The Packers losing Aaron Rodgers is a massive blow to them, but not an insurmountable one. ( said last week that the Giants game would be the last time I would feel confident picking the Chiefs for the rest of this season - and that's still true. This will be the turning point of the Chiefs season. I also think this is the week Patrick Mahomes looks like. Love will be making his first NFL start in the loudest outdoor stadium in the country. But this is a prime opportunity the Chiefs can't let slip. He's obviously not Rodgers, but he's more than capable of making plays. The Packers' game plan shouldn't change much with Jordan Love.

Mark Gunnels ( was honestly going to be the first week I picked against the Chiefs - and then Aaron Rodgers happened. I think it's close as the offense continues to struggle with ball protection and patience. Still, the Chiefs' offense will need to prove itself for them to win this game. He's seen nothing like Spagnuolo, who is known to be a madman when it comes to exotic coverages and blitzes. His game experience only includes vanilla preseason coverages and prevent looks in a fourth-quarter blowout. But regardless of how talented Jordan Love is, the drop from the reigning MVP to a player making his first career start will be noticeable. Dillon, All-Pro Davante Adams returning from his own spell with COVID-19 and a top-tier offensive line. The Green Bay offense still has plenty of weapons with running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Chiefs 27, Packers 21 Kristian Gumminger ( seemingly every 50-50 opportunity breaking against the Chiefs, getting to play Jordan Love instead of Aaron Rodgers could not have come at a better time. The offensive line has been great in the run-blocking department, so Derrick Gore and Darrel Williams could be a big part. Patrick Mahomes desperately needs a clean stat line to get some confidence back. Davante Adams is reportedly available, so he and Aaron Jones will be top priorities for Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. 2020 first-rounder Jordan Love will get the start, so the Chiefs' defense caught a break. Chiefs 27, Packers 24 Talon Graff ( has been a whirlwind for the NFL recently - and Kansas City is a part of those headlines with Aaron Rodgers testing positive for COVID being out for the Week 9 matchup.

The surgery on my right eye went fine - and while I still think the game will be close, I think the Chiefs will pull out a win. I had decided to pick a six-point Packers victory, saying that while I thought the Chiefs had begun to solve their problems, they wouldn't have enough of them worked out before Sunday. Chiefs 24, Packers 21 John Dixon ( of a surgical procedure scheduled for Wednesday, I had turned in my pick for this game before the Aaron Rodgers news broke. The deciding factor, in the end, was the fact that this is simply a must-win game for the Chiefs, whereas the Packers can afford to just go through the motions and end this nightmarish week. But on the other hand, I keep thinking about how well-coached the Packers are right now - compared to a Chiefs team that certainly isn't. On the one hand, I believe the Chiefs should be considered favorites because of - you know - Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Childs ( really struggled with this one. Let's see what the staff - and our readers - think about the matchup. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Kansas City is favored by 7.5 points. In Week 9, the Chiefs face the Green Bay Packers at Arrowhead Stadium. But our readers were a lot more worried: one in five thought the Giants would pull out a win. That added up to a composite prediction of a 33-21 win that was 26 points removed from the 20-17 final. However, half of them thought the Chiefs would notch a blowout win, while more than half of the rest thought it would be an easy victory. In Week 8, everybody on the Arrowhead Pride staff picked the Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the New York Giants.

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