The Setup
Chiefs entered this game with a gaudy 8 & 1 record and, by some accounts, was a front-runner for Super Bowl contention. The Cards were 2 & 6 (both wins vs. the NFL-West last place Niners). The question asked by most Cardinal fans was less "if" they'd lose and more "by how much."
Lede
Cards come up short
Cards stayed close to the offensive-minded Chiefs - 20 - 14 at the end of the 3rd quarter - but were unable to play mistake-free football in the final quarter and fell victim 26 - 14.
The Bottom Line:
Coach Wilks says he doesn't believe in "moral victories. I agree. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take a llong, hard, objective look at how we played and where we are as a football team.
To be brief: Replace the mediocre Cardinal offensive line with an NFL-ready one and every contest between the two teams would be up for grabs.
Cards won the toss and deferred. Chiefs came right out and scored a quick TD set up by a couple of passes to T Hill (making us wonder if we could hold the score to below triple-digits). It's to the Cards credit that they came right back with enough solid offensive football to set up a 9-yd quick TD pass to a wide open David Johnson to tie the score.
Cards then held the vaunted Chiefs offense to a couple of field goals before giving up a 14-yd TD pass from Mahomes to T Hill to make it 20 - 7. Cards narrowed the score to 20 - 14 and were poised to set up a 4th quarter scoring drive (and a couple of subsequent opportunities later in the quarte)r only to have them undermined by a few Josh Rosen rookie miscues and breakdowns along the Cardinal OL. Chiefs scored a final TD (2-pointer no-good) to ice the game 26 - 14. (For the Cardinals - close but no cigar)
Game Log
The team and the league continue to have trouble integrating game log information with the new Team and League web pages, so we can only provide you with partial numerical info. (Credit to the Cards web guys for providing play-log info; while most teams don't have a clue as to how to do this).
1st Quarter
-
T Hill - 37 yrd pass from Mahomes (Kick is Good) - Chiefs 7 - Cards 0..
D Johnson- 9-yd pass from Rosen - Chiefs 7 - Cards 7.
Butker - 45 yd Field Goal - Chiefs 10 - Cards 7
1st Quarter Score: Chiefs 10 - Cards 7
2nd Quarter
D Johnson - 1-yd run (XP Good) - Chiefs 20 - Cards 14
- Third Quarter Score: Chiefs 20 - Cards 14
4th Quarter
Ware - 3 yd-run (2-pt conversion failed) Chiefs 26 - Cards 14
Final Score: Chiefs 26 - Cards 14
Notable Game Stats.
-
Total Net Yards: Cards 260 - Chiefs 267
Penalties: Cards 3 for 30- Chiefs 8 for 63
Time of Possession: Cards 31:47 - Chiefs 28:13
Passing: Rosen - 22 for 39, 208 yds, 1 TD, 2 Interceptions)
Rushing: Johnson 21 carries for 98 yds.
Receiving: D Johnson - 7 (85 yds. 1 TD), Seals-Jones 5 (51 yds). Fitz - 6 (50 yds)
Sacked: Cards 5 /Chiefs 5
Fumbles Lost: Cards 0/ Chiefs 0
Interceptions - Chiefs1; Cards 0.
Bright Spots
-
Rosen had more good outcomes than bad.
-
D Johnson had 7 grabs and gained nearly 100 yds on the ground.
-
We were one or two turnovers away from gaining the lead in the 4Q.
-
Defense gave Mahomes more trouble than other NFL defenses
The Dark Side
-
Typical Cardinal slow start dug us an early hole
Rookie turnovers and assignment-confusion on defense cost us the game.
Our tacklers continue to bounce off ball carriers after initial contact too often.
The rush offense, while better, still isn't where it should be.
.
Last Word:
Cards are a .500 team playing with a 2 & 7 record. (Bill Parcells would differ with that opinion, maintaining that "we are what our record says we are - namely a "a 2 & 7 team"). I'll stick with my opinion that the Cards are playing .500 football. It will be up to the core-talent on this team to prove me right - by continuing to play hard toward the goal of developing into, say, a .650 team by close of season. We'll see.
|