Why Loss to Chiefs Should Plummet Packers in NFL Power Rankings

The route to perfection has ended, as the Green Bay Packers finally lost for the first time in 19 games to, um, the Kansas City Chiefs.

As wrong as that sounds, it is true that Aaron Rodgers and crew fell to the 5-8 Chiefs. With the loss, the Packers shouldn't be proud of themselves, and they should ultimately fall off their top spot of the NFL power rankings totem pole.

Despite the Packers now being 13-1, their loss to the Chiefs represents their lack of a pass defense.

Amongst all 32 teams in the NFL, the Packers rank 31st, allowing 289.4 YPG through the air. On Sunday, they showed their inability to stop the pass by allowing quarterback Kyle Orton to throw for 299 yards in his first game starting with the Chiefs.

There is no doubt that Arrow Head Stadium is a tough place to play, but the Packers were considered shoo-ins considering who they were and who they were about to play.

The Chiefs recently fired head coach Todd Haley. Under interim head coach Romeo Crennel, they've had much success. The Chiefs held the Packers to only 315 total yards, which arguably was definitely not a genuine Rodgers-led game.

The Chiefs do have a good pass defense though, as they are currently ranked 9th in the league, allowing only about 210 yards per game. They showed it too, as they contained Rodgers to only 235 yards and a touchdown—both season lows for the reigning Super Bowl MVP.

The loss of wide receiver Greg Jennings certainly has hurt the Packers' pass offense, and it will remain to be seen how they will fare without him. When Jennings got hurt in the third quarter of last week's game against the Oakland Raiders, many were concerned how this pass offense would look without their biggest weapon.

The Packers now have to take care of the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. The Packers will be hosting both teams at home, so that is a good thing for Green Bay as they should be heading into the playoffs with home field advantage locked up.

While the power rankings are not important to the Packers, one could argue that their loss to the Chiefs should slide them under the New England Patriots and possibly New Orleans Saints.

The Packers still have one of the most prolific offenses in the league, but they are going to need to get things together just in case Jennings doesn't show up like he had all season. Rodgers has many weapons, and he will be needed to make them work.