The Kansas City Chiefs faced the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau on December 3rd in Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season. Here are takeaways and highlights from the game.
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Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs 19, Green Bay Packers 27
Going into the game, the Green Bay Packers were looking to get a win and begin their hopeful march into the postseason. The Kansas City Chiefs, on the other hand, are already playoff-bound and needed a victory to try and attain the first seed in the AFC. There could only be one successful team, and Green Bay came out on top, 27-19.
Why did the Packers win? It was a combination of things. Jordan Love was playing well (throwing for three touchdowns isn’t that bad), the Packers’ defense got to Patrick Mahomes several times, and the offense for the Chiefs tried.
Mahomes was 21 of 33 for 210 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception, and he was sacked three times. Love went 25 of 36 for 267 yards, with three touchdowns, and was sacked twice. So, it is not like the offense was bad for the Chiefs, but penalties and inconsistency of the receivers still appear to be a significant pitfall.
Isiah Pacheco and Noah Gray made it into the endzone, and Travis Kelce had four catches for 81 yards. A.J. Dillon had 73 yards on 18 carries, Romeo Doubs finished with 72 yards on four catches, and Christian Watson had seven for 71 yards.
Highlights
POP POP 💥 pic.twitter.com/KvFo8t3H8M
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 4, 2023
ANOTHER ONE FOR @ChristianW2017!
TOUCHDOWN! 🙌 #KCvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/3MUEvPMWoo
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 4, 2023
GRAY GETS IN 😤 pic.twitter.com/1VIomn1SBe
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 4, 2023
.@keiseannixon with the INT!#KCvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/1dwoYzleKw
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 4, 2023
Looking Forward
Right now, the Packers move into a playoff position, even with a 6-6 record. Green Bay sits in a four-way tie with the Vikings, Rams, and Seahawks for the last two wild-card spots in the NFC. Game after game, they continue to trust the process, Love and Matt LaFleur. It is starting to pay off for them, and looking at the rest of the season; it is not hard to think those games are winable. A playoff spot, while not guaranteed, is in their sights, and they want to prove everyone wrong about their team. The Packers will be facing the New York Giants in Week 14. Matches against the Buccaneers, Panthers, Vikings, and Bears follow that game.
It has been a while since the Chiefs were not the top dog in their conference. However, they cannot let it keep them from finding what works best for their offense. We have seen them struggle all season, and some receivers have not performed as expected. The one thing Chiefs fans can count on is the Mahomes-Kelce combination. They next face the Bills in Week 14 but then go on to play the Patriots, Raiders, Bengals, and Chargers. None of those games are guaranteed, and if Kansas City wants to be in a good position come the playoffs, they will need to figure out the receiver issue and cut down on penalties.
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