***Official Game 12 IGT: Chiefs vs Cardinals 12/07***

[TopekaRoy]

The Kansas City Chiefs (7-5)


at
The Arizona Cardinals (9-3)



Sunday, December 7, 3:05pm CST
at
University of Phoenix Stadium

Glendale, Arizona



Television coverage:
CBS


Watch online:

WiZiWiG.tv


VIPBox.eu

BossCast.net
Feed2All.eu
FirstRowUs1.eu

Before watching any streams please READ THIS important message.

[TopekaRoy]

Weather Forcast: Perfect!
Line: Chiefs -1, Over/Under: 39.5

2014 Trends
The Chiefs are 8-4 ATS.
The Chiefs are 4-2 ATS away.
The Chiefs are 3-3 ATS as the favorite.
The Chiefs are 2-2 ATS as the road favorite.

The Cardinals are 8-4 ATS.
The Cardinals are 5-1 ATS at home.
The Cardinals are 5-2 ATS as the underdog.
The Cardinals are 3-0 ATS as a home underdog.

Recent Head to Head matchups (Since 2001)
Chiefs lead 3-1

Nov 21, 2010 @KC 31, ARI 13
Oct 8, 2006 KC 23, @ARI 20
Dec 1, 2002 @KC 49, ARI 0
Oct 21, 2001 KC 16, @ARI 24

Team Stats

Chiefs Offense Yds per game 312.0 28th Pass YPG 182.9 31th Rush YPG 129.1 7th Points Scored 23.1 15th Defense YPG allowed 333.3 9th Pass YPG allowed 196.8 1st Rush YPG allowed 136.4 30th Points allowed 18.7 4th (tie)

Cardinals Offense Yds per game 321.9 23rd Pass YPG 247.2 14th Rush YPG 74.8 31st Points Scored 21.5 20th Defense YPG allowed 352.5 13th Pass YPG allowed 263.3 27th Rush YPG allowed 89.3 6th Points allowed 18.7 4th (tie)

Injury Report
Chiefs

Injured Reserve
Mike Catapano.......DE
Joe McKnight........RB
Jeffery Allen.......G
Derrick Johnson.....LB
Mike DeVito.........DT
Tyler Bray..........QB
Sanders Comings.....CB
Dezmon Moses........LB
Cyrus Gray..........RB
Demetrius Harris....TE
AJ Jenkins..........wr


Out
Kenneth Hemingway...WR..........Concussion
Allen Bailey........DE..........Concussion


Probable
Sean Smith..........CB..........Groin
Tamba Hali..........LB..........Knee
Donnie Avery........WR..........Groin
Dustin Colquitt.....P...........right Calf
Anthony Fasano......TE..........Knee
Jamell Fleming......CB..........Hamstring
Jamaal Charles......RB..........Knee
Donald Ford.........LB..........Quadricep
James-Michael Johnson.LB........Back
Joshua Mauga........LB..........Back
Joe Mays............LB..........Knee
Michael McGlynn.....G...........Quadricep
Christopher Owens...CB..........Knee

Cardinals

Injured Reserve
Troy Niklas.........TE
Carson Palmer.......QB
Dave Zastudil.......P
John Abraham........LB
Eddie Whitley.......DB
Darnell Dockett.....DE

Out
Andre Ellington.....RB..........Hip
Pauliasi Fanaika....G...........Ankle
Edward Stinson......DT..........Toe
Tyrann Mathieu......S...........Thumb

Questionable
Larry Fitzgerald....WR..........Knee
Lawrence Foote......LB..........Foot
Edwin Veldheer......T...........Ankle

Probable
Lorenzo Alexander...LB..........Knee
Kenny Demens........LB..........Hamstring

ESPN Game Preview

Bruce Arians is remaining quite calm for a coach who has watched the Arizona Cardinals' NFC West lead dwindle during a two-game slide, choosing instead to focus on the positives that led them to the top of the division.

The Kansas City Chiefs aren't in nearly as enviable of a position while dealing with a skid that is threatening their playoff chances in the AFC.

Each club seeks a much-needed victory as the Cardinals host the Chiefs on Sunday.

Arizona (9-3) sat alone atop the NFC and led the West by three games following its Nov. 16 win over Detroit, its first contest after Carson Palmer tore his ACL.

Drew Stanton has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions while completing just 60.8 percent of his passes in three starts since Palmer went down, including a 19-3 loss at Seattle on Nov. 23 and a 29-18 defeat at Atlanta last week.

Larry Fitzgerald missed both losses with a sprained right knee, but Arians isn't making any excuses.

"When you stink, you stink. You point out how you stunk and get it corrected," Arians said. "No, I don't throw chairs and holler and do all that stuff that's non-productive. That's not teaching. You have to teach in order to get things corrected."

Things need to get corrected quickly before it's too late. Arizona's lead is down to one game ahead of the 8-4 Seahawks.

"There's two pictures -- the two-game losing streak and being 9-3. We have to get back to the things that got us to this point," Arians said. "The next one is huge to maintain where we're at. The sky has not fallen yet. We're still No. 1, and we need to stay there this week."

Fitzgerald practiced in full pads Wednesday, and is hoping to return against the Chiefs as the Cardinals look to improve to 7-0 at home. They've won 10 of 11 at University of Phoenix Stadium dating back to last season.

"We've played well at home, and this is a great opponent," Arians said. "Jamaal Charles is playing as well as any running back has in awhile. He's always an unbelievable challenge."

Charles didn't get many opportunities last week, though, rushing 10 times for 35 yards and catching four passes for 24 and a touchdown in a 29-16 loss to Denver. It turns out Charles suffered a bruised knee, but coach Andy Reid said Friday that he did not miss a snap in practice this week and will start this game.

Last week marked the second straight defeat for the Chiefs (7-5) after they had a five-game winning streak snapped Nov. 20 with a 24-20 loss to previously winless Oakland. They now sit in third place in the AFC West and are in a jumbled race for a wild-card spot.

"We didn't finish the third quarter (of the season) the way that we wanted to. We've got to go back to it and get that part fixed," coach Andy Reid said.

"We've stalled the last two weeks, so we've got to get this thing turned around and get us straightened up."

Kansas City has dug a hole for itself the last two games. It fell behind 14-0 against the Raiders and finished with 120 yards in the first half, then had just 59 in the first 30 minutes while allowing the game's first 17 points against Denver.

Alex Smith also threw his first interception in seven games.

"Our defense was out on the field the majority of that first half. Couldn't help them out," Smith said. "To start off the game with those three-and-outs like that, you're just not helping the team, and not getting into any rhythm hurt us."

The Chiefs' defense ranks first against the pass, giving up 196.8 yards per game, but it is last in the league in rushing yards allowed per attempt at 4.93. Kansas City gave up a season-worst 214 yards on the ground to Denver.

Arizona runs just 39.7 percent of the time -- 21st in the league -- and had only 11 rushing attempts last week against the Falcons. Now, they'll be without their top back for this one. Andre Ellington was ruled out Friday with a hip pointer, leaving Stepfan Taylor and Marion Grice to get the carries against Kansas City.

The Chiefs are certainly hoping to be better against a Cardinals running game that averages an NFL-worst 3.08 yards per carry.

"It's disappointing," defensive tackle Dontari Poe said. "But we have a couple more games to play. It's not like (the Denver game) was the last one. We still have some stuff to fix. We'll come out this next game and play better."

Arizona will be without safety Tyrann Mathieu for at least the next few weeks after he underwent surgery to repair a fractured left thumb. The Cardinals have forced two turnovers over their last three games after forcing eight in their previous three.

"It's a sense of urgency, because (defensively) we have to play lights-out football," cornerback Patrick Peterson said. "We have all the confidence in the world in (Stanton), but we are still playing with a backup quarterback and that changes the dynamics of everything. As a defense, we have to do what got us here, which was taking the ball away, and as an offense, protecting the ball."

[TopekaRoy]

Stats Leaders

Chiefs

Offense

Passing Yards Alex Smith 2364 Yds

Rushing Yards Jamaal Charles 807 Yds Knile Davis 423 Yds Alex Smith 197 Yds

Receiving Yards Travis Kelce 578 Yds Dwayne Bowe 569 Yds Anthony Fasano 223 Yds

Defense

Sacks Justin Houston 14.0 Sacks Dontari Poe 5.0 Sacks Tamba Hali 5.0 Sacks

Interceptions Kurt Coleman 1 Int Husain Abdullah 1 Int Sean Smith 1 Int

Total Tackles Josh Mauga 80 Total Ron Parker 71 Total Husain Abdullah 55 Total

[TopekaRoy]

Stats Leaders

Cardinals

Offense

Passing Yards Carson Palmer 1626 Yds Drew Stanton 1363 Yds Logan Thomas 81 Yds

Rushing Yards Andre Ellington 660 Yds Stepfan Taylor 83 Yds Jonathan Dwyer 51 Yds

Receiving Yards Larry Fitzgerald 658 Yds John Brown 569 Yds Michael Floyd 507 Yds

Defense

Sacks Alex Okafor 6.0 Sacks Calais Campbell 6.0 Sacks Frostee Rucker 2.0 Sacks

Interceptions Rashad Johnson 4 Ints Jerraud Powers 3 Ints Antonio Cromartie 3 Ints

Total Tackles Rashad Johnson 76 Total Larry Foote 72 Total Deone Bucannon 63 Total

[TopekaRoy]

Scouting Report from the Kansas City Star:

When the Chiefs run

EDGE >> CARDINALS

The Chiefs boast a strong rushing attack that has tailed off a bit in recent weeks. In their last game, a 29-16 loss to Denver, star running back Jamaal Charles only logged 10 carries for 35 yards, while capable backup Knile Davis didn’t log a carry. Meanwhile, the Broncos snuffed out the run and won the battle up front. Look for the Cardinals to try to replicate that formula. Massive defensive end Calais Campbell (6 feet 8, 300 pounds) teams up with tackle Dan Williams (6-2, 327) to swallow up inside rushing lanes (see below), so it will be up the Chiefs’ interior linemen to match their physicality.

Chiefs’ top rusher	No.	Yds.	Avg.	TD
Jamaal Charles	162	807	5.0	8

When the Chiefs pass

EDGE >> CARDINALS

Campbell and outside linebacker Alex Okafor, who each have six sacks, power a pass rush that has been about league average. But defensive coordinator Todd Bowles loves to blitz, and the Chiefs have had a difficult time picking those up recently. Arizona might opt to stack the box, which will stop the run and help them get some pressure on the quarterback, and leave its two big physical cornerbacks — Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie — on an island. Peterson got burned repeatedly by Julio Jones last week (see below), but the Chiefs don’t have a receiver of Jones’ caliber. Arizona has struggled against tight ends, however, which means Travis Kelce and Anthony Fasano could factor heavily into the gameplan. The Cardinals will also miss safety Tyrann Mathieu, who will miss the game because of injury.

Chiefs’ top QB	C	A	Yds.	TD-I
Alex Smith	228	350	2,364	15-5
Chiefs’ top WR	No.	Yds.	Avg.	TD
Dwayne Bowe	46	569	12.4

When the Cardinals run

EDGE >> CHIEFS

The Cardinals will be without starter Andre Ellington, who has not had a great year but is still better than his replacements, Stepfan Taylor and Marion Grice. That’s a bad sign for a rushing attack that ranks 31st in the league and will also be without starting guard Paul Fanaika, who gave them a little muscle in the running game. The Chiefs rank 30th in the league in rushing defense, but they have mixed in moments of competency this season, even though they’ve been gashed for 204, 179 and 215 yards the last three games. Tackling at the second level was an issue a week ago against Denver, so the onus is on the inside linebackers and safeties to do a better job wrapping up. A bounceback performance from nose tackle Dontari Poe would also help — he has a winnable showdown against center Lyle Sendlein (see below) this week.

Cardinals’ top rusher	No.	Yds.	Avg.	TD
Stepfan Taylor	25	83	3.3	1

When the Cardinals pass

EDGE >> CHIEFS

The Cardinals’ passing game took a major blow when quarterback Carson Palmer was lost for the season because of a torn ACL. His replacement, Drew Stanton, is 3-3 as a starter, but his accuracy takes a dive when he’s pressured (as shown below). Problem is, Stanton is fairly mobile and the Cardinals have yielded the sixth-fewest sacks in the league. Even still, the Chiefs have the personnel to get after him — outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are two of the best in the league. The secondary also needs to have a good day — Arizona boasts a solid receiver corps in Larry Fitzgerald (who will be a game-time decision), Michael Floyd and speedy rookie John Brown.

Cardinals’ top QB	C	A	Yds.	TD-I
Drew Stanton	105	190	1,363	6-5
Cardinals’ top WR	No.	Yds.	Avg.	TD
Larry Fitzgerald	46	658	14.3	2

Special teams

EDGE >> CHIEFS

Both teams have logged a return touchdown, but the Chiefs’ kick and punt return averages are higher. The Chiefs are also holding opponents to lower kick- and punt-return averages than the Cardinals, who allowed a punt return touchdown to Devin Hester a week ago that got called back for unsportsmanlike conduct (see below). Punter Dustin Colquitt has more kicks inside the 20 and a higher net average than his counterpart, Drew Butler, while kicker Cairo Santos and Arizona’s Chandler Catanzaro are having similarly solid seasons. On the whole, the Chiefs have the edge.

Coaching

EDGE >> CHIEFS

These are two strong staffs. Andy Reid is is one of the league’s most respected offensive playcallers, while defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has successfully turned around a leaky pass defense. For Arizona, however, the same can be said for coach Bruce Arians, who won a Super Bowl as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator in 2010, and his defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles, who should be considered for some head coaching jobs this offseason. Reid, however, gets the edge because of his longevity (16 years as a head coach to Arians’ two) and success.

X-factor

EDGE >> CARDINALS

Both teams have their eyes on the playoffs, but have hit a slight bump in the road. Both teams have lost their last two games, so neither enters on a roll, but this is a good time to note that University of Phoenix Stadium has become a legitimate home-field advantage for the Cardinals this season, as Arizona is 6-0 at home.

Bottom line: Chiefs 20-17

This one will be close, as both offenses could find it to be tough sledding against these defenses. Both teams need this game, but historically, Reid’s teams typically bounce back after butt kickings like the one they absorbed against Denver.
Terez A. Paylor, tpaylor@kcstar.com

[ctchiefsfan]

I have to work tonight so I won't be here for the game, but hopefully one of the waitstaff with one of those smart phones will keep an eye on it for me.

If ever there was a MUST WIN game this season, this one is surely it.

[Eydugstr]

Thanks for posting this, TR.

[matthewschiefs]

Must win

[matthewschiefs]

Charles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[brdempsey69]

Yes, Charles took it to the house.