Kansas City Chiefs (7-5) at Arizona Cardinals (9-3)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. – TV: CBS

*TV announcers: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Evan Washburn

*Keys to the game: Both teams are known for strong defenses, but the Chiefs allowed 214 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry in Denver last week while the Cardinals were trucked over for 142 yards on 4.2 yards per carry in Atlanta. Naturally, both teams were hammered in the time of possession battle as they made futile attempts to come from behind.

The issues, however, begin on the other side of the ball. The Chiefs ran just 44 offensive plays, with RB Jamaal Charles finishing with 59 yards on 14 touches. If Kansas City cannot sustain drives it cannot create any rhythm for its most dynamic offensive threat.

Arizona will leave its talented corners in man coverage and let S Rashad Johnson attack moving forward against the run and in the underneath passing game after he picked off Matt Ryan once last week and nearly came down with another.

The Cardinals’ offense may be in an even more precarious situation with QB Drew Stanton leading one touchdown drive in his past 11 quarters while struggling with his timing and accuracy. With RB Andre Ellington dealing with a “severe” hip pointer, according to coach Bruce Arians, along with a season-long issue with his foot, the Cardinals’ offense appears to be toothless. Then again, the Chiefs have the third fewest takeaways in the NFL with 10. Coach Andy Reid believes they will come in bunches when they come, and this could be the week if the Chiefs build a lead and turn the Cardinals one-dimensional.

*Matchup to watch – Charles vs. Cardinals ILB Larry Foote: The Chiefs need to get Charles more involved early on than they did in Denver. Foote is third on the team in tackles, but one has to wonder if the 34-year-old may be running out of gas after watching Steven Jackson bowl through the Cardinals’ defense last week.

*Player spotlight – Cardinals S Tony Jefferson: Arizona’s vaunted secondary takes a bit of a hit with Jefferson’s snaps increasing with Tyrann Mathieu (fractured thumb) out.

*Fast facts: Chiefs wide receivers have no touchdown receptions this season. Texans DL J.J. Watt has three. … Stanton has a 66.2 passer rating in the red zone with 2 TDs, 1 INT and a 47.6 completion percentage.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

Two midseason darlings have seen the shine come off their rising stars over the past two weeks due to scuffling offenses. At least the Chiefs bring the threat of a potentially dynamic ground game to the table.

*Our pick: Chiefs 16-13