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NFL Week 9 was not the finest hour for the Green Bay Packers. After dropping the season opener, the Packers put together a winning streak of seven games, but that came to an end against the Kansas City Chiefs.
With Aaron Rodgers out of the lineup after testing positive for COVID-19, the offense was completely stagnant. They scored just seven points against a Chiefs defense that has taken its fair share of beatings this season.
The NFL tends to be a rash reaction league. It’s easy to get too caught up in the results of a given game. After all, the Packers’ Super Bowl odds at DraftKings went from +900 to +1000 after the loss.
But games should come with perspective. There’s no denying the Packers laid an egg on Sunday, but they are still squarely in the realm of Super Bowl contenders.
Here are three reasons Packers fans should still be eyeing airline tickets to Los Angeles come February.
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The Chiefs game just served as a reminder of how much Aaron Rodgers means to the offense. Maybe Jordan Love will wind up being the franchise quarterback eventually, but it isn’t happening this season.
The team struggled to find an offensive rhythm with Love at the helm. Davante Adams still saw 14 targets but only caught six of them for 42 yards. Love passed for just 190 yards on 34 attempts. The best receiving day came from Randall Cobb, who had 50 yards on three catches.
The good news for the Packers is that Rodgers could be back from the COVID-19/reserve list as early as the Seahawks game on Sunday. Rodgers told the media there’s only a “small possibility” that he won’t be able to play against Seattle.
The NFL’s investigation of Rodgers’ and the Packers’ COVID-19 protocols following Rodgers’ positive test resulted in fines for the team, Rodgers and Allen Lazard, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
No proclamations about the Packers’ postseason chances should be made until we see the offense stall out with Rodgers at the helm.
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Things have gone incredibly well for the Packers this season considering their record. All things considered, they’ve still dealt with quite a bit of adversity.
For starters, All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari hasn’t played all season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Elgton Jenkins has played well in his stead. He’s PFF’s fifth-highest graded tackle this season. Regardless of what the coaching staff intends to do, it’s always good to get a player of Bakhtiari’s caliber back.
The eventual return of Josh Myers will help on the offensive line as well. The rookie has just three “blown blocks” all season and no sacks allowed, per Sports Info Solutions. By contrast, Lucas Patrick had a rough night giving up eight pressures and five quarterback hits to the Chiefs, per PFF.
On the defensive side of the ball, there’s hope they will get two major contributors back. Za’Darius Smith returned to the team facilities for the first time after his back surgery in early November, which is a positive sign he could return from injured reserve at some point.
Alexander is also on injured reserve, but Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported when the injury happened that the corner is expected to be back at some point this season.
As good as the Packers are right now, they could be adding two high-level contributors over the next month before the stretch run really begins.
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A loss is never ideal, but the Packers can take solace in knowing that the 13-7 loss to the Chiefs was a perfect example of how good the Packers’ defense is.
The Chiefs may have some problems of their own, but they are still a dangerous offensive unit. With Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce all healthy and active, the Packers still held them to 13 points.
That’s even more impressive when you factor in that one of the Chiefs’ field goals was a direct result of a muffed punt that put them on the Packers’ 10-yard line.
The dominance on the defensive side of the ball shouldn’t come as a surprise. The unit has been excellent all season. For major losses like Za’Darius Smith, they’ve had players like Rashan Gary step up to the plate.
Gary has led the way for a pass-rush that has racked up 21 sacks to this point with 4.5 of his own. The secondary—even without Alexander—has held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 88.0.
The offense will be fine when Rodgers is back at the helm. But it’s the defense that truly propels the Packers Super Bowl chances, and that unit is still playing at a high level.
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