Chiefs at Cardinals: Preview and Predictions

The Arrowhead Report crew predicts whether the Chiefs will start the 2022 season off with a win.

After a long offseason filled with changes, the Kansas City Chiefs are back and ready to avenge their playoff exit from a season ago.

While the Chiefs were able to get all the way to the AFC Championship Game and even went into overtime with a shot to advance to the Super Bowl, the club fell short and lost in embarrassing fashion. General manager Brett Veach and company went to work over the next few months constructing a younger, faster and potentially stronger team, but things will look much different moving forward than they have in the recent past.

Gone are franchise centerpieces such as Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu. Now, Kansas City is running it back with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an almost completely new wide receiver unit, as well as plenty of fresh blood on defense. A tough test in Week 1 awaits, as the Chiefs are in Glendale to face an Arizona Cardinals squad that began last season undefeated through seven games. In a matchup between two of the league's most exciting players — Mahomes and Kyler Murray — scoring could be at a premium. 

How will today's game unfold? The Arrowhead Report crew makes their predictions.

Joshua Brisco: Even after months of substantial changes on both sides of the ball, the retooled Chiefs have climbed to become one of the biggest favorites of Week 1... and I'm buying it. KC's young defense and new wide receiver group will have their unpleasant moments, but their mistakes should be fast and infrequent, and the Chiefs' offseason plans will begin to be validated in a controlling victory.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Cardinals 21

Jordan Foote: The Chiefs very well could take a step back this season, as both sides of the ball are far less than proven at this point. Sure, the future Hall of Fame trio of Reid, Mahomes and Travis Kelce remains in place on offense and Kansas City's defense is more athletic this year, but questions still loom large. Kansas City isn't guaranteed to have the same level of success in 2022 than it did in 2021, 2020, 2019 or 2018.

With that said, even considering the Cardinals' early-season start from last year, thinking about the downsides of what could happen seems unrealistic until proven otherwise. The Chiefs should win to start the year and they should flash plenty of positives despite them likely being accompanied by growing pains. Arizona is too banged up to be able to keep pace completely, and that will be reflected in an eight-point Chiefs win.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Cardinals 23

Mark Van Sickle: The six-time defending AFC West champion Chiefs are coming off a disappointing second half in the AFC Championship Game and have re-tooled their roster in a soft rebuild. With that said, they are still projected to be one of the best teams in the AFC. The Cardinals started hot last year and faded fast as they limped into the playoffs. Right now, they are dealing with several key injuries plus their best wide receiver is suspended. The Chiefs are healthy and ready to roll in Week 1 behind Patrick Mahomes and their new-look receiving core, as well as a younger, faster, physical and more athletic defense. That's a recipe for a win.

Prediction: Chiefs 34, Cardinals 21

Marlow Ferguson Jr.: This matchup would've had much more appeal with both teams at full strength but with each passing day, the Cardinals’ receiving group seems to add someone new to the injury report. It's also hard to ever go against the Chiefs in Week 1. Their track record in September gives them a puncher's chance against even a full Pro Bowl team. 

Mahomes’s 41-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio and undefeated Week 1 record is too much to look past. Budda Baker and Travis Kelce’s matchup will be a clash, but the Cardinals’ secondary — an Achilles heel last year — went unaddressed this offseason, setting a juicy stage for Kansas City’s wideouts. Kyler Murray’s talent keeps it competitive, but the Chiefs should pull away late as they turn their attention to the short week.

Prediction: Chiefs 35, Cardinals 23

Conner Christopherson: Another season begins. The 2022 campaign will be defined by the Tyreek Hill trade and the subsequent draft class the Chiefs had. For that reason, my eyes are on all of the rookies in this one. How much playing time do they get and how do they look? Even with the uncertainty about so many fresh and new faces, this game is heading towards a double-digit win for the Chiefs. The Cardinals' injury woes have hit important players on their roster, and the Reid-Mahomes duo is going to feast as a result.

Prediction: Chiefs 34, Cardinals 21

Zack Eisen: This Week 1 matchup is between two teams that historically start the season hot. Last year, Arizona finally broke through and made the playoffs for the first time in the Kyler Murray era. Now, after a noisy offseason, significant question marks surround them. On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs also have question marks after retooling this offseason but also have the organizational pedigree that should propel them to a win. While the new pieces on the Chiefs’ defense get their feet wet, Mahomes and his new weapons will take advantage of a weaker defense and lead the Chiefs to a comfortable victory.

Prediction: Chiefs 41, Cardinals 20