Much like their prior encounter with the Chiefs during Week One of last season, the Cardinals once again found themselves on the receiving end of a blowout in front of their home crowd at State Farm Stadium.
Although the Cardinals initially contained QB Patrick Mahomes to a couple of brief drives in the early moments of the first quarter, it was only a matter of time before the reigning MVP found his stride.
Starting the drive from the Chiefs’ 8-yard line, Mahomes orchestrated a commanding 92-yard march down the field. The drive ended with a pass to WR Justin Watson for an 18-yard touchdown, perfectly timed as the first quarter was drawing to a close.
On the flip side, it wasn’t until the waning moments of the first half that the Cardinals managed to generate any semblance of offensive momentum.
Deploying veteran quarterback Colt McCoy for the initial three drives, the Cardinals struggled to advance beyond their own territory. McCoy’s stint concluded early in the second quarter; he left with a final line of: 5/8, 25 yards, 3.1 YPA.
Finally, with just six seconds remaining on the first-half clock, Keaontay Ingram ran five yards for a touchdown, putting the Cardinals on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, they still entered the locker room trailing by 10.
And the second half was no different.
Although Arizona’s opening drive of the second quarter appeared promising, it eventually came to a halt at the 38-yard line. This prompted the entry of Matt Prater, who successfully kicked a 54-yard field goal.
The field goal signaled the conclusion of the Cardinals’ scoring for the evening.
Overall, Arizona struggled on third down conversions, managing to convert only 3 out of 11 attempts. In stark contrast, the Chiefs excelled with a 6-9 conversion rate, enabling them to amass over 200 additional passing yards compared to the Cards.
Collectively, across four quarterbacks, Kansas City achieved an impressive 31 completions out of 38 passing attempts, accumulating 393 yards and an outstanding 136.1 QBR.
Up next for the Cardinals is a Saturday morning showdown on the road against the Vikings, concluding their preseason campaign.
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