Kansas City, Mo. ? Go figure. The Kansas City defense comes off what everybody considered its worst game of the year and immediately pins a shutout on the Arizona Cardinals.

And not just a shutout. Sunday’s 49-0 wipeout was the most lopsided defeat in the history of the Cardinals franchise. For the Chiefs (6-6), it was the second-most lopsided win.

And to think it came on the heels of a 39-32 loss at Seattle in which the Chiefs defense, ranked No. 32 in the 32-team league, gave up more than 500 yards.

“We all knew that wasn’t the real us last week,” said rookie linebacker Scott Fujita. “I think we just made up our mind that we were going to come out and show the real Chiefs defense today. And everything went well.”

Did it ever. This was one of those rare days in any sport for any team, when just about everything goes right.

Even when they blew the coverage they got lucky. The Cardinals got a receiver wide open deep down field in the first quarter but Jake Plummer and the receiver could not connect.

“Every player was caught in the moment,” said defensive end R-Kal Truluck.

Said guard Brian Waters, “This was the first time all year that everybody played well. The offense, the defense, everybody.”

Dante Hall got the Chiefs’ second TD on a 90-yard punt return :quot; the longest in team history.

Typically for how things were going on this day, the thinking was not to pop a long one but to get a block.

“We had a rush on,” said Hall. “We were going after the kick. There wasn’t even supposed to be a return. So when I caught it and broke the first wave, the guys who went after the blockers were still back there and there was just the kicker left.

Priest Holmes had 169 yards rushing and receiving and personally outgained the Cardinals, who had just 122 yards altogether. He also scored two touchdowns, running his season total to 22 and leaving him just four shy of Marshall Faulk’s NFL record.

Holmes, along with quarterback Trent Green, came out in the third quarter with the Chiefs leading 42-0.

“Usually we are always digging in the fourth quarter and we always wonder when we are going to get a chance to rest, but that time came and it was today,” said Holmes, who came into the day leading the NFL with 1,209 yards rushing.

Nobody was happier, however, than the defense. Criticized all season for being ranked dead last in the league, they played without a doubt their finest game, getting four turnovers and sacking Arizona quarterbacks five times.

Did they want the shutout?

“We wanted it really bad,” said defensive end Eric Hicks. “I’m not going to lie. Everybody would know I was lying if I said I didn’t want it. That’s a good offensive football team. Jake Plummer is one heck of a quarterback and that running back (Marcel Shipp) is a good young player, and their receivers are good. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing when you get a shutout.

“We came out with the same intensity we usually have. We just executed better.”