Chiefs vs Packers: Five stats to know

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without the reigning league MVP on Sunday and will have to find a way to win against the red-hot Green Bay Packers with Matt Moore at the helm.

Here are five stats that could paint a picture of what could happen on Sunday and what the Chiefs have to do to win:

215 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

The last time Matt Moore started a game for an NFL team, things did not go very well.

Moore was starting for the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 26, 2017, and he lost to the New England Patriots, 35-17. Moore completed 23 of his 34 attempts for 215 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss and was sacked seven times in the game.

If the Chiefs are going to have any chance to win with Moore under center, they’ll have to keep the pocket clean for him and do whatever they can to not let him take sacks. The success of running the ball, short throws and screen plays will all play a factor in how well Moore does.

9 receptions, 198 yards, 3 touchdowns

Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill have only been simultaneously healthy for one week this season. The last time both receivers started a game, Watkins had nine receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Granted, Hill went down with an injury later in the game, but Watkins was able to grab two TD passes on the three drives Hill was able to play.

Having two dynamic receivers will always help your offense, and in some cases, having so much talent at skill positions can mask the deficiencies of an average quarterback.

333 yards and 5 touchdown passes

The Chiefs haven’t played the Packers in the regular season since 2015, and maybe that’s for the best. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had his way with the Chiefs’ defense in that primetime game, completing 24 of his 35 passes for 333 yards and five TDs.

Rodgers is also coming off of a 429-yard, five-touchdown game against the Oakland Raiders, meaning he will likely be in MVP form when he gets to Arrowhead. Green Bay’s passing attack will not be easy to stop.

20 sacks in 7 weeks

Rodgers will be hard to stop, but it isn’t impossible. The Chiefs are currently tied for sixth in the league in total sacks with 20. Their nine-sack game against Denver last week boosted that number a lot, but it shows that it’s possible for the Chiefs to get to the quarterback. The team will be without pass rushers Chris Jones and Frank Clark, but Clark only accounted for two of the Chiefs nine sacks last week, so it’s possible his absence won’t make much of a difference.

1 turnover, 7 points

While it may not seem like a big deal, the Chiefs were able to convert on their lone turnover last week against Denver.

Last week, we pointed out that the team had only scored 10 points from the six total turnovers they’d forced in recent weeks and that they needed to improve on it if they wanted to succeed.

Although it was another defensive touchdown, it speaks to how much it means to convert on the opportunities that the defense provides, along with the kind of momentum that comes with that. If the Chiefs defense gives the offense any extra opportunities this Sunday, converting them into points will be a must.