Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is coming off his best performance of the season, as he threw for 429 yards and five touchdowns — with no interceptions — during a blowout win over the Oakland Raiders.
Now, Rodgers will get the opportunity to do significant damage against a shaky defense for the second week in a row when the Packers take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Here are three predictions for the MVP candidate in Week 8:
3. Rodgers Won't Be Conservative
Earlier in the season, the Packers' offense had trouble getting off the ground, and much of that was due to Rodgers not letting loose like he had throughout most of his career.
How much of that was coaching and how much of that was due to Rodgers isn't really clear, but what we do know is that over the past several weeks, Rodgers has looked a heck of a lot looser and has been improvising more, which has led to stronger production.
Given that he will be facing a questionable Chiefs pass defense this weekend, expect Rodgers to take more risks.
To be fair, Kansas City's pass defense has actually been decent this year, as it ranks 10th in the NFL. It's the rushing defense that has been the bigger problem for the Chiefs.
However, Kansas City's secondary is still largely untested and has not faced a quarterback like Rodgers yet.
2. Rodgers Will Complete 65 Percent of His Passes
Rodgers has completed 64.8 percent of his passes this season, but last week, he completed 80.7 percent of his throws, and in three of the past four games, he has registered a completion percentage of 64 percent or better.
Believe it or not, though, Rodgers has only completed 65 percent of his throws once all season.
Get ready for the 35-year-old to do it a second time against the Chiefs.
Rodgers seems to be getting on a little bit of a roll now — which is bad news for Kansas City and the rest of the league. The amazing thing is that this has come without DaVante Adams, who has missed the last three contests with a toe injury.
Regardless, I expect Rodgers to be very precise and pick apart the Chiefs' secondary this Sunday.
1. He'll Throw for 350 Yards
I'm not sure Rodgers will crack the 400-yard mark again this weekend — he has already done it twice this season — but I do think he'll get to at least 350 yards in Week 8.
Again, Kansas City's pass defense has improved this year, but really, the only truly proven quarterback the unit has faced all year has been DeShaun Watson. Watson, as good as he is, is not on Rodgers' level as a passer.
Even without Adams, Rodgers should be able to take over this game and rack up 350 yards throwing to Jimmy Graham and the rest of his receiving corps (and maybe even his running backs).
Remember: Patrick Mahomes will be out for the Chiefs, so Rodgers should be able to play a bit more freely without having to worry so much about the opposing quarterback matching him every step of the way.
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