Rodgers leads Packers past Mahomes-less Chiefs

[October 28, 2019]  Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 33 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns Sunday night as the Green Bay Packers tripped up the short-handed Kansas City Chiefs 31-24 in Kansas City, Mo.

Rodgers, coming off a perfect passer rating a week earlier against Oakland, was often hounded by a blitzing Chiefs defense but engineered scores on three straight possessions in the second half before running out the clock at the end. The Packers improved to 7-1.

Running back Aaron Jones caught seven passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including a 67-yard scoring reception with 8:02 left when he capitalized on a linebacker mismatch. Jones also rushed 13 times for 67 yards, getting seven touches in the final 5:04.

The Chiefs (5-3), playing without the NFL's reigning MVP in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, lost for the fourth time in their last five home games when counting last season's loss to New England in the AFC Championship Game.

Drawing his first start since Week 12 of 2017 with Miami, Matt Moore passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns as Mahomes' replacement. Mahomes dislocated his kneecap in an Oct. 17 win at Denver.

Tyreek Hill led the Chiefs' receivers with six catches for 76 yards.

Moore led the Chiefs on a 10-play scoring drive that Damien Williams capped with a 3-yard run with 9:01 remaining for a 24-24 tie. But Jones answered two plays later when he split wide and caught a screen, breaking free for the decisive score in Green Bay's fourth straight win.

Rodgers wasted no time exploiting a Chiefs defense that entered Week 8 ranked 25th in the NFL and missing three key starters because of injuries -- defensive end Frank Clark, defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Kendall Fuller.

He led the Packers to touchdowns on two of their first three series, staking them to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Chiefs responded, however, to claim a 17-14 halftime lead as Moore passed for 196 yards in the half, with a touchdown strikes of 29 yards to Travis Kelce and a flip to Mecole Hardman for a 30-yard catch-and-run.

Harrison Butker booted a 28-yard field goal with 56 seconds remaining in the half to make it 17-14 Chiefs at the break.

The Packers tied it up with a 35-yard Mason Crosby field goal with 1:31 to play in the third, the only points either team scored in the period.

The Packers retook the lead 1:03 into the fourth when Rodgers found his other running back, Jamaal Williams, for a wild 3-yard scoring toss to make it 24-17. Fading away from two defenders on third-and-1, Rodgers flipped a lollipop to the back corner as he was hit, and it nestled perfectly in Williams' arms amid tight coverage, as he tapped two toes in the back corner of the end zone.

--Field Level Media

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