The main question hovering over the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason was whether they could continue being a productive offense without Tyreek Hill. Well, after their season-opening game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, that answer would be ‘absolutely.’ The Chiefs didn’t just beat the Cards; they toppled them like a brink falling on top of a house of cards.
Kansas City blew Arizona out of their own building in a 44-21 route as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns. Kansas City was so dominant offensively that they ran 66 plays for 33 first downs, 13 plays went for 20 or more yards, and nine different receivers caught the ball at least once. To put it more simply, the Chiefs were unstoppable.
The defense also stepped up all game. However, defensive tackle Chris Jones graded his team’s defensive performance as a “C+” during his postgame presser. The unit still collected three sacks on Kyler Murray and prevented him from getting comfortable in the pocket or allowing him to escape and make plays with his legs.
Second-year linebacker Nick Bolton finished the game with a team-leading nine total tackles, and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was right behind him with eight tackles and a sack.
Harrison Butker also showed some resiliency, returning to the field after suffering an ankle injury to his plant foot on the beginning kickoff and nailing a 54-yard field goal and four PATs. Usually, scoring seven points for a kicker is just another day at the office. But given the circumstance, this was an outstanding performance from one of the elite kickers in the NFL.
In the first half, the Chiefs race to a 14-0 lead, as Patrick Mahomes connects with Travis Kelce to go up by seven and then follows that up by capping off a 10-play, 66-yard drive with a shovel pass to running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a three-yard score.
Both teams exchanged touchdowns on the next two drives. Arizona initially cuts the Chiefs’ two-touchdown lead in half as running back James Conner pounds into the end zone for a two-yard score to finish a 13-play, 75-yard drive for the Cardinals. But Kansas City immediately goes back up by two scores as the Chiefs’ offense cruises 60 yards upfield in 13 plays, and Mahomes hits a wide-open CEH, who goes untouched for a four-yard score and his second touchdown catch of the game.
Late in the first half, the Cardinals had a chance to regain momentum and get an easy score. Arizona got the ball when Dennis Gardeck forced a Kansas City turnover by punching the ball out of the hands of receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at the 39-yard line for Byron Murphy to make a recovery. Instead, the Cardinal offense was met with a clutch defensive stand by the Chiefs as Kansas City forced Arizona to turn the ball over on downs after just four plays of offense.
The Chiefs responded by roaring up field 30 yards, just in time to set Harrison Butker to send through a 54-yard field goal to give Kansas City a 23-7 lead at the half.
In the second half, Kansas City continues their offensive beat down when Mahomes throws two more touchdown passes, a one-yard score to tight end Jody Fortson and a two-yard pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman to go up 37-7 at the 3:50 mark in the third quarter.
Kansas City begins to pull their starters at this point, making things a little easier for Arizona to move the ball. Late in the third, the Cards attempt to stop the bleeding by going on a long 16-play drive to end the quarter with a six-yard pass from Kyler Murray to Marquise Brown in the end zone. Arizona also succeeds on the two-point conversion when Murray finds tight end Zach Ertz on the goal line to complete an eight-point drive.
Up 37-15, the Chiefs allowed rookie Isiah Pacheco an opportunity to get some snaps, and he was very impressive, rushing for 48 yards on six rushing plays and topping off the drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown.
Arizona answers with one more garbage touchdown to end the game with a 44-21 final score.
On Thursday night, Kansas City will return on a short week for their home-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers (1-0). While Arizona will look to get back on track next Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders (0-1).
