Green Bay Packers: Studs and duds vs. Chiefs in Week 8
The Green Bay Packers survived at Arrowhead to win against the Chiefs and move to 7-1 on the season. Studs and duds from the hard-fought triumph.
Anyone that thought the Green Bay Packers would go into Arrowhead Stadium and trounce the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football was sorely mistaken. Even with Matt Moore at quarterback, Andy Reid had the Chiefs ready to rock in Week 8. In the end, though, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers ground through a tough matchup to pick up the win, 31-24.
With the victory, the Packers move to 7-1 on the season and have the look of a true contender in the NFC. Their offense is clicking on all cylinders right now under new head coach Matt LaFleur, even with No. 1 wide receiver Davante Adams currently out of the lineup due to a toe injury. And though the defense has enjoyed better nights than in Week 8, the talent on that side of the ball has shown itself plenty of times in the 2019 season.
Looking back at the Packers big win in primetime over the Chiefs, let’s dive into the studs and duds for Green Bay in their victory.
Stud: Aaron Jones, RB
For several years, fans (and fantasy football owners) have been rallying for the Green Bay Packers to free running back Aaron Jones. And though he’s still splitting time with Jamaal Williams — who also had a good night with two touchdowns — Jones was indeed freed against the Chiefs. He made the most of it with an absolutely monstrous game.
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Overall, Jones ended up with 13 carries for 67 yards to go with a huge seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game. More than that, though, Jones was a tone-setter, consistently coming up with big plays when the Packers offense needed it, including in the final moments of the fourth quarter where he converted several first downs to ice the win for Green Bay. It’s safe to say that the Aaron Jones breakout campaign is finally upon us.
Dud: Mike Pettine
Giving credit where it’s due, Mike Pettine did seem to get better with his defensive play-calling as the game went on. However, it was quite frustrating to watch the way that the Packers defensive backs were being asked to cover players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Too often, they were put in near-impossible one-on-one situations against matchup nightmares.
As talented as guys like Jaire Alexander and Darnell Savage are, Pettine put them in bad spots and that resulted in some poor showings from some of the best players on the Green Bay defense. Overall, Pettine’s work this season has been impressive, but Sunday was not one of his better outings.