Packers-Chiefs Insider Insight: Mahomes, Spagnuolo, Big Matchup

With the Packers hosting the Chiefs in a huge Sunday night showdown, let’s go behind enemy lines to get the scoop on the defending Super Bowl champions.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the Green Bay Packers upsetting the Detroit Lions on Thursday, the stage is set for the biggest game of the season. On Sunday night, the rapidly improving Packers will take on the NFL’s current gold-standard franchise, the Kansas City Chiefs, who’ve won two of the last four Super Bowls behind two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes.

Let’s take a trip behind enemy lines with Jordan Foote of SI.com’s Arrowhead Report.

It’s kind of odd to see Patrick Mahomes ranked 10th in passer rating. He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, so why hasn’t the performance been to his usual standard?

The Chiefs’ offense has been significantly limited at times this year, and there’s been a different culprit seemingly every week. Dropped passes, injuries to Travis Kelce, questionable offensive line play and less-than-stellar situational play-calling have held Kansas City’s offensive attack back.

Because the receiver room has underwhelmed so much in 2023, Mahomes is naturally less willing to attack down the field and give non-Kelce pass-catchers chances to make impactful plays. The MVP-winning quarterback deserves a chunk of the blame, absolutely, but he’s a small piece of a much larger pie.

Everyone knows about Mahomes and Maauto. I mean Travis Kelce. To me, the secret star is running back Isiah Pacheco, who will attack one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. What makes him so good?

It’s been a very solid sophomore campaign for Pacheco, who maintains the same angry running style he displayed as a seventh-round rookie in 2022. The differences for him this year have been pass protection and receiving, which has turned him into a much more well-rounded halfback.

Pacheco is averaging just over double his previous receiving yardage per game this year. Additionally, he’s shown some improvements to his vision and patience to make him a bit more consistent as a runner. The Chiefs’ offense has relied on him quite a bit this season, and he’s answered the call for the most part.

Kind of a generic question here but can you give us the Cliffs Notes version of why the Steve Spagnuolo-coordinated Chiefs defense is so good? He chewed up and spit out Green Bay’s offense at Arrowhead in 2021. What do you think his plan of attack will be on Sunday?

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The biggest development for the Kansas City defense this year is that opposing offenses can’t necessarily know what to expect.

Spagnuolo has a full complement of weapons at each level – fueled by offseason pickups Charles Omenihu, Drue Tranquill and Mike Edwards – and his creativity is thriving as a result. He’s no longer blitzing out of necessity, but rather because he wants to throw different wrinkles at quarterbacks as often as he can.

For someone like Jordan Love, a young signal-caller who is still developing, even he will see a different version of the Chiefs this time around. Expect lots of physical, press-man coverage, some slot blitzes and even a few dynamic looks from the linebacker position.

You asked me this question and I will do the same: What is the under-the-radar matchup that could determine Sunday’s victory?

We’re on the same wavelength here, as you mentioned this matchup, as well. Players like Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson may be more well-known at this point, but rookie wideout Jayden Reed is quickly making a name for himself as a must-watch player that defenses have to account for.

The Chiefs have settled into a plan of letting L’Jarius Sneed stick outside as Trent McDuffie remains in the slot, so the Michigan State product will have his hands full trying to make an impact. If Reed can get the best of McDuffie and the Kansas City defense on Sunday, it very well could be a swing factor in the game’s outcome.

What is the Chiefs’ kryptonite that gives the Packers a legitimate shot of pulling off the upset?

It’s kind of a cop-out response, but it typically rings true for this team. If the Chiefs lose, there’s about a 90 percent chance that they beat themselves.

Especially this season, Kansas City has fallen victim to the aforementioned drops, turnovers and even penalties as reasons for deficits, close games and losses. If Mahomes throws an ugly interception or a receiver has a bad day, it could stall some drives and allow Green Bay to make a dent in the game’s scoring.

The 2023 Chiefs aren’t as scary of an opponent as they’ve been in years past, so all the Packers need to do is take care of their end of the bargain and hope Andy Reid’s group does what it’s done countless times this season.

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