Packers have to feel the Love
2nd-year pro making first start in Rodgers’ place
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
The Packers-chiefs game Sunday was supposed to be a showdown between two teams with Super Bowl aspirations, each led by league MVPS under center and with rabid fan bases that expect nothing less than another deep postseason run.
Well, so much for expectations.
To start, the Packers will visit Arrowhead Stadium without the reigning MVP after Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19. Instead of having a threetime All-pro facing a downtrodden Chiefs defense, they’ll turn to second-year pro Jordan Love in his first career start with all of seven regular-season passes to his name.
At least the Packers (7-1) have a record commensurate with expectations.
On the other side, the Chiefs (4-4) and the 2018 MVP have looked nothing like a title contender. Patrick Mahomes leads the league in interceptions and turnovers, and Kansas City needed a fourth-quarter comeback Monday night just to beat the lowly Giants and even their record eight games into the season.
In other words, the luster that was supposed to accompany Sunday’s showdown has dimmed considerably.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us,” Packers coach Matt Lafleur said. “They’re not going to postpone or cancel the game. We have a game to play, and it’s a next-man up mentality, and that’s how we’ve operated for everybody.”
Indeed, the Packers overcame the loss of wide receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard to COVID protocols — to say nothing of their injuries on defense — to deal the Cardinals their first loss of the season last week.
It gave them a comfortable 3½-game cushion on the Vikings in the NFC North.
“Definitely it’s time for some of the young leaders, myself included, to step up.
And we’ve had a great leader to learn from,” said Packers running back Aaron Jones, who could be Love’s best friend Sunday. “So now, take that and put it to use.”
The Packers kept the faith in Love, a 2020 first-round pick out of Utah State, even though he didn’t play at all as a rookie and only sparingly in a season-opening blowout loss to New Orleans. Some of Love’s rapid progress came when he got the vast majority of reps as Rodgers skipped voluntary workouts and minicamp.
“He’s got his legs up under him. Just more experience,” Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “I’m not on the offensive side of the ball, but just watching him, you can just see he’s more comfortable.”
Meanwhile, the Chiefs still believe they are Super Bowl contenders after adding pass rusher Melvin Ingram ahead of the trade deadline to help their moribund defense. But they are still a half-game behind the Chargers, whom they’ve already lost to once, and 1½ games behind the Raiders in what has become a wide-open AFC West.
“It’s nothing crazy, man. We just have to do our jobs,” Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. said. “We can’t give up crazy deep balls. We can’t jump offsides. It’s just that is basic Football 101. You can’t hurt yourself, and we can’t let them take the top off of the defense. Just do your job right, and you’ll be all right.”