Some Kansas City Chiefs rookies likely to be tested vs. Arizona Cardinals. Here’s why
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is ready for the regular season — and to see if his team stacks up as well as he hopes.
The Chiefs open the 2022 campaign with a road game at the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and Reid said the best part is simply getting a gauge on how far his team has progressed.
“I think everybody can’t wait to see what you are. That’s kind of the way it goes every year ... what you’re capable of,” Reid said. “We’re lucky that we have a good opponent to do that against in Arizona, so you get an idea where you’re at when everything’s flying fast.”
The Chiefs’ young secondary might be challenged most. Arizona, for one, is led by Kyler Murray, who has developed into one of the NFL’s top dual-threat quarterbacks.
Stylistically, though, the Cardinals should also test the Chiefs because of their preferred alignments.
Under coach Kliff Kingsbury — an Air Raid disciple who coached Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during his college days at Texas Tech — Arizona loves to go heavy with receivers. The Cardinals led the NFL last season in formations with four or more wideouts, and they also tied for sixth in facing the highest percentage of defenses with five or more defensive backs on the field.
What does it mean for the Chiefs? Perhaps a prolonged first audition for some fresh faces on the back end.
That includes Trent McDuffie, the team’s 2022 first-round pick who is locked into a starting cornerback role. In five- or six-DB packages, rookies like Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams or safety Bryan Cook also could see ample time; they’ll mesh with returning players L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, Juan Thornhill and free-agent signing Justin Reid.
Through three preseason games when his first-team defense surrendered no points, Reid said he had been encouraged by his secondary’s quickness.
“I think Juan has done a good job of helping everybody out back there and managing that from a player standpoint,” Reid said. “But it looks like we’ve got good speed and range and those types of things.”
Now, the question will be whether that turns into production Sunday.
Arizona will be without top receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is out the first six games because of a PED suspension, but still has outside weapons like Rondale Moore, AJ Green and the recently acquired Marquise Brown.
A tough matchup, in other words, for a secondary featuring some promising-but-inexperienced players.
“There are gonna be some hiccups here and there. When you have young guys, that’s what happens,” Reid said. “But I think in the long haul, we’ll be OK with the guys we’ve got there.”
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
