Henne, Buechele throw TD passes, Kansas City Chiefs beat Arizona Cardinals 17-10

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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Chad Henne and rookie Shane Buechele threw touchdown passes to help the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-10 in a preseason game Friday night.

Patrick Mahomes started and completed 10 of 18 passes for 78 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. The 2018 Most Valuable Player led two 15-play drives in his most extensive action so far this preseason.

The first 15-play drive ended on a 24-yard field goal by Harrison Butker and the second abruptly stopped when Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted Mahomes’ pass in the end zone.

Henne was 6 of 8 for 82 yards and a touchdown. Buechele was 9 of 11 for 115 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Byron Pringle caught four passes for 63 yards.

Kansas City (2-0) led 10-0 at halftime. Juan Thornhill snagged an interception on a diving catch with 30 seconds left in the second quarter to stop a promising Arizona drive.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray saw his first preseason action, playing the first three series. He was 1-of-4 passing for 2 yards and also gained 8 yards on the ground. The Cardinals (1-1) didn’t get a first down on any of the possessions.

Backup Colt McCoy was 13 of 18 for 113 yards and one interception. The Cardinals managed just 239 total yards.

Kansas City pushed ahead 17-0 midway through the third quarter when Buechele hit Jerick McKinnon for a 5-yard touchdown strike.

The Cardinals scored for the first time when Matt Prater made a 22-yard field goal late in the third. Chris Streveler connected with Ross Travis on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 9:03 left in the fourth.

Texas Tech Reunion

The game was a reunion for Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury and Mahomes, who played for Kingsbury in college at Texas Tech. The two talked on the field before the game.

Kingsbury’s success in helping Mahomes develop into an NFL-caliber quarterback is part of the reason he got the job with the Arizona Cardinals prior to the 2019 season. Mahomes threw for more than 5,000 yards over 12 games in his final season at Texas Tech and was then drafted by the Chiefs, where he’s led the franchise on back-to-back Super Bowl runs.

Injuries

Chiefs: RB Darrel Williams left the game in the second quarter and was evaluated for a concussion.

Cardinals: NFL Network reported that two assistant coaches, including tight ends coach Steve Heiden, missed the game due to COVID-19 protocols. Kingsbury said earlier in training camp that the entire coaching staff was vaccinated. Three players — including starting left guard Justin Pugh and defensive lineman Jordan Phillips — also missed the game because of COVID-19.

Up Next

The Chiefs wrap up their preseason schedule at home against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 27.

The Cardinals play their final preseason game on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 28.

Fan excitement over in-person game

For many fans who attended the game, it was their first time seeing a football game since restrictions went into effect during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

"We are excited. We are really excited. Football is here," said one fan,

"After last year, it is like heaven," said another fan.

During the height of the pandemic, there was limited capacity, and fans were not allowed to gather on the great lawn or tailgate. Now, with many people trying to get in and enjoy some football, there were long lines inside the stadium.