Chiefs grades: When starters were playing, the Kansas City defense dominated at Arizona
The starters played into the second quarter, but the Chiefs’ defense was the story in a 17-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Friday night’s preseason game at Glendale, Ariz.
Next: The Chiefs wrap up this preseason with their only home exhibition game Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be televised by Channel 41.
KC STAR OF THE GAME
Starters against starters for about four series. Those matchups provided a fairly representative snapshot of both teams. On this night, the defense was ahead of the offense, and Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones was the best player on the field. He was lightning-quick on a sack for 10 yards and made a nice tackle later in the half.
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: C
This is why preseason games are important. Tyreek Hill didn’t play, so the bulk of Patrick Mahomes’ targets to wide receivers went to Mecole Hardman ... and the timing was off. Hardman was targeted six times by Mahomes and caught two balls.
A missed touchdown pass appeared to be a Mahomes overthrow. Mahomes’ interception in the end zone was a poor decision and one that he won’t likely make in the regular season. Mahomes played four series without getting sacked and left in the second quarter.
The rest of the first-team offense remained on the field for Chad Henne, and that grouping produced a touchdown. Henne threw a pair of beauties, 40 yards down the middle to Byron Pringle and 17 to Hardman. The ball to No. 17 was underthrown and Hardman made a nice adjustment.
Also nice: back-to-back drives for Shane Buechele. He led the game-winning march a week ago, and on his first series Friday night he tossed a short touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon. On that drive, Daurice Fountain and Marcus Kemp had nice moments, too. Will it be one or the other for the final 53?
Buechele also had a bad moment, an end zone interception when Gehrig Deiter slipped. Stat of the game: 17 players had at least one reception for the Chiefs.
Rushing offense: B
Pass protection was largely good, and the new starting offensive line, which played the entire first half, looked even better opening running lanes.
All four running backs played in first half and fourth-teamer Darwin Thompson led the way with 28 yards by halftime. Mahomes keepers were most effective. Should he keep the ball on run-pass options in the preseason? That’s debatable.
The Chiefs finished strong, running out the game behind their reserve offensive line and running back Derrick Gore. But why did he run out of bounds late in the fourth quarter?
Passing defense: A
The Cardinals’ offensive starters got three series against the Chiefs’ starters and didn’t pick up a first down. Kyler Murray’s evening ended with consecutive sacks. Anthony Hitchens got credit for one after chasing Murray out of bounds on pressure started by L’Jarius Sneed, and Jones, lining up on the outside, went inside and got there so fast Murray had no time to escape.
The defensive play of the half belonged to safety Juan Thornhill. He had a tough preseason opener against the 49ers and got some time with the third team in practice this week. But his Superman-dive interception in the end zone of a pass thrown by Colt McCoy ended the Cardinals’ best scoring chance of the first half. The Chiefs finished with six sacks.
Rushing defense: A
For the second straight game, the starting defensive line flexed. Khalen Saunders, who had a solid training camp, started. In the first half, the Cardinals went with starters and top reserves and got nothing against the Chiefs, who used starters into the second quarter. Arizona had nowhere to run in the first half.
Special teams: A
No return man lives on the edge more than Demarcus Robinson. He was first up on punt-return duty Friday and both times held the ball in one hand during his return. After Robinson, MIke Hughes and Darius Shepherd got chances and went forward with better ball security.
The Chiefs also shuffled candidates at kickoff returner, and Thompson, who led the Chiefs in rushing, had the best one: a 37-yard effort.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 10:18 PM.