Week 1 Preview: Arizona Cardinals vs Kansas City Chiefs

Two of the league's premier young stars meet this Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of the NFL season. Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray will duel it out, and despite the Cardinals winning 11 games last year, the Chiefs enter as significant 6-point favorites.

The Cardinals have themselves to blame for the disrespect. After a fantastic 7-0 start to the 2021 season, the team stumbled to a 4-6 record over their last 10 games before losing in humiliating fashion to the division rival Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round 34-11. But how the 2021 season ended doesn't necessarily have much impact on how the 2022 season begins. The Cardinals have a history of starting fast; besides last year's hot start, they also began the 2020 season 5-2.

Photo Credit: © Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, no one starts faster than the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. The former MVP sports a ridiculous 121.5 passer rating to go along with 326.5 yards per game in the month of September. Despite the departure of Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs starters showed no hint of slowing down this preseason, with Mahomes accounting for 222 yards and three touchdowns through the air to go along with a 133.8 passer rating.

Both teams will be crossing their fingers hoping their defenses can make a difference. Questions surround whether defensive lineman J.J. Watt will be able to suit up for the Cardinals. The Chiefs hope the rejuvenation of edge rusher Frank Clark and the arrival of Carlos Dunlap can improve a pass rush that notched the fourth fewest sacks in the league last year. But fans would likely be happy to see these offenses go up and down the field on each other; the Chiefs scored the fourth most points in the league last year, and the Cardinals were 11th.

The Arizona Cardinals host the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday in Week 1.