Jordan Love was not the reason that the Green Bay Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in week 9.
A late third-and-long conversion allowed the Chiefs to kneel out the clock, but the defense put together perhaps its best performance of the season against one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.
Those mistakes effectively cost the Packers nine points before the break, with missed field goal resulting from a poor hold, a blocked field goal , and a muffed punt off the foot of gunner Malik Taylor that led directly to a Chiefs field goal.
The young quarterback escaped as best he could, but he was pressured quickly throughout the contest, particularly when the Chiefs brought creative blitzes on third downs.
Love would finally find at least a bit of a rhythm in the fourth quarter, however, as he moved the football and connected with Allen Lazard for his first career touchdown, coming with about five minutes remaining.
It was Mahomes’ finest play of the game, and it was perhaps the only truly impressive play of the day for the Chiefs quarterback.
Love finished the game 19-for-34 with 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception as the Packers fell to 7-2 on the season.
The Packers received the opening kickoff after the Chiefs won the toss and deferred, and it was a quick three-and-out in Love’s first series.
The defense would also lose Kenny Clark late in the first half to a back issue, and with Kingsley Keke already inactive with a concussion, that led to more snaps for young linemen like T.J.
Kansas City ripped off a lengthy 15-play drive on their first opportunity with the football, eventually taking a 7-0 lead on a short touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce.
On the Packers’ second drive, Dillon picked up 26 yards on three carries and 15 yards on a screen pass, but pressure on a third down caused another errant throw from Love.
Gary provided pressure in Mahomes’ face and after he got the football out to Darrel Williams, Savage completed the tackle for loss to turn Kansas City back and give Jordan Love and the offense the football at the Chiefs’ 37.
It was a rough snap by new long snapper Steven Wirtel, but the Chiefs’ Alex Okafor broke through the line and blocked the attempt anyway to deny any possibility of the kick sailing through the uprights.
Love and Dillon quickly connected to get out of the shadow of the goal line, with Love checking out of a run and throwing to the flat, where Dillon was able to pick up 21 yards.
Punt returner Amari Rodgers allowed a ball to hit the turf, and it hit a falling Malik Taylor in the foot before bouncing towards the end zone.
Love could not connect to move the chains again, however, and he sailed a back-shoulder throw to Adams short with the receiver running a go route instead of looking back for the football.
Gary and Savage would deny the Chiefs a double-up coming out of the half, with Savage breaking up a first-down pass and Gary sacking Mahomes on third down.
A few plays later, however, Love sailed a ball high for Adams and L’Jarius Sneed picked it off to end the Packers’ best-looking drive of the game.
Lazard kept his feet inbounds, shook off safety Daniel Sorensen, and tiptoed up the sideline into the end zone for the Packers’ first touchdown of the game and Love’s first career touchdown pass.
Although the front got pressure on Mahomes, he escaped the pocket and delivered an off-balance throw to Tyreek Hill, who hauled in the 13-yard pass to move the chains and clinch the Chiefs’ victory.
The 7-2 Packers will return home next week to face the Seattle Seahawks.