The Chiefs begin the start of a new era of sorts Sunday, as they travel to Arizona for what they hope is the first of two times this season to play the Cardinals at the site of Super Bowl 57.
Without Tyreek Hill and Byron Pringle, Patrick Mahomes will instead be throwing to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster alongside the incumbent Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman.
On the other sideline, Kyler Murray is coming off a major extension with the Cardinals as Kliff Kingsbury enters an important season in his coaching tenure. He'll be without top receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is serving a six-game suspension for a failed drug test.
The Cardinals were one of the hottest teams in football to start last season, and were the last unbeaten before falling to the Packers in Week 8. That game started a domino effect for the Cardinals, as Murray was injured and they finished the season 11-6, second in the NFC West. The goal this year is undoubtedly to win the division.
The Chiefs, for their part, are looking to do more of the same. They're the six-time defending champions of the AFC West, but the division is looking incredibly competitive. The Chiefs' dominance has spurred the Broncos into landing Russell Wilson, the Raiders trading for Davante Adams, and the Chargers continuing to retool around Justin Herbert. Whether it's enough remains to be seen, but the Chiefs are the team to beat until further notice, and that starts Sunday.
How To Watch
Match: Kansas City Chiefs vs Arizona Cardinals
Date & Time: September 11 @ 4:25 PM (ET)
Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
TV Channel: NBC, CBS Sports, Fox Sports Network
Online Streaming: fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu, & Peacock (Try for free)
Watch in Canada: TSN, CTV & DAZN Canada (Try for free)
Team News
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs should be able to bomb away at will.
The Cardinals have a whole lot of positives, they should be able to hang around offensive, and they might be able to power away a bit, but can the secondary handle the various weapons KC brings?
There’s no more Tyreek Hill, but there are more than enough talented parts for Patrick Mahomes to work with. Behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, he’ll have plenty of time to spread it around, pick on the Cardinal corners, and come up with a few of the flash-drives that change the tempo of the game in a hurry.
Arizona Cardinals: Arizona’s skill guys are getting paid, too.
The pressure is on Kyler Murray to play up to his massive contract (he will), the receiving corps should be okay for a few weeks until DeAndre Hopkins returns (it will), and Marquise Brown, James Conner, and a bevy of solid tight ends should be enough to keep up with Mahomes and company.
The Kansas City defense might be a bit underappreciated overall, but the one area that might be lacking early on is the pass rush. The team tried to upgrade it in the offseason, but that’s not going to be enough of a factor to bother Murray.
Prediction: On the eye test, KC deserves the love, but bettors should always give underdogs a second look on Opening Day. The Cardinals are unbeatable in September, and playing at home should give them an added edge. It's never advisable to bet against a home team dog in Week 1, so bettors should take Arizona to cover.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Cardinals 24