Packers def. Chiefs on SNF: Recap & analysis (2024)

By Matt Schneidman and Nate Taylor

Packers quarterback Jordan Love starred in Green Bay’s 27-19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The 25-year-old QB was 25-of-36 passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

The Packers improved to 6-6 with the win, their third straight, as the Chiefs fell to 8-4.

The Packers never trailed in the matchup with the AFC West-leading Chiefs. Kansas City cut Green Bay’s lead to two points after a Noah Gray touchdown early in the fourth quarter but failed to capitalize on their next drives.

Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon picked off a throw by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes with 5:14 remaining. Green Bay kicker Anders Carlson also hit two field goals in the fourth quarter, including a game-defining 48-yarder that gave the Packers the 27-19 lead with 1:09 left.

Mahomes completed 21 of 33 passes for 210 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco — who was ejected in the fourth quarter — posted 18 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

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Patrick Mahomes walked off the podium inside Lambeau Field with his head bowed. Mahomes didn’t say much on the short walk from the interview room to the visitors locker room, the quiet place where the Kansas City Chiefs gathered their belongings Sunday night after a disappointing 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers in which the NFL’s best quarterback couldn’t rally his teammates to an expected comeback victory.

Sitting in front of his locker, Mahomes was surrounded by teammates who attempted to express their frustration without conceding that their goals — in postseason — were severely damaged.

“They executed better than us,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “We’ve just got to keep rallying together and just fighting and growing together.”

Mahomes did his best to keep the Chiefs’ season in perspective.

“Obviously, we’re not where we want to be at,” he said, “but I feel like we’re close.”

On the field Sunday night, in cold, windy conditions, the Chiefs needed Mahomes, the league’s reigning MVP, to be more than just heroic. They needed him to be flawless.

Mahomes felt it, too.

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Keisean Nixon outsmarted the guy who might go down as the best quarterback of all time.

He saw Patrick Mahomes tap his knee and knew exactly what was coming. Nixon stared down receiver Skyy Moore in the slot to the right of the formation. Rashee Rice lined up to Moore’s right with rookie cornerback Carrington Valentine in press man coverage. Rice ran a five-yard stop route to the inside and Moore curled around him to run a fade.

Sure enough, Mahomes lofted the ball to Moore down the right sideline. It almost looked like Nixon was the receiver on the play with how well he read it, beating Moore to the spot as the Chiefs slot receiver looked back for the ball. The Packers’ nickel cornerback picked off Mahomes with 5:16 remaining in the game, Green Bay clinging to a five-point lead and the Chiefs just inside Packers territory.

“He checked,” Nixon said of Mahomes. “We were watching mannerism tape earlier in the week and he tapped his knee and they put two off the ball and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ve seen this before.’ I knew he was going to run it and he ran it.”

On the ensuing drive, the Packers took four minutes and five seconds off the clock, using 11 plays to gain 35 yards before Anders Carlson’s 48-yard field goal gave the Packers an eight-point advantage that held firm in a 27-19 upset of the defending Super Bowl champions at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.

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Packers QB Jordan Love finished with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions in Sunday's win, his second straight three-TD, 0-INT game and fourth this season.

Love’s four games with at least three touchdowns and zero interceptions are tied with the 49ers’ Brock Purdy for most in the NFL this season.

The Packers’ win over the Chiefs was their 16th straight in the month of December, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest overall since the Chargers won 18 straight December games from 2006-09.

Green Bay’s last loss in the month of December came in Week 17 of 2018, the final game before Matt LaFleur was hired as head coach.

The 49ers looked like the class of the league in their dismantling of the Eagles on Sunday. The Packers, meanwhile, wrapped up the day with a huge win over the Chiefs. Robert Mays and Nate Tice are here to break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Watch the live stream here.

The Packers fell to 2-5 on Oct. 29, the team’s worst seven-game start since 2005 (1-6). Since then, Green Bay has gone 4-1 to climb back to .500 and into the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff standings.

The Packers’ 4-1 record since Week 9 is tied for third-best in the NFL over that span.

Wild sequence in Green Bay. After Chiefs WR Rashee Rice appeared to fumble, Packers CB Corey Ballentine picked up the ball and ran 68 yards for the touchdown.

During the return Chiefs RB Isaih Pacheco got into it with Packer CB Keisean Nixon and Pacheco was ejected for throwing a punch.

The fumble was reversed upon review and Kansas City resumed possession first-and-10 at the 50-yard line.

Chiefs take over down eight with less than two minutes to play.

Patrick Mahomes is seeking his 17th career fourth-quarter comeback (including playoffs) and second such win this season (Week 4 at Jets).

Packers CB Keisean Nixon picks off Patrick Mahomes, Nixon's first interception of the season and second of his career.

Mahomes has been picked off six times in six road games this season, matching his season high.

After the Chiefs cut into the Packers’ lead once again on a 2-yard Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to Noah Gray, the defense gets a stop and gives the ball back to the offense.

Kansas City is looking to open the second half with three straight TD drives for the first time since Week 7 of last season against the 49ers.

The Packers just had to burn a timeout on defense in the third quarter because they had 10 guys on the field.

Head coach Matt LaFleur NOT happy with Keisean Nixon, who was on the sideline.

Jordan Love has matched his career high with three touchdown passes, a total he’s hit in four games this season.

Aaron Rodgers had one three-touchdown game all of last season.