Chiefs vs. Cardinals: Five important angles to watch for

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared with the media this week that the first team will play throughout the duration of the first half against the Arizona Cardinals in the second preseason game Saturday night. He did admit that the number of drives he actually gives them is fluid, given the flow of the game. 

In Week 2 of the preseason last season, for instance, the Chiefs scored two touchdowns in their first two drives and Shane Buechele was the quarterback for the third drive. I imagine Reid ideally would like the same cadence to develop here on Saturday. 

There were several nuggets to take away from Week 1 of the preseason that help set the bar of what to look for in Week 2. Let’s take a look at five different things to keep an eye on against the Cardinals. 

1. First-team defensive performance

Against the Saints last Sunday the defense left a lot to be desired, trailing 17-0 just minutes into the second quarter. The majority of the first-team defense allowed 14 of those points. 

Steve Spagnuolo did not show much, playing the defensive backs in a lot of soft coverage. Derek Carr and Jameis Winston did a good job of getting the ball out quick on those two drives. Also, the Chiefs have played a ton of important football over the past few years. It is understandable to come out a little flat in an exhibition. 

It was just Week 1 of the preseason and there is no reason to overreact. With the idea that Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed are back in the fold at some point, the narrative has been this would be one of the best, if not the best, defenses Patrick Mahomes has ever played with. 

With that in mind, you would like to see the defense play a little more stout this week. There is no game planning involved in these preseason games, so take the results with a grain of salt. However, nobody wants to watch a Clayton Tune-led offense march right down the field against their team.