Packers Defense Dominates Mahomes

The Green Bay Packers’ defense left Patrick Mahomes with less love for Lambeau Field after their Sunday Night win over the Chiefs. Despite Mahomes professing admiration for the Packers’ home field, he not only departed with a loss but also found the Packers to be a significant challenge throughout his encounters with them.

Under the coordination of Joe Barry, the Packers’ defense has consistently managed to diminish Mahomes’ performance, making the star quarterback appear far from MVP caliber and even below average. The most recent meeting in 2021, with Jordan Love starting and Joe Barry as the coordinator, showcased the defensive prowess in preparing for Mahomes’ skillset.

In their first encounter, Mahomes had a 74.8 rating, 160 yards passing, and one touchdown. This past Sunday, he slightly improved with a 79.1 rating, 210 yards passing, one touchdown, and an interception. Despite completing more passes, the Packers’ defense sacked him three times, consistently putting pressure on him and disrupting his rhythm.

Even when unable to sack Mahomes, the defense managed to make him uncomfortable on pass plays, applying pressure and forcing him to move out of the pocket without compromising coverage, preventing big plays.

The Packers’ defense has been adept at limiting opponents’ scoring, averaging only 20.3 points per game against them. Against the Chiefs, they forced two field goal attempts and allowed only two touchdowns on very short-yardage plays inside the 5. They also thwarted a two-point conversion attempt, showcasing their ability to prevent valuable conversions.

Despite conceding some gains in the running game, the defense effectively contained the Chiefs’ offense. Maintaining discipline while Mahomes extended plays, the secondary ensured they did not lose their assignments. Even on shorter completions, the Packers’ defense rallied to the football and tackled well in open space.

Several defensive players stood out in the game. Corey Bellentine had ten tackles and effectively contained QB runs in his role as a corner. Kenny Clark contributed five tackles, half a sack, and one tackle for a loss, consistently pressuring Mahomes with two QB hits. Darnell Savage allowed only one completed pass in coverage, showcasing his prowess from the safety position. Keisean Nixon secured his first interception of the year, and Quay Walker led the team with 13 total tackles.

The Packers’ defense passed a crucial test against the Chiefs, a team known for explosive plays. The question now is whether they can maintain this high level of play as the season progresses and the stakes get higher.