FINAL UPDATE: Chiefs Fall to Cardinals, 20-17, in Preseason Opener

The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17, as the two teams kicked off the preseason on Saturday night.

Chiefs Fall to Cardinals, 20-17, in Preseason Opener

Kansas City jumped out to an early 14-3 lead before Arizona outscored the Chiefs by 14 points the rest of the way, but despite the final score, there were still plenty of positives that took place.

“There were some good things even though it didn’t [end] that way. The [first team] played well when they were in. They were sharp,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “After that, we were too sloppy. Too many penalties, and going backward offensively…We have to take care of that.”

Indeed, the Chiefs racked up 11 penalties and turned the ball over twice as the game went on, but – conversely – things couldn’t have started any better.

Kansas City forced a turnover mere seconds into the game when linebacker Jack Cochrane jarred the ball free from the Cardinals’ return man on the opening kickoff. Cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace fell on the fumble, and just two snaps later, quarterback Patrick Mahomes – on his only series of the game – found wide receiver Jason Brownlee for an acrobatic, 1-yard touchdown.

It continued what has been a strong summer for Brownlee, who spent time with the New York Jets before signing with the Chiefs earlier this offseason.

“He’s played well, so we gave him an opportunity to get in there and play,” Reid said. “He knows how to use his size for sure, and he had some nice plays the rest of the way, too. He had some good routes there, and he was in a position where he deserved to get in and get some playing time.”

The Chiefs then maintained their strong start when the defense took the field, too, as safety Jaden Hicks picked off Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray on Arizona’s ensuing drive. Hicks was one of two members of the Chiefs to record an interception on the night, joining Roland-Wallace, who picked off quarterback Clayton Tune early in the third quarter.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew took over for the Chiefs under center on Kansas City’s next two possessions, the latter of which ended in a touchdown. Quarterbacks Bailey Zappe and Chris Oladokon then split the Chiefs’ remaining offensive drives.

Arizona went on to outscore Kansas City by a mark of 17-3 following Minshew’s exit, but while the Chiefs ultimately came up short on the scoreboard, the game still provided valuable experience for those fighting to remain on the roster in a few weeks.

In terms of injuries, safety Deon Bush (Achillies) and cornerback Jaylen Watson (concussion protocol) left Saturday’s game early.

Next up, the Chiefs will return to St. Joseph for the final three days of training camp before heading to Seattle to continue the preseason on Friday night.