If there’s such a thing as a “moral victory” in the cutthroat NFL, then the Kansas City Chiefs earned one on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.
There’s no shame in losing to the Green Bay Packers. After all, the Packers are 7-1, quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, and boast a defense that is suddenly one of the NFL’s most talented after an offseason of upgrades. But there’s something extra impressive about how the Kansas City Chiefs took the fight to Green Bay on Sunday Night Football with journeyman quarterback Matt Moore leading the charge.
While the Chiefs couldn’t quite pull off the upset despite all of the defense’s sacks and Andy Reid’s scheming on offense, a 31-24 loss to the Packers in primetime is nothing to be ashamed of.
When the NFL drew up this matchup on paper for Week 8, they were likely expecting a battle between two of the NFL’s best teams and best quarterbacks. Though Patrick Mahomes’ injury prevented the whole “Mahomes vs. Rodgers” dream match from becoming a reality, Moore did enough to ensure that fans did get to see two of the best teams in the league duke it out.
The Chiefs record sits at 5-3, but that still puts them in the AFC West lead by 1.5 games over the Oakland Raiders. And even if the Raiders somehow came charging back for the top spot in the division, Kansas City would still be in the thick of the Wild Card race with the 5-3 Houston Texans and 5-2 Buffalo Bills.
Kansas City may not have had any answers for running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams as a pass defense, but they were able to hit Rodgers early and often, recording five sacks and 12 QB hits. While cornerback Bashaud Breeland’s injury is concerning, the fight that the Chiefs defense has shown since Mahomes’ knee injury, including their impressive display against the Denver Broncos in their Week 7 game in primetime, has to give this team plenty of hope.
Because if the Chiefs pass rush can continue to show increased potency and the back seven can shore up its holes in coverage, this team could really start to peak once Mahomes returns. Even without Mahomes, the offense still looked like a finely tuned machine under Reid’s guidance, as Moore had an efficient, turnover-free game that made use of a variety of playmakers at running back, wide receiver, and tight end – just like the Chiefs offense was meant to run.
The Chiefs are still in control of their destiny in the AFC West despite this loss, and they could honestly come away a much stronger team due to the adjustments they must make without Mahomes. This is an opportunity for Reid’s team to grow, and judging by how close they came to upsetting Rodgers and the nearly perfect Packers, it looks like Kansas City is on the right track.
