The Green Bay Packers are riding high coming into Lambeau Field for a showdown against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Packers won a game in which they were eight-point underdogs against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day.
Their offense piled up more than 370 yards, with Jordan Love staring down the Lions’ pressure and continuing to deliver big throw after big throw.
Christian Watson had his best game of the season. Tucker Kraft found the end zone for the first time.
The Packers didn’t turn the ball over, and the offense looked like the one that Brian Gutekunst had to have hoped he’d see sooner rather than later.
The Lions are a good defense, but the Chiefs should provide a much stiffer test. Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best defensive coordinators in football.
For all the fanfare the offense receives, it’s been Kansas City’s defense that has carried them through the first three months of the season.
The smart bet is that Patrick Mahomes and company will find their form, but this is not a group that is as talented as they have been in recent years.
The Packers have a chance to get back to .500 and set themselves up for a run at the postseason.
Here is what they need to do to beat the Chiefs:
Packers vs. Chiefs’ run game
The Chiefs recently stared the top run defense in football in the face and rammed the ball down their throats for the better part of three quarters.
The Philadelphia Eagles were ranked No. 1 against the run going into the Nov. 20 Super Bowl rematch.
The Chiefs piled up 168 yards against them and controlled the game for the better part of three quarters until they wilted late.
Isiah Pacheco is a violent runner who could give the Packers some problems as they’ve struggled against running backs with his running style.
The Packers’ run defense has been up and down this season. They’ve had some really strong performances, but it’s certainly been more bad than good.
As crazy as it sounds, the Packers should want to force Patrick Mahomes to beat them with his inexperienced group of receivers.
At the bare minimum, they cannot allow this running game to make things easy for Mahomes and a struggling passing game.
This will need to be another big matchup between the two interiors on offense and defense.
Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith form one of the best interior offensive lines in all of football.
They’ll be going up against Kenny Clark, who is coming off one of his best games of the season.
That came primarily in pass rush situations, however. Clark, along with TJ Slaton and Devonte Wyatt, need to hold up at the point of attack; otherwise, the Chiefs will be able to move some guys on their way to a big day on the ground.
Packers’ offensive line vs. Chris Jones
The Packers’ offensive line held up well last week against Aidan Hutchinson. That’s not a normal occurrence. Hutchinson has typically dominated when he’s played against Green Bay.
This week, the Packers face another great pass rusher in Chris Jones.
Jones lines up all over the formation but is able to wreck things on the interior, which is where the Packers have typically struggled.
Josh Myers and Jon Runyan Jr. have been inconsistent, to say the least. Runyan is currently rotating with former third-round pick Sean Rhyan.
Myers has played better of late but still has a couple of reps per game that leave you scratching your head.
Rasheed Walker is essentially in an even rotation with Yosh Nijman at left tackle, while Zach Tom has been an anchor on the right side of the offensive line.
They’ll need to be aware of where Jones is on the field at all times. He’s a game-wrecker, and the Packers have seen first hand what those types of players can do against them.
The passing game made some strides on Thanksgiving, but none of those things is going to matter if the team cannot block.
Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur vs. Spagnuolo
Sunday’s game marks a little bit of a full circle moment for Jordan Love. Love’s first start of his career came against the Kansas City Chiefs.
That week was a little different. He did not find out that he was starting until the game plan was already in progress. Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and was ruled out of that week’s game.
Love struggled after being thrown into the fire. The Packers didn’t score until their final possession of the game.
Matt LaFleur has talked about that game since then. He’s stated on several occasions that they did not put their offense in the best position to succeed.
The Chiefs, knowing they were facing a rookie quarterback, threw a ton of pressure at Love. Neither the Packers nor Love were prepared for that, and they struggled as a result.
Spagnuolo is an interesting case as a defensive coordinator, because they run a little bit of everything. The Chiefs will throw a variety of looks at this young Packer offense, and how they respond will determine how the game goes.
That’s where it is up to Love, who is a veteran at this point, and LaFleur to help the rest of the young offense navigate through what they are seeing on the field.
LaFleur said that he had regrets from Love’s first matchup against Kansas City. Now he’ll have a chance to prove he learned something from that day.
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