Preview: Packers vs. Chiefs

The Packers (7-1) battle the Chiefs (4-4) in a Week 9 game that many thought, and some still think, could be a preview of the Super Bowl. For the second time in three years, the much-anticipated meeting of Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes won’t take place. An injury sidelined Mahomes in 2019, and a positive COVID-19 test will keep Rodgers out today. If Green Bay is to pull off what would now be a huge upset, here are the five keys to victory:


1) GIVE LOVE A CHANCE

Having Rodgers is the reason Matt LaFleur doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Well, now Green Bay’s third-year coach gets a chance to show everyone he can win without No. 12. Along with his staff, he’ll need to put together a terrific game plan. It’s easy to say just run the ball, but you can be sure the Chiefs will crowd the line of scrimmage and dare Jordan Love to beat them through the air. It’s up to LaFleur and company to figure out a way to make that happen.

2) HANDLE THE NOISE

In order to throw the ball, Love will need to be able to function in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. Rodgers makes it look easy, but of course, he’s not a 23-year-old making his first career start. Love, who never got too high or too low in college, seems like the type of young quarterback who could handle a difficult environment, but the noise he’ll encounter on Sunday afternoon will be like nothing he’s ever dealt with before in all of his years playing football.

3) BE AWARE OF MATHIEU

Tackle Chris Jones is the Chiefs’ best defensive player, but safety Tyrann Mathieu is the one Love has to fear the most. The Honey Badger is great at disguising his coverage and luring quarterbacks into making mistakes. Not surprisingly, he’s especially effective when it comes to inexperienced quarterbacks. Love always needs to be aware of where Mathieu is on the field, and if possible, keep the ball as far away as possible from the 3-time All-Pro.

4) GREAT PLAN ON DEFENSE

Mahomes is going through a rough stretch, and if the Packers are going to extend it by at least one more week, they need to apply consistent pressure. They also need to have a smart plan for defending wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry would be smart to study what the Giants did six days ago. It worked really well. Of course, the Cheifs’ coaches have also watched that film and are sure to make adjustments.

5) RALLY AROUND THE NEW GUY

No matter what they say in public, you can be sure the players and coaches on the Packers are pissed at Rodgers and would like nothing better than to rally around Love and pull off an improbable upset. LaFleur constantly talks about the importance of all 11 players doing their jobs on offense and defense, and while it might be a cliche, it’s 100% applicable today. The Packers have no chance unless every coach and every player is at their best for 60 minutes.

 

PREDICTION: I really liked the Packers’ chances going into the week, but now I have absolutely no idea what to expect. Love is talented enough to be great, and he’s inexperienced enough to be terrible. His play will likely fall somewhere in between. I happen to think the play of the other QB will determine the outcome of the game. If Mahomes plays like the Mahomes of old, the Chiefs will win. But if he plays like he has the past few weeks, the Packers will win.

The Packers are 7.5 point underdogs without the reigning league MVP. That seems a bit high. The offense with Rodgers could’ve put up 30 or 35 points, but that’s too much to expect with Love at the controls. Can the defense hold the Chiefs to under 25? I’m not so sure. KANSAS CITY 28-23 (Season record: 4-4 straight-up; 1-6-1 vs. the spread)

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Michael Rodney

Packers Notes is the creation of Michael Rodney, who has been writing about the Green Bay Packers for over 30 years. His first blog, Packer Update, hit the internet in 2004. Before becoming a public educator, Rodney worked as a journalist for a couple of newspapers in his home state of New Jersey and covered the Philadelphia Eagles for WTXF-TV. He's had numerous articles on the Packers published, and he's been featured on both television and radio over the years.

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