Cardinals drop Chiefs to snap late-season slide
GLENDALE, Ariz. — During the last two weeks, the Arizona Cardinals' 2014 season seemed to be morphing from magical to miserable.
A 9-1 record turned to 9-3, the backup quarterback began to look like a backup, the defense was gashed, and it was fair to wonder if we were witnessing an historic collapse.
Voilà, that all changed on Sunday with the Cardinals' 17-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Or maybe the doomsday, "Chicken Little" talk was only paused until Thursday night, when the Cardinals play the Rams in St. Louis.
"Heck, yeah," coach Bruce Arians said after the game. "I ain't going to deny that, we needed one big. The 10th one is always the hardest to get."
Arians didn't explain why that was so, at least in his view, but it doesn't matter.
At 10-3, the Cardinals have won at least 10 games in consecutive years for the first time since 1975-76. More importantly, they remained in first place in the NFC West, a game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks, with three games to play.
"This team, I think, has something special about it," Arians said. "We've got a really tough stretch down the road, but I like where we're at."
Arians wasn't referring to Glendale, but he might as well have been. The Cardinals are 7-0 at University of Phoenix Stadium, and after consecutive losses on the road, they needed a home game.
It's a different team than the November version, with the biggest change coming at running back. Andre Ellington will be placed on injured reserve on Monday after suffering a sports hernia last week in Atlanta. He is flying to Philadelphia soon to undergo surgery.
That left the Cardinals searching for a running back, and they found one, at least temporarily, in their own locker room.
Kerwynn Williams, promoted from the practice squad on Friday, rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries Sunday, with 51 of those yards coming after the Cardinals took a 17-14 lead late in the third quarter.
It was first time Williams, in his second year, carried the ball in an NFL game.
"I knew Kerwynn was going to play well," Arians said. "That's why we made the move. He has been the only guy on our practice field the last three weeks that made our players go 'Wow,' making people miss, working our defense."
Despite an invigorated run game, the Cardinals offense was inconsistent on Sunday, and kicker Chandler Catanzaro missed two field goals, including a 34-yarder with 1:09 left.
The Cardinals wouldn't have won without a couple stellar defensive plays and two favorable calls by officials.
A Chiefs touchdown in the third quarter was nullified by a pass interference call on tight end Anthony Fasano, who had caught the 19-yard pass. Earlier on the play, Fasano made contact with linebacker Larry Foote.
The Cardinals, naturally, thought it was a good call.
"I felt like it was a run play, he cracked me," Foote said.
The Chiefs (7-6) didn't see it that way, but held their tongues after the game. "I'm going to have to watch the film," Fasano said.
On the next play, outside linebacker Alex Okafor intercepted a pass by Alex Smith and returned it 26 yards to the Chiefs 42.
Five plays later, the Cardinals scored their only touchdown of the game, but it wasn't that easy. The 26-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Brown came on third and 18.
The Cardinals failed to score touchdowns on four previous red zone opportunities.
"They are the No. 1 red zone team in the league, so we knew it was going to be difficult," quarterback Drew Stanton said.
The second controversial decision by officials came in the fourth quarter. Trailing 17-14, the Chiefs moved to the Cardinals 41, and on third down Smith hit tight end Travis Kelce for a gain of 18 yards with 5:23 left.
But Arians challenged the play after being informed by Mike Disner, the team's director of football operations who sits with coaches in the press box, that the ball came loose.
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The Cardinals had one timeout left, so a failed challenge would have left them with none.
"At this point in time, that timeout isn't worth a damn thing," Arians said. "That challenge was huge and it was the correct call."
But not an obvious one, and it wouldn't have been surprising if the play had stood.
"From my vision, I thought he regained possession of the ball, but I'm not making that call," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "Go on to something besides the officials. I don't have anything good to say."
The Cardinals had covered such a situation in a meeting earlier in the week, emphasizing the need to recover the ball, even when officials haven't ruled a fumble.
Cornerback Justin Bethel did just that. It the last serious threat the Chiefs made.
"To be 10-3, that's rare air," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "We know we have something special going here.
"We want to win our division and host playoff games. Those are our goals and aspirations. This is just one step in that process."
Kent Somers writes for The Arizona Republic, a Gannett affiliate.