KC Chiefs dominate Cardinals in preseason matchup

It's going to be hard for the Kansas City Chiefs to figure out exactly how seriously to take the results of their latest preseason game because the overall talent differential on the field at State Farm Stadium on Saturday night was significant.

As bad as the final score was for the host Arizona Cardinals, the 38-10 loss to the visiting Chiefs was even worse for the home team.

Even without Chris Jones in the heart of the defense (and without other key defenders as well such as L'Jarius Sneed), the Chiefs offense kept the Cardinals from getting anything going with their starters in the game. Meanwhile, the Chiefs put up nearly 40 points in a game in which their own starters were almost held scoreless in the first quarter.

The Chiefs pretty much had their way with the Cardinals in all facets of the game.

The Chiefs finally put the game's first score on the board with a touchdown on their third drive, a 10-play, 92-yard series capped by an 18-yard score from Patrick Mahomes to Justin Watson. From there, Mahomes would be allowed to sit while his understudies did their best impersonations of the reigning NFL MVP with some acrobatic throws and solid awareness.

Shane Buechele came in and completed all 10 of his passes and led the Chiefs on another touchdown drive. Blaine Gabbert led the Chiefs to a couple of touchdowns himself in the second half, before Chris Oladokun helped to put the game completely out of reach in the fourth quarter with a long 91-yard drive of his own, featuring a two-yard touchdown run by Deneric Prince.

Chiefs'Rashee Rice and Ihmir Smith-Marsette both had just under 100 yards receiving on the night as featured performers in a wide receiver room that enjoyed plenty of production. Each quarterback looked like an NFL-caliber starter against a Cardinals defense void of playmakers, and the Chiefs offensive line was especially impressive no matter which unit was on the field.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs' defense came up with a very solid game, holding the Cardinals' offense to only 4.4 yards per play overall. On third downs, K.C.'s defense made sure they got off the field quickly by allowing only 3 of 13 conversions on the night. While the pass rush wasn't as productive as the Chiefs might like, they're also dealing with numerous injuries or absences at present.

Just how much the Chiefs will take from this performance is hard to tell, but at least they look ready to dominate opponents they should. Winning in the NFL means taking care of business and that's what the Chiefs did on Saturday night, even in an experimental effort.