GREEN BAY – Our Packers coverage team predicts the outcome of Green Bay’s game Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pete Dougherty

This game will be the toughest test yet for Jordan Love and his green pass-catching corps. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo blitzes as much as any DC in the league, and he’ll bring guys from any position on the field. We’ll see just how far along the communication and timing between Love and his receiving/tight end corps is at this point. Then there’s the matter of dealing with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs aren’t quite the devastating offense they’ve been in recent years (they rank No. 11 in points per game), but they’re an elite team, and the guess here is they’ll be a little too much for the Packers. Chiefs 27, Packers 21

Kassidy Hill

What’s crazy about this game is the Packers could lose and still come out the other side feeling good about themselves, if they keep it close. And that’s likely what happens. The Chiefs are not the world-beaters they have been in recent years, but they still have one of the best play-callers in the league in Andy Reid, one of the best pass-catching connections in Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and a defense spearheaded by Chris Jones. The Chiefs also have the late-season experience that the young Packers just don’t have yet. Expect Jordan Love to handle the blitz Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo will bring better than he did in 2021. But Kansas City will land punches on defense, fluster Love more than he has been all year and pick apart any hint of Joe Barry’s conservative play-calling. Chiefs 28, Packers 20

Tom Silverstein

Who wouldn’t want to see a high-scoring game between these two teams? But it’s likely to be more of a defensive game and the Packers are going to have to play like they did against Detroit to move the ball. When the Packers get ahead, their pass rush really seems to flourish. Kansas City fell behind to Las Vegas last week and has had some bad halves this year. If kick returner Keisean Nixon can flip the field for the Packers, then they have a chance. But expect Andy Reid to figure out how to break apart defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s zone coverages and give quarterback Patrick Mahomes opportunities to spread the ball around. The Packers are coming off a nice performance over Detroit, but they’re not in the class of the defending Super Bowl champions and will learn a lesson about what it takes to be a title contender. Chiefs 26, Packers 21

Keys to the game: Here are 5 things to watch as the Green Bay Packers face the Kansas City Chiefs

Ryan Wood

Just because the Packers had a shocking win against the Detroit Lions doesn’t mean they’re going to play that way every week from here on out. Weird things can happen when divisional opponents play each other. Four days after the Packers won in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, the Minnesota Vikings lost at home in prime time to the Chicago Bears. The New England Patriots have beaten the Buffalo Bills this season. The Cleveland Browns lost by 25 points to the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland this season, and six weeks later they overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter to win in Baltimore. It gets less weird when uncommon opponents meet, and the Packers and Chiefs are the definition of uncommon. The Chiefs also have one of the NFL’s best defenses, and though their offense hasn’t consistently hit the otherworldly standards set over the years, they still have Patrick Mahomes. For those reasons, they are the NFL’s gold standard. I expect some regression from the Packers this week, even at home. This is still a young, ascending team, and young teams don’t ascend on a linear trajectory. This won’t be a beatdown, but I don’t expect a game that comes down to the wire either. Chiefs 26, Packers 19