GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers play Sunday night at Lambeau Field against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Matt LaFleur has been perfect in the month of December as Packers coach. He’s 15-0 overall in December, and 8-0 at Lambeau Field. LaFleur had several things to say about what will be key to winning in December.
“I think it’s just staying consistent, staying true to your process and really pushing to get better,” said LaFleur. “This is a long season and trying to stay mentally fresh as best you can is an important part of that. I think the consistency — showing up on a daily basis, ready to work, ready to put in the work and wanting to improve, I think is really the key to that.”
The Chiefs offense has traditionally carried them, but this season Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has led the way for Kansas City.
“They’ve got a good scheme,” said Packers quarterback Jordan Love. “They dial up some pretty good pressures. I think everyone’s kind of in tune with what they’re doing and they’re able to disguise stuff pretty well. But I think they’ve got good players, and they play well in the scheme of their defense.”
“They do a really good job of challenging you, specifically, I would say in the back end,” added LaFleur. “They’re very, very aggressive, especially when they play their man coverage. They’re going to try to choke you out of the line of scrimmage, and then all the different combinations that they bring. Whether it’s corner blitzes, a nickel pressure or safety pressure, blitz the linebackers. They have different front structures. They do a good job of playing multiple personnel groupings to whatever you put out there.”
Love also addressed the superstar who may be at the game Sunday night.
“I don’t listen to too much Taylor Swift,” said Love. “We’ll see. I’m not sure if she will be or not, but I don’t listen to too much Taylor Swift.”
The Packers are now 5-6 and in playoff contention. Sunday night will mark the first regular season game at Lambeau Field for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Packers played Mahomes and the Chiefs two years ago in Kansas City.
“The Chiefs have done some really good things over the past couple of years,” said Love, who made his first NFL start against the Chiefs in 2021 because Aaron Rodgers had COVID. “Been playing at a high level, been at the Super Bowl, I don’t know how many times. It feels like the past couple years, they’ve been there. So obviously a really good team, a really good coached team as well. So, we’re excited about the opportunity.”
“The Chiefs offense, this is a very explosive unit, one of the best in the league,” said LaFleur. “There’s not many quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes out there. You combine him with guys like Travis Kelce, that’s one of the best combinations in all of the National Football League.”
Love is the first Packers quarterback ever to have three games of three touchdown passes and zero interceptions in his first 12 starts.
“I feel like it’s just a comfort, being comfortable in the pocket,” said Love. “Obviously, getting more reps, as I’m being comfortable in my reads, understand what the defense is doing, where I need to go with the ball and just growing and learning every rep I get. Understand where I need to go with the ball when a look isn’t perfect. Understanding where my check downs are and how quickly I get the ball out. Just so I’m not sitting in the pocket, helping the whole line out by trying to get the ball out quick. I think it’s just, when you don’t get the right read or the right look, understand where the check downs are, not trying to wait and force the ball in.”
“Everybody wants to throw it down the field,” said LaFleur. “Sometimes, you’ve got to be calculated. It’s got to be there. It’s got to be the right read. What I’ve been so impressed with him, we’ve been on him in terms of you go through your progression within the timing of the play. But there were a couple of instances where the pass rush hit home quicker than what you’d like it to, and he got to his check down on maybe his first hitch.”
Packers players not practicing on Wednesday included Aaron Jones, Jayden Reed and A.J. Dillon, whose groin is being rested as a precaution.
The NFL has announced that the Packers at New York Giants game will remain on Monday night on Dec. 11 and will not be flexed.