On Sunday night at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-19.
These are a few brief observations from the defeat.
1. The Chiefs’ offensive possessions were restricted by the Packers.
With the exception of the one-play series at the conclusion of the first half, Kansas City only managed seven “true” drives on Sunday, which is a record low for the team this season. The Chiefs, who entered Sunday night averaging 10.5 drives per game, have only once this season recorded fewer than 10 possessions in a single game—against Minnesota, where they recorded eight.
Strangely enough, it has been almost a year since the Chiefs recorded seven or fewer “true” drives in a game. Against Cincinnati in Week 13 of the previous season, Kansas City managed just seven “true” possessions and lost a close game on the road.
That number was important because it reduced the Chiefs’ leeway and, as it turned out, highlighted a few missteps. On Sunday, Kansas City was largely successful in moving the ball; they scored on four of those seven drives, gained 337 yards, and converted seven out of eleven third down opportunities.
Regretfully, during its penultimate series, Kansas City handed the ball over and went 2-for-4 in the red zone. The Chiefs only held the ball for seven possessions during the game, and those errors proved to be the difference.
2. Reverse One of Isiah Pacheco’s best games to date was put together.
Pacheco had one of his best performances as a professional on Sunday night despite the loss, amassing 110 rushing yards on just 18 carries. Ten of those tries gained five yards or more, or 56% of the total. During the game, the sophomore tailback averaged 4.06 yards after contact, which was the greatest of any player with more than ten carries in Week 13.
Pacheco’s performance on Sunday was encouraging, even though it wasn’t enough. With five games left, the former seventh-round pick is just 221 yards away from 1,000 yards for the year.
3. Rashee Rice, a rookie wide receiver, delivered yet another impressive showing.
On Sunday, Rice caught eight passes for 64 yards, his second straight game with at least eight receptions. Actually, Rice has matched for the third-most catches of any player in the NFL over the past two weeks with 16, and his 171 receiving yards over that time rank 10th.
Not to be overlooked is the fact that Rice played 69 percent of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps on Sunday, which is a season-high percentage. In four of the Chiefs’ last five games, Rice has earned at least 60% of the team’s offensive snaps, demonstrating his continued ability to impress the coaching staff. Rice was selected in the first round of the draft.
4. The Packers did make a few plays, to their credit.
While the Chiefs’ errors undoubtedly played a part in Sunday’s defeat, the Packers also produced a few plays that changed the game, the most significant of which was perhaps a 33-yard completion on a fourth-and-1 midway through the third quarter.
Although Kansas City applied pressure to the play and almost forced a turnover on downs, wide receiver Romeo Doubs deserves praise for his amazing catch, which advanced the ball deep into Chiefs territory. That play ultimately meant the difference between a potential 14-point swing and a Packers score. The Chiefs offensive possession would have began at midfield instead of the starting line.
On Kansas City’s second-to-last possession, cornerback Keisean Nixon of the Packers also made an outstanding play, picking off quarterback Patrick Mahomes close to the sideline. Even though the Chiefs were only behind by five points at the time, the otherwise promising series came to an end when Nixon intercepted him.
5. In recent memory, the Chiefs have proven that they are capable of winning back after difficult defeats.
While every season is unique, as are all games, the Chiefs have demonstrated in the past few years that they can bounce back fast from crushing defeats.
Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Kansas City has not lost back-to-back games, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a career record of 16-3 following a regular season loss. With just five games left in the season, the reigning league MVP will try to get Kansas City back on track against the Buffalo Bills. That includes a 3-0 record this year.
After the loss, Mahomes remarked, “The only thing you can do when you lose football games is go watch the tape and you try to learn from it.” “You improve as a result of learning from your errors. All you can do is that. Win or lose on that score. We haven’t dealt with a ton of losing here, but everything is [still] out in front of [us]. We can still win the division, but it’s going to take us getting better and better every week, and we’re going to have a great challenge coming up in Buffalo. So, let’s get back to practice, and we’ll see if we can get better next week.”
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