NFL power rankings: Arizona Cardinals slammed after NFL Week 1 loss to Kansas City Chiefs

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic
·5 min read

The Arizona Cardinals did not impress in their 44-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the NFL season.

NFL writers slammed the team's performance in their NFL power rankings ahead of Week 2, with one calling the team "a big mess."

Check out where the Cardinals are ranked by NFL writers now ahead of the team's NFL Week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road.

NFL Week 2 picks, predictions:

More: Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid blames Arizona Cardinals' field for injuries in Week 1 win

The Arizona Republic: Cardinals plummet seven spots to No. 23

Jeremy Cluff writes: "The Cardinals lost to the Chiefs, 44-21. Yes, they have some injuries, but they also have little depth to help mitigate those injuries."

USA TODAY Sports: Cardinals go down seven spots to No. 26

Nate Davis writes: "Maybe all 53 players should do four hours of independent study this week after getting thoroughly embarrassed in every phase Sunday."

More: NFL power rankings Week 2: Cardinals, Bengals, Patriots, Packers plummet after Week 1 losses

NFL.com: Cardinals down six spots to No. 16

Dan Hanzus writes: "Maybe it was just a bad day. Maybe sometimes a team catches Patrick Mahomes on the wrong Sunday and there’s simply nothing anyone can do. But then there’s the other possibility: The Cardinals really are that far behind the top teams in the league like the Chiefs. The offense looked like it was trapped in the dark ages as Andy Reid unlocked new worlds, while the defense was simply overmatched and embarrassed by a Kansas City team that doesn’t even have Tyreek Hill anymore. There might not be another team in more dire need of a strong Week 2 performance than the Cardinals."

ESPN: Cardinals drop four spots to No. 22

Josh Weinfuss writes: "The Cardinals played just two rookies on Sunday, Cameron Thomas and cornerback Christian Matthew. Thomas had a tackle in four snaps and Matthew made a tackle on his only snap. Both could see more reps as the next few games go on because of the struggles Arizona went through Sunday against the Chiefs."

NFL Week 2 odds:

CBS Sports: Cardinals fall two spots to No. 21

Pete Prisco writes: "They looked like a big mess against the Chiefs. This might be a long season even after giving out big contract extensions to the coach and general manager."

Bleacher Report: Cardinals sink five spots to No. 18

It writes: "The Arizona Cardinals kicked off the 2021 season by winning their first seven games. They started their 2022 campaign by getting shellacked at home by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs shredded the Cardinals defense to the tune of 488 total yards and 44 points. Meanwhile, Arizona's offense failed to crack 300 yards and did little until the game was already well out of hand."

More: NFL Week 2 schedule, television information: How to watch Week 2 NFL games

The Arizona Cardinals didn't give their fans much to cheer for in a 44-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in NFL Week 1.
The Arizona Cardinals didn't give their fans much to cheer for in a 44-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in NFL Week 1.

The Ringer: Cardinals stay at No. 14

Austin Gayle writes: "Why the hell did the Cardinals blitz Patrick Mahomes on 54 percent of his dropbacks? You’d think a team coached by Kliff Kingsbury (Mahomes’s college coach) and DC Vance Joseph (who previously coached against Mahomes when Joseph was the head coach in Denver) would know better than to blitz Mahomes that much. Their defensive game plan killed the Cardinals’ chances, as Mahomes threw four of his five touchdowns while facing more than four rushers. The Cardinals offense, meanwhile, ranked 27th in yards per play (4.5) in Week 1, hardly an inspiring start for a unit that was looking to get more explosive. Kyler Murray is one of the league’s top quarterbacks, and the team has enough of a supporting cast offensively and defensively to be competitive. But they just can’t get out of their own way."

Sports Illustrated: Cardinals now ranked No. 21

Conor Orr writes: "One of the NFL’s luckiest teams last year, the Cardinals are top-heavy and poorly suited defensively to handle elite quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes succeeded on more than 70% of his dropbacks against Arizona in the season opener, a simply stunning number."

More: NFL Week 2 picks, predictions: Who wins each Week 2 NFL game?

Walter Football: Cardinals stay at No. 23

It writes: "The Cardinals picked up where they left off last year when they were getting crushed by the Rams. They scored just seven points against the Chiefs before garbage time. They'll be better when they're healthier, but I was down on them heading into the season."

AtlantaFalcons.com: Cardinals drop four spots to No. 20

Scott Bair writes: "Lots of flash. How much substance? Chiefs proved Cards don’t belong in the league’s upper half."

More: NFL Week 2 odds: Point spreads, moneylines, over/under for Week 2 NFL schedule games

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL power rankings: Arizona Cardinals slammed after NFL Week 1 loss