The premier matchup in Week 9 was supposed to be Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. While the teams remain the same, Rodgers will be out with COVID. Into the spotlight steps Jordan Love.
Green Bay is 7-1 and trying to remain in the top tier of the NFC standings. The Chiefs have been on a roller coaster ride all season long and sit at 4-4.
Here are two Green Bay dreams and one Kansas City nightmare for Sunday’s contest.
Jordan Love steps in and steps up
Kansas City’s run defense is atrocious, so the Packers were likely already building a game plan around utilizing Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to the fullest extent as they did in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. With Rodgers out, it’s even more likely to happen.
If the run game can find its groove, it would open up a world of opportunities for Love in the passing game. In what will be his first career start with an almost full array of receiving options back from injury, all eyes will be on Love to capitalize.
Green Bay won’t need him to throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns in this game. If Love can own the moment and piece together some drives while uncorking some dimes down the field, the Packers will be thrilled this week and giddy about the future.
Love is going up against a Chiefs defense that has looked lost all season long. Matt LaFleur is as wise as they come in constructing offensive blueprints. Love should be in an advantageous spot against a confused Chiefs’ defense. It’s up to him to execute, and if he does, the Packers have a legitimate shot at winning in Kansas City.
Green Bay continues to force turnovers
Green Bay’s defense has forced at least two turnovers in every game since Week 2, except for the matchup against the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
On the flip side, Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL with 10 interceptions, and the Chiefs have the most turnovers in the league with 19.
Week after week, the expectation remains that Mahomes will settle in, and the interceptions will disappear. That hasn’t happened, and Green Bay must keep the trend going.
For the Packers to hang in this one with their backup quarterback starting, they will have to continue taking an opportunistic approach on the defensive side of the ball and try to force the issue with Mahomes and the Chiefs. On paper, this sets up as a great matchup for a Green Bay defense tied for third in takeaways against the offense that coughs it up the most. But as we all know, this is a week-by-week league, and Kansas City can flip a narrative upside down.
Joe Barry will return to the sidelines in his role as defensive coordinator after missing the Cardinals game with a positive COVID test. Ever since halftime of Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, this defense for Green Bay has looked vastly different, and Barry is a key reason why.
He has started to unleash more blitzes and dial up the chaos for the opposing offenses. That must continue on Sunday. They can’t go in hesitant because it’s Mahomes and Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. They need to keep being aggressive and force turnovers.
This is the week the Chiefs figure it out
This is far and away the most significant nightmare scenario for the Packers. For weeks now, many have wondered if and when this Kansas City group will figure it out and put the puzzle pieces together.
It was widely expected that would happen last week on Monday Night Football against an underwhelming, short-handed New York Giants squad. Instead, the Chiefs narrowly escaped with a 20-17 victory.
It’s possible what the Chiefs are now is who they will be for the rest of the year, and that’s a wildly inconsistent bunch that is sloppy with their execution. But they could solve the riddle against the Packers.
Even though the offense has struggled, they are still putting up points at a pretty solid clip (26 per game).
With no Jaire Alexander or Za’Darius Smith, is this the week it catches up to Green Bay? It could be — and that’s where the nightmare creeps in.
The Packers’ defense needs to keep their energy right where it’s been while hoping the Chiefs continue searching for answers without finding them.
