Chiefs at Cardinals, Preseason Week 2 Preview

The Chiefs and Cardinals face off in the desert as both teams get ready for the 2023 regular season beginning in a few weeks

It’s back to the grind for the Kansas City Chiefs as the team heads to Glendale, Arizona to face the Cardinals for Week 2 of the preseason.

Chiefs-Cardinals is set for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday, Aug. 19 at State Farm Stadium, with the game being televised on local TV affiliates. Let’s hope, for the sake of the players’ joints, that the folks in Arizona can get the field conditions right for once.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid has already noted that the team’s starters will play for a half. That probably doesn’t mean quarterback Patrick Mahomes or tight end Travis Kelce will play that long, but others may remain to get more reps. Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon hasn’t noted whether Arizona’s starters are playing, but expect him to have a similar approach as Reid’s.

With the Cardinals projected to be one of the league’s worst teams this season, it’s no surprise that the Chiefs are 7.5-point favorites in this matchup. The Chiefs failed to win or cover last week against the New Orleans Saints, but that was mostly due to a last-minute gaffe by fourth-string QB Chris Oladokun who gave the game away on an interception.

Chiefs injury report: Notable camp injuries

Those who didn’t practice for the Chiefs on Thursday include receiver Kekoa Crawford, defensive tackle Chris Jones (holdout), cornerback Nic Jones (hand), WR Nikko Remigio (shoulder), CB L’Jarius Sneed (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (knee) and DT Tershawn Wharton (knee). Offensive lineman Nick Allegretti (shoulder) appeared to practice at a limited capacity.

Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson unfortunately ended his season after being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. His shoulder surgery was successful.

Cardinals injury report

The Cardinals haven’t shared an official injury report for Saturday’s game, but those recently reported as injured include WR Marquise Brown, QB Jeff Driskel (calf), TE Zach Ertz (knee), running back Keaontay Ingram (abdomen), linebacker B.J. Ojulari (knee) and LB Myjai Sanders (hand).

QB Kyler Murray (knee) won’t play, and neither will (former Chiefs) CB Rashad Fenton, who was recently put on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.

Chiefs key players to watch in preseason Week 2

As mentioned before, expect the “starters play one half” to be highly individualized. Some players need more work than others. That said, here are the guys to keep an eye on this weekend.

RBs La'Mical Perine and Deneric Prince

Prince started off training camp strong with a fair amount of hype. His preseason Week 1 showing was solid, earning 50 yards on six touches. But now Perine is cutting into his time, earning first-team reps in camp this week. He also earned more carries (six) against the Saints. Perhaps there’s an RB3/RB4 competition going on between these two?

WR Rashee Rice

Several Chiefs receivers stood out last week: Remigio (four catches, 71 yards), Richie James (two catches, 44 yards, one touchdown), Cornell Powell (three catches, 42 yards) and Justyn Ross (two catches, 29 yards, one touchdown) among them.

Rice finished with three catches for 30 yards, but seemed to fall under the radar compared to the others. Perhaps it’s because his plays weren’t long or flashy, but either way we’d like to see a bit more from him here in the second week of preseason.

TE Matt Bushman

Bushman was one of our players to watch last week, but he ended up with zero catches and one tackle. His blocking was solid. With Fortson out for the season, now’s the time for Bushman to step up and show why he belongs on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster.

Offensive tackles Wanya Morris and Lucas Niang

In his NFL debut, Morris had a rough day in pass blocking with three pressures allowed on 34 opportunities at left and right tackle. Niang, meanwhile, had a pretty good game, not allowing any pressures on 15 snaps at right tackle. It’s still early, but these two have a small battle going on for the swing tackle spot. Morris has the edge with his upside, but Niang’s experience can keep him on the roster come cut-down day.

Defensive linemen Danny Shelton and Daniel Wise

Another pair of players battling for roster spots are Shelton and Wise, and both caused some pressure during last week’s affair. Shelton earned a sack and a hurry on 21 snaps while Wise earned a hurry and a defensive stop on 19 snaps.

With Jones’ holdout and Charles Omenihu’s six-game suspension, it’ll be even more important for the Chiefs to have talent on the defensive line. Not just the starters, either – the Chiefs need solid, trustworthy depth here.

Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie

After Nazeeh Johnson was placed on season-ending injured reserve following an ACL tear, many (including myself) believed Kansas State product Ekow Boye-Doe would be the one to step up and earn a roster spot in his place. That could absolutely still happen, but Hailassie is giving him a run for his money.

Hailassie didn’t allow a single reception in 19 coverage snaps last week, and snagged an impressive interception as well. The top four of the Chiefs’ CB squad is set, but there’s some high-quality competition on the back end of the depth chart.

Chiefs-Cardinals matchup history

The Chiefs have an impressive history against the Cardinals, going 10-3-1 against them since 1970 (dating back to when they were the St. Louis Cardinals!). K.C. handled Arizona easily last season in Week 1, winning 44-21. Mahomes threw five touchdown passes.

Chiefs-Cardinals prediction, picks

The Chiefs started slow last week and finished horribly in their 26-24 loss to the Saints. Expect that to be remedied as coach Reid accentuates discipline in his squad this weekend.

With the Chiefs’ starters playing a bit longer this time around and the Cardinals missing so many key players, there’s no reason why the Chiefs shouldn’t get the W here, even if it’s just preseason. Chiefs win 27-13.