Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints are just hours from kickoff. Both teams are entering the contest 0-2 and are desperate for a win. The winner of this one has a chance to turn their season around. The loser…well, they may just find themselves in a hole too deep to dig out of.

To get you ready for what’s ahead, I sat down with Gene Higginbotham, editor of FanSided’s Saints site, Who Dat Dish. Let’s go inside the enemy camp!

Both the Chiefs and the Saints are big disappointments so far. How badly do you think NO is missing Sean Payton?

I think that with the absence of Payton, the Saints are missing the dynamic offense play calling ability that he has. No disrespect to offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., but Payton is a genius when it comes to certain aspects of the game. Also, I believe the salty demeanor he gives out breeds confidence and urgency to his players. It’s something that current interim head coach Aaron Kromer doesn’t seem to have, mainly because it’s not his style.

The Saints’ offense seems to still be producing but the defense is allowing them to get out-scored. Is this a serious problem that will follow the Saints throughout the season or just a matter of a lack of focus early in the season? Will these guys recover?

The main problem with the defense seems to be that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo doesn’t seem to have the right personnel to accomplish what he wants which is pass rush with solid coverage down field. Also, this is a new defense for everybody to learn and I think linebacker Chris Chamberlain was valuable at helping those guys learn it. When he went on injured reserve in preseason, it hurt them to a degree. As far as improving, Spagnupolo says they but the proof will be as the season goes on.

Who are some young Saints players that Chiefs fans may not have heard of yet but should keep an eye on Sunday?

I’m anxious to see cornerback Johnny Patrick back after his injury in Week 1 as well as checking out defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. Also defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker hasn’t been activated even though he had a monster preseason.

If you could take one player from the Chiefs and put him on the Saints, who would it be and why?

While it’s a tough choice, I would like to see outside linebacker/defensive end Tamba Hali on the Saints roster. He could be someone that they could really use to bolster some pass rush.

Which Saints player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?

I think there are a few but I’ll give you one for both sides of the ball. On offense, I think wide receiver Joe Morgan was slated to be able to stretch the field with his speed but has been unable to be consistent with catching the ball. On defense, cornerback Patrick Robinson has been disappointing thus far. Being a first round pick, you would expect something back on the investment and although he played well last year, he has been having a lot of mental errors, poor tackling, and missed interceptions.

Bonus: What is your prediction for Sunday’s game?

I think the Saints finally break the slide they are in and pull out a victory, 28-17

It sure is a weird and interesting day in the NFL. So far we’ve seen two coaches get into a shouting match, a starting QB go down with what looked to be a serious shoulder injury and now we have a coach with an injury so serious that if he were a player, he’d be moved to IR.

Saints coach Sean Payton got mixed up in a sideline collision and has reportedly broken his leg and torn his ACL. He was taken to the locker room at halftime for x-rays.

Payton also calls the team’s offensive plays. Payton is staying in the game, however and has moved up to the booth to finish his coaching duties.

We wish Coach a speedy recovery.

Aubrayo Franklin has reportedly signed with the New Orleans Saints.

Franklin was a favorite free agency target of Kansas City Chiefs fans. He was widely believed to be the best free agent nose tackle on the market. Since the Chiefs have a great need at NT after losing veteran Ron Edwards in free agency, it seemed like a match made in heaven for Franklin and the Chiefs.

Looks like it wasn’t meant to be.

Some opponents of a Franklin signing claimed he likely wanted too much money and a long-term deal. While we don’t know how much the Saints are paying him yet, it appears Franklin signed a one-year agreement with the Saints.

Ironically, Franklin is the second player that has been swiped away from the clutches of KC Chiefs fans.

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If you haven’t heard yet, teams other than the Kansas City Chiefs are picking in the 2011 NFL Draft.  In fact, those teams play a very important role in the Chiefs’ draft since the Chiefs don’t pick in the top 5 this year.  Who the 20 teams before us pick can have a significant impact on who we draft.  So, for those wondering why I don’t think AJ Green or Julio Jones will be there for us at 21, take a look at one way I see the first round of the Draft going.
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La Canfora is reporting that Rogers turned down a $6 million offer from another team to take roughly $4 million to play for the Saints. Since the only other teams Rogers met with were the Redskins and the Chiefs, the offer of $6 million likely came from one of them.

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here saying the big offer was likely from the Redskins. Washington owner Dan Snyder is known to overpay for over the hill veterans and big name players. Heck, he once offered me $400 to wash his car.

While this news doesn’t tell us why Rogers chose the Saints over the Chiefs and Redskins, it does tell us he didn’t do it for money.

I can’t imagine Scott Pioli offering $6 million for Rogers. I think there are better odds that the Chiefs would re-sign Larry Johnson and release Jamaal Charles before they’d pay Rogers $6 million for one year. In fact, I’m not sure Pioli would offer Rogers $4 million for one year so there is the possibility that the Chiefs low balled him and that he took more money by signing with the Saints.

Apparently along with love, money can’t buy you Shaun Rogers. At least if you’re the Redskins or the Chiefs. Probably the Redskins.

If we ever find out which team offered him the $6 million, we can say “you couldn’t pay Shaun Rogers $2 million dollars to play for the Redskins/Chiefs.”

Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting that Rogers has signed a one-year deal with Saints.

Rogers was cut by the Browns last month and visited with the Washington Redskins before coming to Kansas City to meet the Chiefs. The morning after his meeting in KC, Rogers traveled to New Orleans to meet with the Saints.

It remains to be seen why Rogers chose the Saints over the Chiefs. We know that as recently as last Friday that the Chiefs were still interested in Rogers so the meeting obviously went well. It could have been an issue of money or it may just be that Rogers, who is reaching the end of his career, thought the Saints gave him a better chance to win it all right now than the Chiefs.

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The former New England Patriots backup (did have three starts last year) was intriguing to the Chiefs, but I am sure we had a visit scheduled with him after about four teams did. We figure if they can make it to Kansas City then they don’t have any real offers. So King Carl can bring them in and play hardball.

The Saints also resigned WR Devery Henderson.

This is great news for all Chiefs fans because it means that the Chiefs will keep all of their eight home games. The last two years the Chiefs have been a potential candidate for the game in London, but again dodged the bullet of playing there. The Chiefs could still be a candidate for the 2009 season with renovation still taking place at Arrowhead. We will just have to wait and see…

It looks like the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints will be the next group of NFL teams to take their show overseas.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers will play the Saints in London on Oct. 26. The game will most likely take place at Wembley Stadium, which is where the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins last October.

Chargers President Dean Spanos would not confirm San Diego’s involvement to the newspaper but said, “We want to go. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to make the announcement official at his Super Bowl media conference on Friday, according to the Union-Tribune.

• Report: Chargers, Saints to meet in London on Oct. 26 – ESPN