Green Bay Packers v. Kansas City Chiefs: Final Thoughts

Jordan Love will make his first NFL start later today as the 7-1 Green Bay Packers take on the 4-4 Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are my final thoughts on the Green Bay Packers upcoming matchup.

– Run the ball. This is a Kansas City defense that allows 4.6 yards per rush and ranks 32nd in run defense by PFF ($$) and 29th by DVOA.

– The Green Bay Packers defense did a very good job of keeping Kyler Murray in the pocket last week and they’ll have to do the same with Patrick Mahomes. Extended plays will lead to trouble.

– Tyreek Hill has seen a lot of snaps from the slot recently. Be ready, Chandon Sullivan—who to his credit, has been playing well as of late.

– Time of possession will be another key component in all of this. The Chiefs may be 4-4 but their offense is still dangerous. Controlling the clock will limit possessions and keep Mahomes on the sidelines.

– Of course, Jordan Love is not Aaron Rodgers so the game plan will be different, but don’t protect him either. The run game should set up play-action opportunities downfield and Kansas City will be expecting Green Bay to run the ball, which also should open up things for the passing game. Let’s see what he can do.

– First and second down success is going to be crucial. The Packers need to avoid third and longs.

– I said last week if the Packers can win that it may be Matt LaFleur’s best coached game. Well, if the Packers win Sunday, that will be his best coached game. LaFleur isn’t getting any respect in the Coach of the Year convo — which he should be — but a win in Kansas City should absolutely put him at the front of that convo.

– The Chiefs have given the ball away 19 times this season, the most in football. The Packers have 14 takeaways, the third most in football. Green Bay must capitalize on any turnover opportunities.

– Kansas City is also one of the most penalized teams in the NFL while the Packers are one of the least. Penalties could play a huge role in Sunday’s game.

– Jordan Love may be making his first NFL start, but he has a lot of talent around him. A backfield of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon along with Davante Adams and a full WR corps.

– Between LaFleur’s play-calling and the Packers weapons on offense, Love doesn’t have to be Superman by any means. He will need to play well but not great.

– The Green Bay Packers OL will have to make it through another week without David Bakhtiari. I predicted that he would be back this week—but was clearly wrong.

– If there’s a defense to make your first NFL start against, this is it. I already mentioned their struggles against the run, but against the pass, the Chiefs have seven defenders with a passer rating over 100.00 when targeted and they’re allowing almost 28 points per game.

– Dean Lowry is listed as questionable and hopefully he can play. He has been very good since the San Francisco game — and is on a four-game sack streak — but the Packers are also without Kingsley Keke and thin at IDL.

– Kevin King will be back. His last game against Cincinnati was his best in some time. King allowed three completions for only 17 yards per PFF.

– The Chiefs have seen a lot of cover-2 defenses this season and it has really limited their big-play ability. I would expect Green Bay to do the same.

– Can Josiah Deguara step up in the passing game now that the Green Bay Packers are without Robert Tonyan?

– The Green Bay defense will need to keep this a low-scoring game. A shootout is not a recipe for success for Love and the offense.

– Arrowhead Stadium is certainly a difficult environment to make your first start in.

– This could be a big day for Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Kenny Clark against this Chiefs OL.

– Remember, whether good or bad, it’s only one game for Love. It’ll be helpful in seeing where he’s at in his development but does not mean he will be a Hall of Famer or a bust—we still won’t know that.