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It certainly wasn't pretty, but the Kansas City Chiefs came away with a 13-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Sunday afternoon's Week 9 contest. It was an ugly affair, as quarterbacks from each team barely reached a 50% completion rate, and there were only 2 combined touchdowns.
Had Mason Crosby not missed two short-to-medium length field goals (one of which was blocked), we could have been looking at a very different result of a ballgame. Still, though, a win is a win, and the Chiefs will head into Week 9 with the same 5-4 record as they would have had they blown out the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers by 40.
It was encouraging to see Patrick Mahomes' chemistry Travis Kelce alive and well once again on paper, as the two connected 5 times for 68 yards and a touchdown, but there were certainly missed opportunities. More on that later. Also notable was KC's excellent play on special teams, as punter Tommy Townsend had a field day stuffing the Packers offense inside their own 10, and the Chiefs were also able to recover a muffed punt and block a kick.
What do we make of this sluggish Kansas City squad 9 weeks in? Can they right the ship? Were these last two games a result of great defensive work, or is the Chiefs offense really that much worse than years past? Here are 3 key takeaways from Sunday's game.
3. Mahomes and Kelce's connection is broken
As mentioned before, Travis Kelce was the Chiefs most reliable target on the day, but there was clearly something off between he and Patrick Mahomes tonight, which continues a trend that has surfaced in the recent past. Kelce dropped a couple gimme passes during the contest, and showed visible frustration that's a result of the last 6 games, in which he's only topped 70 yards receiving once. Mahomes also misseed Kelce multiple times when he was wide open for what would have been huge gains. The huge plays that have seemingly been automatic for these two in years past have suddenly become sparse, and it's concerning. Hopefully this stretch is just a blip in the amazing careers of these two, but their special connection seems to be broken right now.
2. The defense has stepped up to the task as of late
In a game the Chiefs won, it can't be all bad. Say what you want about the Packers not having Aaron Rodgers, the Chiefs still held a talented group of skill position players to only one score all game, and were especially stingy after the game's first couple drives. In the 6 drivers that Green Bay had from the 10-minute mark in the second quarter and on, the only drive that didn't end in a punt or turnover was the Packers' lone touchdown. Very impressive for Steven Spagnuolo's group, as it's now the second straight game they've held their opponents to less than 20 points, and a point to build off of.
1. KC is not a contender, but a few small adjustments can bring them back
No matter how optimistically you look at it, this Chiefs squad is not built for a playoff run in its current state. With dropped passes everywhere, uninspiring offensive line play, and unconfident reads from their former MVP quarterback for a team that's been the NFL's greatest offensive engine over the last few years, any capable offense can beat them right now. However, if Mahomes can get back even half of the way he played last year, and the defense can keep the momentum rolling, they'll be right back in the mix for a return to the Super Bowl. All we can do as fans is wait and see what happens.
