By Fred Liggett
FredL@lstribune.net
The Kansas City Chiefs return to Sunday Night Football for the second time this month as they play host to the Green Bay Packers. For NBC, who broadcasts these Sunday night games, it’s the second time this month they do not get the quarterback match-up they originally had scheduled to show to the country.
Back on Oct. 6, NBC had the idea of showing Colts QB Andrew Luck against Chiefs QB Pat Mahomes. Then this Sunday was set up for a showcase of the cagey veteran Packers QB Aaron Rodgers vs the hot young phenom in Chiefs Pat Mahomes. Luck retired abruptly during the pre-season and Mahomes is expected to miss Sunday’s game due to a knee injury he suffered last week against Denver.
No worries the country should still see a pretty good show between the two teams who met for the first time in Super Bowl 1, a game the Packers won 35-10. The Packers come into KC wearing a 6-1 record and QB Aaron Rodgers with a perfect quarterback rating in the team’s win last week. Green Bay has won three in a row to take charge of the NFC North Division for now. The Chiefs enter with a 5-2 record and enjoy a 1.5 game lead in the AFC West Division for now.
Thanks to news that came out during the pre-season many NFL followers expected the Packers to struggle in the first year for new head coach Matt Lafleur. Word got out how the new coach was not getting along with veteran QB Rodgers and who knew where the franchise would go without them being on the same page. Instead the team is providing the Super Bowl winning quarterback with a perfect pocket to throw and he is responding with efforts like last week’s five touchdown performance against the Raiders.
When Chiefs franchise QB Mahomes left the game against Denver the score was 10-6. All thoughts in the NFL were, is the Chiefs season over? How many times do the Chiefs lose while Mahomes is missing games? And much more. The team responded with a 20-0 finish to their 30-6 win at division rival Denver. Back up QB Matt Moore threw a touchdawn pass to Tyreek Hill and managed the game well especially for a player who wasn’t around for the entire training camp. KC Chiefs coach Andy Reid has a sparkling record coming out of bye weeks and having ten days to prepare for the Packers is close to having a one. Expect Reid to have plays scripted just for Moore and the team to have success under the bright lights of a prime time game.
Taking one look at the injury report heading into this Sunday night game tells me that I wish the Packers/Chiefs contest would be moved to later in the year. With Mahomes likely out, WR Sammy Watkins, T Eric Fisher and DE Frank Clark all less than 100 percent. This is not the best time to face a red hot Packers team. The Chiefs will give it their best shot and keep the game close but in the end a game the Packers leave the field with a win. That’s What I REID Into It for this week.
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