The Setup
Last week - for the second straight game - the Cards came out flat and lethargic; this time to the lightly regarded Falcons. Everything that could go wrong went wrong - Matt Ryan, J Jones, Jesse Hester and Steven Jackson had their way with us. On the flip side, Drew Stanton continued to look "less than meh" and his receivers (Floyd, Ginn and Jaron Brown) had up & down outings. This was the first week where the supposedly vaunted Cardinal defense failed to step up and carry the team on its back. To put it bluntly - if the Cards keep doing like they've beendoing, they can kiss the season goodbye. Meanwhile, KC lost to the Broncos and are fighting for their lives to remain alive in t he AFC playoff picture. They appear to be match the Cardinals in just about every category, and we're in for a dogfight this Sunday.

The Lede
Cards overcome early miscues to eke out a squeaker over Chiefs.

The Bottom Line:
The Cards fell behind 14 - 6 at halftime - victim of a long TD run by Charles, a funky play-call inside the 10 and the inability of the defense to stop KC from converting a 3rd & 19 on the fringe of field goal territory - but managed to hang on in the second half (despite botching a late FG attempt) to win a squeaker over a very smart, well-executing Chief football team.

• Ginn was pushed out of bounds at the Arizona 38 on the KO. Cards ran Stepfan Taylor five times during a drive that fizzled at the KC 26. Catanzaro's FG was good from 44. Cards 3 - KC 0..

• Davis returned the KO to the KC 22. On the fourth play of the series, Charles scampered for 63 yards and a TD. (Way to go defense !!). KC 7 - Cards 3.

• TB on the KO. Roughing the passer penalty helped extend the Cardinal drive. Lots of running plays. A delay of game call helped squash the Cardinal drive. Butler punted 39 yards where it wqs downed at the KC 5. On the 5th play of the Chiefs' possession, a fumble recovery by Rashad Johnson was reversed. but there was a holding penalty on the play. The 9-play drive ended with Colquitt's punt for a touchback. Cards then mounted an 8:07 drive which crossed over into the next quarter.

1st Quarter Score: Chiefs 7 - Cards 3.

• A 20-yard completion yo Housler put the ball on the KC 42. Stanton mixed short passes with runs by Kerwynn Williams and Grice but after a questionable play call on 2nd & goal at the KC 5, took a sack (& fortunately recovered a fumble) but had to settle for a 33 yard Catanzaro field goal. (Note: the questionable play call involved Stanton passing backward to Grice who would presumably throw it to a Cardinal receiver near or in the end zone - cool if we were, maybe at midfield/not so cool when your at the KC 5). Chiefs 7 - Cards 6.

• KC returned the KO to its own 34. On the 8th play of an 11 play drive, the Cards let the Chiefs off the hook on a 3rd & 20 at the Cardinal 35 when Smith hit Bowe for 22 yards/ On play later, Smith hit Charles on a pass and run for an 18-yard TD. Chiefs 14 - Cards 6.

• 1:06 left till halftime. Ginn returned the KO to the Cardinal 18. Stanton brought the Cards to the KC 18 where, on 4th & 4 with 0:11 on the clock. Catanzaro hit the right upright on a 36-yard FG attempt. Nine plays/all for naught. One knee; half is over.

First Half Score: Chiefs 14 - Cards 6.

• Chiefs received. KO returned to the KC 29. The Chiefs moved to the Cardinal 39 on 9 plays but their attempt to convert a 4th & 4 at the Cardinal 39 failed when Smith's pass for Avant was incomplete. Cards ball. Stanton hit Floyd deep right for on the second play from scrimmage for 45-yards, but the drive stalled at the Chiefs' 21 and we hadto settle for a 39-yard Catanzaro FG. - Chiefs 14 - Cards 9.

• KO was returned to the KC 20.Smith hit Avant for +41 yards (vs. Peterson) but on the 9th play of the drive (one play after a 19-tard pass to Fasano was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty). Smith's pass for A Wilson was picked off by Okafor and returned 26 yards to the KC 42. After 9 and 18 yard runs by Kerwynn Williams, a minus-8 yard sack of Stanton moved us back to the KC 26.Two plays later, Stanton hit Jaron Brown for 26 yards and a TD. Two-point conversion try succeed via a pass from Stanton to Carlson. Cards 17 - Chiefs 14.

• KO returned to the KC 15. KC held to 3 & out. Colquitt's 53-yard punt was returned by Ginn for no gain. IN part due to a false start penalty, the Cards wound up 4th & 3 at their own 36 as the quarter ended.

Third Quarter Score: Cards 17 - Chiefs 14.

• Butler's punt was returned to the KC 16. They managed to move the ball to their own 31 before punting. A holding penalty and a 2-yard sack of Smith by Rucker helped end the drive. Ginn returned the punt to the Cardinal 23. Cards went 3 & out. Butler's punt was returned to the Chief 27 but pushed back to the 15 due to a holding penalty on the Chiefs. On the first play from scrimmage, Smith hit Wilson for +22 yards. Cromartie hurt on the play.

• A minus-13 yard sack of Smith by Okafor set up a KC punt from their own 25. Fair caught by Ginn at the Cardinal 27. First play: 5-yard run by Williams followed by a thrown away pass by Stanton and an incomplete pass intended for John Brown. Cards punted from their own 32. Punt returned to the KC 24 Time Left: 6:51. On the first play of the KC possession, Smith hit Kelce for +29 yards. KC ball on the Cardinal 47. Smith hit Thomas for +6 (Shaughnessy inured). Smith hit Kelce again short-right but Kelce ran it for +19 yards, but a loose-ball recovery by KC call was reversed by the officials and ruled a fumble recovery by Bethel at the Cardinal 16 with 5:23 left to play.

• First play from scrimmage: Williams off LT for no gain followed by Williams up the middle for +16. and Williams up the middle for +6. (KC took its second time out). Then it was williams up the middle for +3. On 3rd & 2 at the Cardinal 40, Stanton hit Hughes on a short-right pattern for a 36-yard gain. Then (after KC used its final time out), back to Williams or +3 and Williams again for no gain. Two minute warning - 3rd & 7 with the ball on the KC 21. Williams took it up the middle for 5 more yards. 3rd & 2 at the KC 16. 1:14 left. Cards take final time out. Catanzaro choked. Ball hit the left upright.

• Smith hit Charles for +1. Smith hit Avant for +4. Smith hit Avant for +6. Smith for Charles incomplete. False start flag on Fisher. 0:19 left. Incomplete for Wilson short-left. Ball on KC 31. Another incompletion to Wilson. 3rd & 15 at the the KC 31. Time left" 0:16. Smith incomplete to Wilson. 4th & 15 at the KC 31 with 0:11 on the clock - Smith incomplete short middle for Wilson. Stanton takes a knee. Cards (narrowly) take a game.

Final Score: Cards 17 - Chiefs 14.

Last Word:
We needed this one with three division matchups ahead of us (including a Ram team that recently keeps winning by scores like 24 to 0). This win takes us to 10 & 3. We'll probably need to win one of our remaining three games (vs. StL, Seattle and SF) in order to reach 11 wins and have a lock on a playoff spot. It can't hurt that, this week, Seattle kept pace with us, but SF was upset by Seattle and may fall by the wayside. While part of the reason for our lack of points is likely to due to more conservative play-calling by BA, I think we'll need greater offensive output if we're to go very far in the playoffs (if we, indeed, make the playoffs).