Chiefs vs Cardinals Week 1 2022: Final Score 44

Final2022 Week 1

State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZSun, Sep 11, 2022, 4:25 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs vs Arizona Cardinals, Week 1 2022

Kansas City Chiefs

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Arizona Cardinals

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Scoring by quarter
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Chiefs	14	9	14	7	44
Cardinals	0	7	0	14	21

KC 44ARI 21 Final

Passing leader
Patrick Mahomes
KC · QB
34.9PPR pts
30/39, 360 YDS, 5 TD
Top fantasy scorer
Travis Kelce
KC · TE
26.1PPR pts
8 REC, 121 YDS, 1 TD
Cardinals leader
Kyler Murray
ARI · QB
20.6PPR pts
22/34, 193 YDS, 2 TD
Defensive playmaker
L'Jarius Sneed
KC
1 SACK, 8 TKL

Chiefs 44, Cardinals 21: Kansas City leads from start to finish

Kansas City led 23–7 at halftime and outscored Arizona 21–14 after the break to win 44–21. The Chiefs finished with a 488–282 edge in total offense and averaged 7.4 yards per play.

The Cardinals went 3-for-12 on third down, while the Chiefs kept the ball for 34:42.

The two teams meet again in Week 11 of 2026. If you roster anyone from either side, run the start/sit call in Redraft Command and it will weigh your lineup, your opponent and your league scoring, not only the player rankings.

Key advantages

+2.9 yards/play KC 7.4 · ARI 4.5
+206 total yards KC 488 · ARI 282
+38% third-down rate KC 63% · ARI 25%

Game Highlights

Official NFL highlights · Opens from YouTube

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Why the Chiefs Won

Kansas City won the efficiency, third-down, and time of possession battles.

Team stats comparison, Chiefs vs Cardinals
Chiefs	Stat	Cardinals
7.4	Yards per play	4.5

488	Total yards	282

63%	Third-down conversion	25%

Other team stats
66	Plays	63

1	Turnovers	0

34:42	Time of possession	25:18

Scoring Summary

The Chiefs scored six touchdowns and one field goal; the Cardinals scored three touchdowns.

Scoring plays, Chiefs vs Cardinals
Time	Team	Play	KC	ARI
1st quarter
9:37	KC	Patrick Mahomes → Travis Kelce, 9-yard TD Takes leadHarrison Butker XP	7	0
3:20	KC	Patrick Mahomes → Clyde Edwards-Helaire, 3-yard TD Extends leadJustin Reid XP	14	0
2nd quarter
13:05	ARI	James Conner 2-yard TD runMatt Prater XP	14	7
7:32	KC	Patrick Mahomes → Clyde Edwards-Helaire, 4-yard TD Extends leadXP missed	20	7
0:02	KC	Harrison Butker 54-yard FG Extends lead	23	7
3rd quarter
9:55	KC	Patrick Mahomes → Jody Fortson, 1-yard TD Extends leadHarrison Butker XP	30	7
3:56	KC	Patrick Mahomes → Mecole Hardman, 2-yard TD Extends leadHarrison Butker XP	37	7
4th quarter
12:52	ARI	Kyler Murray → Marquise Brown, 6-yard TDKyler Murray → Zach Ertz, 2-pt conversion	37	15
7:39	KC	Isiah Pacheco 3-yard TD run Extends leadHarrison Butker XP	44	15
5:11	ARI	Kyler Murray → Zach Ertz, 6-yard TD2-pt try failed	44	21

Fantasy Points: Chiefs vs Cardinals, Week 1 2022

Fantasy leaders

Patrick MahomesKCQB33.9 PTSQB1
Travis KelceKCTE26.1 PTSTE1
Clyde Edwards-HelaireKCRB22.4 PTSRB6
Kyler MurrayARIQB20.6 PTSQB8

Player Stats

Quarterbacks

Quarterback statistics
Player	FPTS	FIN	CMP/ATT	Pass YDS	TD	Rush ATT	Rush YDS	Rate	Start/Sit
Patrick MahomesKCQB	33.9	QB1	30/39	360	5	3	5	144.2	Start/Sit →
Kyler MurrayARIQB	20.6	QB8	22/34	193	2	5	29	99.3	Start/Sit →
Trace McSorleyARIQB	2.5	QB35	2/4	12	0	3	20	56.3

WRs, RBs, & TEs

Receiver, running back and tight end statistics
Player	FPTS	FIN	POS	Rush ATT	Rush YDS	Rush TD	TGT	REC	Rec YDS	Rec TD	Start/Sit
Travis KelceKCTE	26.1	TE1	TE	—	—	—	9	8	121	1	Start/Sit →
Clyde Edwards-HelaireKCRB	22.4	RB6	RB	7	42	0	3	3	32	2
James ConnerARIRB	15.5	RB18	RB	10	26	1	6	5	29	0
Marquise BrownARIWR	14.3	WR25	WR	—	—	—	6	4	43	1
Greg DortchARIWR	13.3	WR30	WR	—	—	—	9	7	63	0	Start/Sit →
Zach ErtzARITE	11.4	TE10	TE	—	—	—	4	2	14	1
Isiah PachecoKCRB	11.2	RB26	RB	12	62	1	—	—	—	—
Mecole HardmanKCWR	10.6	WR42	WR	—	—	—	6	3	16	1
JuJu Smith-SchusterKCWR	9.9	WR45	WR	—	—	—	8	6	79	0
Eno BenjaminARIRB	9.1	RB33	RB	4	28	0	4	3	33	0
Marquez Valdes-ScantlingKCWR	8.1	WR56	WR	1	-3	0	4	4	44	0	Start/Sit →
Jerick McKinnonKCRB	7.9	RB39	RB	4	22	0	4	3	27	0
Jody FortsonKCTE	7.1	TE21	TE	—	—	—	1	1	1	1
Skyy MooreKCWR	4.0	WR85	WR	—	—	—	1	1	30	0	Start/Sit →
A.J. GreenARIWR	3.3	WR92	WR	—	—	—	4	2	13	0
Andy IsabellaARIWR	2.0	WR109	WR	—	—	—	3	1	10	0
Noah GrayKCTE	2.0	TE41	TE	—	—	—	2	1	10	0	Start/Sit →
Justin WatsonKCWR	0.0	—	WR	—	—	—	1	0	0	0

Fantasy Usage

Kansas City Chiefs

Snap Share

Marquez Valdes-ScantlingWR51 snaps73%
JuJu Smith-SchusterWR46 snaps66%
Travis KelceTE45 snaps64%
Mecole HardmanWR39 snaps56%
Noah GrayTE37 snaps53%

Target Share39 targets

Travis Kelce23%, 9 targets
JuJu Smith-Schuster21%, 8 targets
Mecole Hardman15%, 6 targets
Jerick McKinnon10%, 4 targets
Marquez Valdes-Scantling10%, 4 targets
Other21%, 8 targets

Carry Share27 carries

Isiah Pacheco44%, 12 carries
Clyde Edwards-Helaire26%, 7 carries
Jerick McKinnon15%, 4 carries
Patrick Mahomes11%, 3 carries
Marquez Valdes-Scantling4%, 1 carries

Arizona Cardinals

Snap Share

Marquise BrownWR62 snaps95%
Greg DortchWR59 snaps91%
A.J. GreenWR48 snaps74%
James ConnerRB47 snaps72%
Zach ErtzTE39 snaps60%

Target Share36 targets

Greg Dortch25%, 9 targets
James Conner17%, 6 targets
Marquise Brown17%, 6 targets
A.J. Green11%, 4 targets
Zach Ertz11%, 4 targets
Other19%, 7 targets

Carry Share22 carries

James Conner45%, 10 carries
Kyler Murray23%, 5 carries
Eno Benjamin18%, 4 carries
Trace McSorley14%, 3 carries

View full usage tableHide full usage table

Offensive snaps and share for the skill positions
Player	SNAPS	SNAP %	TGT	TGT %	CAR
Marquise BrownARIWR	62	95%	6	17%	0
Greg DortchARIWR	59	91%	9	25%	0
A.J. GreenARIWR	48	74%	4	11%	0
Marquez Valdes-ScantlingKCWR	51	73%	4	10%	1
James ConnerARIRB	47	72%	6	17%	10
JuJu Smith-SchusterKCWR	46	66%	8	21%	0
Travis KelceKCTE	45	64%	9	23%	0
Zach ErtzARITE	39	60%	4	11%	0
Mecole HardmanKCWR	39	56%	6	15%	0
Noah GrayKCTE	37	53%	2	5%	0
Jerick McKinnonKCRB	27	39%	4	10%	4
Clyde Edwards-HelaireKCRB	27	39%	3	8%	7
Jody FortsonKCTE	24	34%	1	3%	0
Eno BenjaminARIRB	22	34%	4	11%	4
Andy IsabellaARIWR	21	32%	3	8%	0
Justin WatsonKCWR	16	23%	1	3%	0
Isiah PachecoKCRB	16	23%	0	0%	12
Skyy MooreKCWR	13	19%	1	3%	0
Maxx WilliamsARITE	10	15%	0	0%	0
Stephen AndersonARITE	9	14%	0	0%	0
Andre BaccelliaARIWR	8	12%	0	0%	0

Fantasy Points vs Expected

PPRHalf PPRStandard

Expected points (xFP) are what a player's pass attempts, carries and targets are worth at the league's average rates; the difference is what the player made of them.

Biggest overperformer+16.5Patrick Mahomes34.9 PTS vs 18.4 xFP
Biggest underperformer−3.4A.J. Green3.3 PTS vs 6.7 xFP
Highest expected volume18.4 xFPPatrick Mahomes34.9 PTS scored

Usage and expected fantasy points
Player	PTS	xFP	vs xFP	Snap%	Usage	Rte%	Pass att	Car	Car%	Tgt	Tgt%
Patrick MahomesKC · QB	34.9	18.4	+16.5	93%	39 att	—	39	3	11%	0	0%
Kyler MurrayARI · QB	20.6	17.6	+3.0	88%	34 att	—	34	5	23%	0	0%
James ConnerARI · RB	16.5	16.4	+0.1	72%	45% car	—	0	10	45%	6	17%
Greg DortchARI · WR	13.3	15.0	−1.7	91%	25% tgt	—	0	0	0%	9	25%
Travis KelceKC · TE	26.1	15.0	+11.1	64%	23% tgt	—	0	0	0%	9	23%
JuJu Smith-SchusterKC · WR	11.9	13.3	−1.4	66%	21% tgt	—	0	0	0%	8	21%
Hollywood BrownARI · —	14.3	10.0	+4.3	—	17% tgt	—	0	0	0%	6	17%
Mecole Hardman Jr.KC · WR	10.6	10.0	+0.6	56%	15% tgt	—	0	0	0%	6	15%
Clyde Edwards-HelaireKC · RB	22.4	9.5	+12.9	39%	26% car	—	0	7	26%	3	8%
Eno BenjaminARI · RB	9.1	9.2	−0.1	34%	18% car	—	0	4	18%	4	11%
Jerick McKinnonKC · RB	7.9	9.2	−1.3	39%	15% car	—	0	4	15%	4	10%
Isiah PachecoKC · RB	12.2	7.7	+4.5	23%	44% car	—	0	12	44%	0	0%
Marquez Valdes-ScantlingKC · WR	8.1	7.3	+0.8	73%	10% tgt	—	0	1	4%	4	10%
A.J. GreenARI · WR	3.3	6.7	−3.4	74%	11% tgt	—	0	0	0%	4	11%
Zach ErtzARI · TE	11.4	6.7	+4.7	60%	11% tgt	—	0	0	0%	4	11%
Andy IsabellaARI · WR	2.0	5.0	−3.0	32%	8% tgt	—	0	0	0%	3	8%
Trace McSorleyARI · QB	2.5	3.6	−1.1	12%	4 att	—	4	3	14%	0	0%
Noah GrayKC · TE	2.0	3.3	−1.3	53%	5% tgt	—	0	0	0%	2	5%
Jody FortsonKC · TE	7.1	1.7	+5.4	34%	3% tgt	—	0	0	0%	1	3%
Justin WatsonKC · WR	0.0	1.7	−1.7	23%	3% tgt	—	0	0	0%	1	3%
Skyy MooreKC · WR	4.0	1.7	+2.3	19%	3% tgt	—	0	0	0%	1	3%

Team totals: Chiefs 39 targets and 27 carries; Cardinals 36 targets and 22 carries. Shares are from the box score. Snap counts are from the weekly player logs (Sleeper), and include plays wiped out by penalties. Route counts, air yards and red-zone touches appear when the tracking feed is connected. League-average rates from the 2022 season: 1.67 PPR points per target (67% catch rate), 0.64 per carry and 0.42 per pass attempt. They don't adjust for field position or target depth.

Fantasy Verdicts

Patrick Mahomes Ran hot

KC · QB · 34.9 pts on 18.4 expected

30 of 39 passing for 360 yards, 5 touchdowns; 3 carries for 5 yards.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 18.4 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Start/Sit: Patrick Mahomes →

Kyler Murray

ARI · QB · 20.6 pts on 17.6 expected

22 of 34 passing for 193 yards, 2 touchdowns; 5 carries for 29 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 17.6 expected.

Start/Sit: Kyler Murray →

Travis Kelce Ran hot

KC · TE · 26.1 pts on 15.0 expected

9 targets (23% of the team's), 8 catches for 121 yards and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 15.0 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Start/Sit: Travis Kelce →

JuJu Smith-Schuster

KC · WR · 11.9 pts on 13.3 expected

8 targets (21% of the team's), 6 catches for 79 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 13.3 expected.

James Conner

ARI · RB · 16.5 pts on 16.4 expected

6 targets (17% of the team's), 5 catches for 29 yards; 10 carries (45% of the team's) for 26 yards and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 16.4 expected.

Greg Dortch

ARI · WR · 13.3 pts on 15.0 expected

9 targets (25% of the team's), 7 catches for 63 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 15.0 expected.

Start/Sit: Greg Dortch →

Clyde Edwards-Helaire Ran hot

KC · RB · 22.4 pts on 9.5 expected

3 targets (8% of the team's), 3 catches for 32 yards and 2 touchdowns; 7 carries (26% of the team's) for 42 yards.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 9.5 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Jody Fortson Ran hot

KC · TE · 7.1 pts on 1.7 expected

1 target (3% of the team's), 1 catch for 1 yard and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 1.7 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Fantasy Matchups

Fantasy points allowed per game by position, 2022 through Week 18.

Fantasy points allowed per game by position, Chiefs defense and Cardinals defense
Points allowed to	Chiefs D	Cardinals D
QBs	20.1	18.0
RBs	21.7	25.4
WRs	32.6	30.2
TEs	12.1	16.7

Regular season, summed from each game's box score and scored with this page's rules.

How the Game Swung

Arizona opened at 33% win probability and fell below 2% in the third quarter.

Cardinals win probability

Key Swings

−17Mahomes → Kelce, 9-yd TD34% → 17%Q1 9:37
−10Mahomes → Edwards-Helaire, 3-yd TD16% → 6%Q1 3:20
+11Conner 2-yd TD run5% → 16%Q2 13:05
−10Mahomes → Edwards-Helaire, 4-yd TD16% → 6%Q2 7:32
−2Butker 54-yd FG5% → 2%Q2 0:02

Swing in Cardinals win probability, in points

Play Calling and Possessions

Play calling, Chiefs vs Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs	Measure	Arizona Cardinals
66	Plays	63
59%	Pass rate	65%
9.2	Yds / dropback	4.4
4.7	Yds / carry	4.7
5/8	Third downs	3/12

Efficiency edge Kansas City ran 3 more plays and gained 4.8 more yards per dropback.

Top targets
KC Kelce 23% · Smith-Schuster 21% · Hardman 15%
ARI Dortch 25% · Brown 17% · Conner 17%

Possession Results

How each possession ended, Chiefs vs Cardinals
Result	KC	ARI
Touchdowns	6	3
Field goals	1	0
Punts	2	5
Turnovers	1	0
Turnovers on downs	0	1

ARI turnover edge: +1

The Chiefs opened the scoring on their first possession, a 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.
The Chiefs scored touchdowns on three of their first three drives, then drained the clock with two second-half drives of four to six minutes.

All 21 possessions, drive by drive

Drive chart
Team	Start	Plays	Yards	Time	Result
KC	Q1 15:00	11	75	5:23	Touchdown
ARI	Q1 9:37	3	2	1:54	Punt
KC	Q1 7:43	7	86	4:23	Touchdown
ARI	Q1 3:20	11	75	5:15	Touchdown
KC	Q2 13:05	11	75	5:33	Touchdown
ARI	Q2 7:32	3	6	1:29	Punt
KC	Q2 6:03	5	17	3:00	Punt
ARI	Q2 3:03	5	27	1:58	Punt
KC	Q2 1:05	1	19	0:07	Fumble
ARI	Q2 0:58	4	8	0:23	Downs
KC	Q2 0:35	6	30	0:33	Field goal
ARI	Q2 0:02	1	-1	0:02	End of half
ARI	Q3 15:00	5	0	2:53	Punt
KC	Q3 12:07	4	75	2:12	Touchdown
ARI	Q3 9:55	3	5	1:06	Punt
KC	Q3 8:49	8	66	4:53	Touchdown
ARI	Q3 3:56	14	75	6:04	Touchdown
KC	Q4 12:52	9	66	5:13	Touchdown
ARI	Q4 7:39	6	48	2:28	Touchdown
KC	Q4 5:11	5	18	3:25	Punt
ARI	Q4 1:46	8	24	1:46	End of game

About these numbers

Possessions that ended with the clock running out at the half or the end of the game aren't counted.

Personnel groupings, average depth of target and pass rate over expected appear when the tracking feed is connected.

Chiefs vs Cardinals Head-to-Head

The Chiefs and Cardinals first met in 1970 and have played 14 times since.

All-time series: 10–3–1Chiefs lead, 14 meetings since 1970
Postseason: 0No playoff meetings
Largest Chiefs win: 49–02002
Largest Cardinals win: 23–141986

Since 2021

1–0 Chiefs lead

1 meeting since the 2021 season, regular season and playoffs.

Oldest to newest. KC = Chiefs win, ARI = Cardinals win, outlined = this game.

2026 Meetings

Week 11 Cardinals at Chiefs Sun, Nov 22, 2026 Upcoming

Recent Meetings

2022 Wk 1 Chiefs at Cardinals Sun, Sep 11, 2022 KC 44 ARI 21 KC W

Season to Date (Through Week 18)

The 2022 regular season, from each game's box score.

Season to date, Chiefs vs Cardinals
Chiefs	Stat	Cardinals
14-3	Record	4-13

29.2	Points per game	20.0

413.6	Yards per game	323.5

6.4	Yards per play	4.8

21.7	Points allowed per game	26.4

328.2	Yards allowed per game	348.9

Chiefs vs Cardinals Odds and Results

How this game finished against the betting lines.

Spread: KC −6Chiefs covered by 17
Total: 54Over: 65 points scored (by 11)

Expected vs Actual Scoring

Implied team totals against the actual score
Team	Implied	Actual	Difference
Chiefs	30.0	44	+14.0
Cardinals	24.0	21	−3.0

The Chiefs beat their implied total and the Cardinals fell short of theirs; the Fantasy tab has the player lines behind it.

Betting Trends

Each team's 2022 season through this game. Over/under is overs first.

Kansas City Chiefs

Against the spread: 1–0
Over/under: 1–0
ATS as favorite: 1–0
ATS on the road: 1–0

Arizona Cardinals

Against the spread: 0–1
Over/under: 1–0
ATS as underdog: 0–1
ATS at home: 0–1

Lines: ESPN's consensus, captured at kickoff. Individual sportsbooks varied.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Betting availability depends on your state.

Chiefs vs Cardinals Fantasy Outlook for 2026

One meeting is left on the 2026 schedule: Week 11 in Kansas City. Here's how to decide who to play in your league.

Keep Exploring

2022 Game Logs for Players in This Game

Chiefs vs Cardinals Game FAQ

Who won the 2022 Chiefs vs Cardinals Week 1 game?

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Arizona Cardinals 44–21 in Week 1 of the 2022 season. The game was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, on September 11, 2022. See the Chiefs' 2022 schedule.

What was the final score of Chiefs vs Cardinals?

The final score was Chiefs 44, Cardinals 21. The Chiefs led 23–7 at halftime, and the second half went Chiefs 21, Cardinals 14.

What happened in the Chiefs vs Cardinals game?

Kansas City led 23–7 at halftime and outscored Arizona 21–14 after the break to win 44–21. The Chiefs finished with a 488–282 edge in total offense and averaged 7.4 yards per play. Patrick Mahomes led all players with 30 of 39 passing for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 3 carries for 5 rushing yards. The Chiefs committed 1 turnover, the Cardinals none.

Who scored the most fantasy points in Chiefs vs Cardinals?

Patrick Mahomes led the game with 33.9 PPR fantasy points, the QB1 of Week 1, on 30 of 39 passing for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 3 carries for 5 rushing yards. Travis Kelce was next with 26.1 (TE1). See Patrick Mahomes's 2022 game log.

Who led Chiefs vs Cardinals in passing, rushing and receiving?

Patrick Mahomes (KC) led all passers with 30 of 39 for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns. Isiah Pacheco (KC) led in rushing with 12 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. Travis Kelce (KC) led in receiving with 8 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.

How many fantasy points did Patrick Mahomes score against the Cardinals?

Patrick Mahomes scored 33.9 fantasy points against the Cardinals in Week 1 of the 2022 season, the same in PPR, half-PPR and standard scoring because he had no catches, on 30 of 39 passing for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 3 carries for 5 rushing yards.

Who outperformed and underperformed expected fantasy points in Chiefs vs Cardinals?

Patrick Mahomes outperformed his expected fantasy points the most, scoring 34.9 PPR points on 18.4 xFP (+16.5). A.J. Green fell furthest short, with 3.3 points on 6.7 xFP (−3.4). A gap either way reflects efficiency and touchdowns in one game; it is not a forecast. For matchups ahead, see fantasy points allowed by position.

Who had the highest expected fantasy points in Chiefs vs Cardinals?

Patrick Mahomes had the most fantasy opportunity in the game, worth 18.4 expected PPR points (xFP) at league-average rates, and scored 34.9. Expected points measure the volume of a player's pass attempts, carries and targets, not how well he used them.

How did the Chiefs beat the Cardinals?

The Chiefs beat the Cardinals 44–21 because they averaged 7.4 yards per play to 4.5 and outgained them 488–282.

Which team won the turnover battle in Chiefs vs Cardinals?

The Cardinals won the turnover battle 1–0: the Chiefs gave the ball away 1 time and the Cardinals not at all. The Chiefs won the game anyway.

What is the all-time Chiefs vs Cardinals record?

The Chiefs lead the all-time series 10–3–1 across 14 meetings since 1970.

When did the Chiefs and Cardinals last play before this game?

Before Week 1 of 2022, they last met in the 2018 season on November 11, 2018, when the Chiefs beat the Cardinals 26–14.

What was the closing spread for Chiefs vs Cardinals?

The consensus closing spread at kickoff was Chiefs −6, making the Kansas City Chiefs 6-point favorites, with a closing total of 54. That implied about 30.0 points for the Chiefs and 24.0 for the Cardinals.

Did Chiefs vs Cardinals go over or under the total?

The game went over. The consensus closing total was 54, and the teams combined for 65 points, 11 over the number.

Who covered the spread in Chiefs vs Cardinals?

The Chiefs covered by 17 against the closing line of Chiefs −6. The final margin was 23 points.