Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Beat Jordan Love, Packers with Aaron Rodgers Out for GB

Well, that wasn't the first start Jordan Love would have drawn up for himself.

The second-year quarterback struggled in relief of Aaron Rodgers as the Green Bay Packers lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, 13-7.

Rodgers, unavailable after testing positive for COVID-19 this week and forced to be away from the team for at least 10 days as an unvaccinated player, had led the Packers (7-2) to seven straight wins after an opening loss. But the team's offense struggled without him, managing a mere seven points.

Not encouraging numbers, especially against a Kansas City defense that came into the game 29th in yards allowed per game (391.5) and tied for 27th in points given up per contest (27.5). And just when it looked like Love and the Packers were putting together a solid drive in the second half, a poor decision from the young quarterback killed the momentum.

Love recovered on the next drive, throwing for a touchdown on a crucial 4th-and-5 conversion.

But it was too little, too late.

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for Mahomes on the other side of the ball, as the Chiefs continued to look less like the team that reached the Super Bowl two seasons in a row and more like the disjointed unit that, at 5-4, currently isn't even a lock to make the postseason. 

Still, it was a vintage Mahomes throw that sealed the win:

The Chiefs will take the win, ugly or not. The Packers, meanwhile, will hope that Rodgers is only forced out of action for one game.

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Key Stats

Patrick Mahomes, KC: 20-of-37 for 166 yards and a score

Travis Kelce, KC: Five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown

Tyreek Hill, KC: Four catches for 37 yards

Jordan Love, GB: 19-of-34 for 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception

Davante Adams, GB: Six catches for 42 yards

Aaron Jones, GB: 12 rushes for 53 yards

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Love Didn't Look Like the Heir Apparent

Love's teammates didn't do him many favors Sunday. Mason Crosby missed a field goal and had another blocked. Malik Taylor had a punt bounce on his foot, leading to a turnover. The defense didn't force any takeaways against a Kansas City offense that has been handing them out like candy on Halloween. Untimely penalties killed momentum.

It was rough all around.

But still...bad is bad. And Love was downright bad Sunday.

The only blessing for Love was that his mother and girlfriend, on hand to watch him make his debut, were probably too far away from the action to see any of his struggles:

Love had some positive moments, no doubt. But all in all, it wasn't good enough to get Green Bay the win. And now the question for the Packers is whether it will be good enough in a post-Rodgers future.

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What Is Going on with Mahomes and KC's Offense?

Another week, another surprisingly meh performance from Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.

Drops. Mahomes struggling with accuracy and missing open receivers. A failure to punish teams vertically. The Chiefs, once a big-play machine, have become almost plodding on offense. It's borderline confusing.

Yes, Green Bay has a solid defense. Yes, a win's a win. But this could have easily been a blowout for the Chiefs, given Love's struggles, and it wasn't. The Chiefs offense continues to be littered with red flags, and this performance didn't change that.

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What's Next?

Kansas City travels to Las Vegas for a crucial AFC West showdown with the Raiders on Nov. 14 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. The Packers, meanwhile, host the Seattle Seahawks Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.