The 5: Cardinals’ best quotes about Chiefs’ explosive weaponry

TEMPE, Ariz. — So far, nobody’s come close to stopping the Kansas City Chiefs.

They scored 40 points in their one loss over nine games. Only the Los Angeles Rams have piled up more yardage this season.

Kansas City leads the NFL averaging 36.3 points per game. Finish with that mark, and the Chiefs would rank third all-time in highest points averaged over a regular season.

It’s a tall task for the Arizona Cardinals to stop them on Sunday in a Week 10 game at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs’ success begins with head coach Andy Reid’s explosive offense that uses motions, RPOs and darn good talent to take shots at big plays. It’s only gotten better this year with the arm of second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes taking the reins of that offense this year in place of the traded Alex Smith.

Here are five quotes about stopping that offense straight from the Cardinals’ mouths heading into the first game of the second half of the season.

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It’s crazy the way he gets the ball out, all that type of stuff. It reminds you of like baseball players, how they throw the ball. It’s definitely crazy to see on film, especially when get gets out the pocket — he’s real accurate out the pocket. I really see that.

— Safety Budda Baker

That’s the word on Mahomes, who indeed grew up as a high-profile pitching prospect before deciding to play football, leading him to Texas Tech.

His baseball background has made him a dangerous threat outside the pocket, where on the move he’s able to throw accurate balls with different arm slots and body positions. Mahomes, who is completing 66 percent of his passes for 9.2 yards per attempt, is so good on the move the Cardinals have spoken openly about their hopes to keep him contained in the pocket.

Problem is, he goes through his progressions well inside or out of it.

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When you start trying to take everything away, I think that’s where you go wrong. You got to try to eliminate certain things, and you got to go with your fundamentals and technique based off the call. We can’t give up the big play. We know Tyreek Hill, number 10, is one of those guys that’s going to try to take the top off.

And then Kelce, he does as good of a job as far as getting underneath. I could go on-and-on as far as their weapons.

— Head coach Steve Wilks

Simply put, Kansas City’s success begins with its talent.

And it’s a lot to do with great drafting. The Chiefs traded up to 10th and selected Mahomes in 2017.

In the third-round of that draft, they selected their No. 1 running back, Kareem Hunt, who has 683 rushing yards and 312 through the air, plus 13 touchdowns split between the ground and passing games.

Tight end Travis Kelce was a third-round pick in 2013 who has been as good as any at his position the last three years.

Then there’s Hill, the 5-foot-10 receiver who was a fifth-round pick out of West Alabama in 2016.

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DeSean Jackson is another one that has that long-gait speed … that track-style running. The thing with Tyreek, he’s literally a cheetah. Like, he goes zero-to-60 in a blink of an eye. That might be a Florida thing.

At the end of the day, you know, you want to be physical with those types of receivers. Those guys can’t run a 4.3 within the first five yards if you have proper technique at the line of scrimmage. The thing about him, he’s also pretty quick to where he can slip and maneuver around press technique very, very well.

— Cornerback Patrick Peterson

Wilks said the biggest challenge is preventing Hill and fellow receiver Sammy Watkins — a 2014 first-round pick by Buffalo who is listed as questionable to play — from targeting Arizona down the field.

Avoiding free releases involves the Cardinals getting physical facing those receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

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They’ve got so many weapons and they do such a great job of spreading the ball around. You’d have to play really good man-to-man and you’d have to have a heck of a safety to cover Travis Kelce.

— CBS analyst and former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians

Ah, yes. Don’t forget about the contributions of Kelce.

He’s second on the Chiefs in receiving yards (741), tied for second in receiving touchdowns (6), second in 20-plus yard plays (10), first in yards after catch (309) and first in first downs (36).

So who might be the man for the job?

Baker, who did not practice due to a foot injury Thursday but was limited on Friday, could be the man for the job.

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I see a receiver in Kelce, a big receiver. He’s able to do things against linebackers that receivers do against corners. He’s also able to do (those things) against DBs.

— Safety Budda Baker

Baker leads the Cardinals with 72 tackles and eight for loss. Coming off a game in which he helped fill in for the now-healthy Tre Boston as a deep safety, it’s likely that Baker will be back to his role playing near the line of scrimmage against the Chiefs.

This, however, comes a game after Arizona beat San Francisco using a traditional three-linebacker personnel grouping for all but third downs.

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