overcome a reputation as a quitter. Those players have to realize that and act accordingly to protect their careers. Eric Allen played cornerback for 14 NFL seasons with the Eagles, Saints and Raiders. He's a regular contributor to Insider.

On Sunday, the Saints recovered from an early 10-point deficit and then scored a late touchdown to win.

Aaron Brooks threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Joe Horn midway through the fourth quarter and New Orleans beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-20.

"I've just got one thing to say," Horn said. "Everybody that said goodbye to us, we ain't gone yet."

New Orleans (4-5), which has been outscored 54-0 in the first quarter in the last seven games, trailed 10-0 after one quarter against the Chiefs. But for a change the Saints were able to rally -- and then hold on to win.

With the score tied at 20, the Saints drove 72 yards to take the lead with 5:35 remaining. The Chiefs (3-6) responded by driving to the Saints 17, but running back Derrick Blaylock could not handle a pass from Trent Green and linebacker Orlando Ruff grabbed it to preserve the victory.

"We got a heck of a rush and closed the pocket on him," Ruff said. "As he was getting ready to throw, they got an arm on him, which caused the ball to hang up on him. The whole time I was thinking, I can't mess this one up."

The Chiefs gained 497 yards, and Green threw for 311 yards. But Green, who had six touchdown passes in his last two games, was held to one scoring pass against New Orleans. He completed 22 of 33 passes, and was intercepted twice.

"The first three possessions we got 10 points out of it," Green said. "And then you can just go from there. It was frustrating for us the rest of the game. Anytime you have the number of penalties that we had, both offensively and defensively, and the turnovers that we had, it's hard to win a game when you do that."

Blaylock, playing for the injured Priest Holmes, had 33 carries for 186 yards and a touchdown.

"It was a pretty good performance, but a win would have been better," Blaylock said. "I felt pretty good. I got into a nice little rhythm, found a couple of holes, nice little cuts."

Deuce McAllister had his second 100-yard game of the season for New Orleans, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Horn had five catches for 167 yards.

Brooks completed 15 of 27 passes for 259 yards despite being sacked four times and pressured constantly.

Both teams were hurt by penalties. Kansas City had 12 for 94 yards, including three personal fouls. The Saints had eight for 57 yards.

"When you make about 500 yards of offense you probably ought to win and we didn't," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "We were minus in turnovers and penalties, ridiculous penalties."

Just over two minutes into the game, Green hit Eddie Kennison with a 21-yard touchdown pass. The score was set up by a 63-yard return of the opening kickoff by Dante Hall. Lawrence Tynes' 24-yard field goal put Kansas City up 10-0 after one quarter.

Brooks scored on a 1-yard run to pull New Orleans within three points, and McAllister put the Saints ahead 14-10 with a 13-yard touchdown run. Tynes' 45-yard field goal cut the Saints' lead to 14-13 at halftime.

John Carney's 39-yard field goal increased the Saints' lead to 17-13 and his 39-yarder made it 20-13. Blaylock's 3-yard scoring run with 8:07 left tied the game.

Game notes

The teams hadn't met in New Orleans since the opening day of the 1994 regular season. ... The Saints hadn't beaten Kansas City since 1991. ... Nine-time Pro Bowl G Will Shields extended his Kansas City club record to 183 consecutive starts, the NFL's second-longest active streak. ... Chiefs LB Monty Beisel left the game with a strained left calf and did not return.