Giving Patrick Mahomes a short field — a really short field — to open a game is inadvisable. Thankfully, it's only the preseason.
The future Hall of Famer needed to go just 13 yards downfield after Greg Dortch's fumble on the opening kickoff. In all, Mahomes recorded one completion for 1 yard and one score before giving way to Gardner Minshew.
The Chiefs ultimately dropped the contest, 20-17, to the Arizona Cardinals, who worked their way back via two Bailey Zappe interceptions.
PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The comprehensive grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Cardinals safety Darren Hall leapt to pick off Chiefs quarterback Bailey Zappe midway through the second quarter and notched a pass breakup later in the frame. He didn't allow any catches on 17 coverage snaps and is on track to be the game's highest-graded defender, pending reviews.
BOX SCORE
| Chiefs | Cardinals | |
| Total points | 17 | 20 |
| Total offensive plays | 62 | 60 |
| Average EPA per play | -0.163 | 0.017 |
| Total net yards | 245 | 369 |
| Avg yards per play | 4 | 6.2 |
| Total first downs | 19 | 22 |
| Rushing first downs | 5 | 6 |
| Passing first downs | 12 | 13 |
| Penalty first downs | 2 | 3 |
| Third-down efficiency | 54% | 44% |
| Fourth-down efficiency | 14% | 0% |
| Possessions | 11 | 10 |
| Avg plays per drive | 6.2 | 6.5 |
| Avg yards per drive | 20.4 | 33.5 |
| Avg points per drive | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Red-zone possessions | 3 | 3 |
| Red-zone plays | 9 | 8 |
| Red-zone TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Red-zone FGs | 0 | 1 |
| Red-zone scoring efficiency | 67% | 67% |
SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION
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