In Sunday night’s matchup, Jordan Love showcased significant growth since his last encounter with the Kansas City Chiefs. Love threw three touchdown passes, connecting with Christian Watson on two of them, as the Green Bay Packers secured their third consecutive victory with a 27-19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
This marked Love’s first face-off with the Chiefs since his inaugural career start two years ago, resulting in a 13-7 loss due to Aaron Rodgers’ absence following a positive COVID-19 test.
“I’ve had this game circled for a long time,” Love expressed. “This was my first start, and I obviously didn’t play how I wanted to the first game. To be able to see these guys and get the victory is huge.”
The Packers dominated early, scoring touchdowns on three of their initial four drives, never trailing throughout the game. Their defense played a crucial role, making two key stops in the final 5 1/2 minutes, including knocking down Mahomes’ pass into the end zone on the game’s last play.
Having rebounded from a four-game losing streak earlier in the season, the Packers have now won four of their last five games, positioning themselves for a playoff run.
“They’re coming together,” stated Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “They’re working. They’re getting better. They’re playing faster, playing more confident.”
With a December record of 16-0 under LaFleur, the Packers remain undefeated in this month. The only team with a longer consecutive December winning streak was the San Diego Chargers with 18 straight victories from 2006-09.
Jordan Love had an efficient night, going 25 of 36 for 267 yards. Tight end Ben Sims scored his first career touchdown with a 1-yard catch, and Love added touchdown passes of 9 and 12 yards to Christian Watson.
Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Chiefs, went 21 of 33 for 210 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, now 8-4, lost in the presence of pop superstar Taylor Swift, ending their previous four-game winning streak with her attendance.
Despite leading the AFC West, the Chiefs dropped behind three other teams for the top seed in the conference.
“The Packers did a great job tonight,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid. “They got after us, and it’s a good football team. We’ve got to be able to start faster on both sides of the ball. We’ve got to learn from that and get better as we go forward.”
The game had its share of dramatic moments, including an ejection for Isiah Pacheco, who rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown but was thrown out for punching Keisean Nixon during a late-game scuffle.
Next up, the Chiefs will host Buffalo next Sunday, while the Packers will face the New York Giants on Monday, Dec. 11.
Other NFL scores from Sunday, December 3, 2023:
Houston 22, Denver 17
LA Chargers 6, New England 0
Detroit 33, New Orleans 28
Atlanta 13, NY Jets 8
Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 10
Indianapolis 31, Tennessee 28 (OT)
Miami 45, Washington 15
Tampa Bay 21, Carolina 18
LA Rams 36, Cleveland 19
San Francisco 42, Philadelphia 19
Green Bay 27, Kansas City 19
Monday, 12/4/23:
Cincinnati at Jacksonville – 7:15 PM (ESPN/ABC)
