The Green Bay Packers face off against an AFC juggernaut in Week 13, the Kansas City Chiefs. On paper, the Chiefs are favored to take this game despite traveling to Lambeau, so the Packers need to find a way to even the odds and take out their opponent’s biggest threat: the almighty Mahomes.
Kansas City’s superstar quarterback keeps defensive coordinators up at night trying to solve the enigma of his offense. Even when everything goes right, Mahomes has the incredible potential to turn a busted play into a touchdown with one flick of his wrist.
How Can the Green Bay Packers Slow Down Patrick Mahomes?
Planning for a 60 minute showdown with a Superbowl veteran, league MVP, and record breaking player like Patrick Mahomes takes careful planning from the defensive side of the Green Bay Packers. Coach Matt LaFleur has already stated the significance of studying film and what they need to look for.
Matt LaFleur on devising a defensive game plan against Patrick Mahomes: "It is a great challenge. But where do we start? We start by watching the tape, figuring out what they might want to do to us, and trying to negate some of that stuff."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) November 30, 2023
Regardless of his talent, Mahomes’ success ultimately depends on his receiver core down the field, and, for the most of his career, Travis Kelce has been his go-to guy for almost every kind of play. Without him, like in the first game of the season in their loss to the Detroit Lions, Kansas City struggled to move the ball as effectively.
In Week 9, Miami placed their entire defensive strategy around keeping Kelce’s involvement limited, holding him to just 3 receptions for 14 yards. Yes, the Chiefs beat the Dolphins in this matchup, but they still scored fewer than their average points per game and found themselves in a closer match than they would have liked. If the Packers can eliminate a key target like Travis Kelce, Mahomes’ options are heavily limited.
Pressuring Mahomes in the backfield is also a major factor. On Thanksgiving, the Packers managed to take down Lions quarterback Jared Goff 3 times and forced him to scramble on many more occasions. Mahomes is still a danger outside of the pocket, but if he’s given time to sit back and dissect a defense, he’s lethal. Preston Smith and Rashan Gary need to play lights out to get in Mahomes’ face and close in around him.
The turnover margin is another avenue Green Bay can thrive in. Though they sit dead even with 12 takeaways and 12 giveaways through this point in the season, the Chiefs are -5 with 11 interceptions and eight fumbles. The Packers forced three fumbles in their win over the Lions, a team with a similar turnover differential, so if they can take advantage of the Chiefs’ pattern of handing the ball over, they can capitalize and maintain control of the game.
Starting early and finishing strong is essential for the Packers in Week 13. The Chiefs offense is a war engine built to take charge AND come from behind when necessary; you can’t count them out in any circumstance. Green Bay needs to set the tempo, take care of the football, and corner Mahomes into making mistakes by taking away his usual targets and pushing him out of his comfort zone.
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