Mike McCarthy says he never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining home-field advantage and setting the Green Bay Packers up for another Super Bowl run. Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage. But that perfect season, well that came to an end on Sunday afternoon. And I would like to say that "Undefeated Elephant" has left the room. The Packers can now rest players, and focus at the task at hand, which is to bring home another Lombardi Trophy. Let's Do It For The RING!
Kyle Orton outduel Aaron Rodgers, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers' 19-game winning streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.
"I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy," McCarthy said. "The goal was to get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl. So Green Bay, playing without leading receiver Greg Jennings and top rusher James Starks because of injuries, can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Chicago and Detroit. Or if the 49ers lose tonight. But the Packers no longer have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest winning streak in league history.
"I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs," Rodgers said. "We've got a home playoff game -- we've got a bye secured."
Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs to secure the victory."They had a good game plan," Rodgers said. "You have to give them credit."
Ryan Succop kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday.
Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half. Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs' weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up making five first downs. One of them came when Kansas City's Jeremy Horne ran into Packers punter Tim Masthay, giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when Mason Crosby missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field. With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.
Rodgers finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver Donald Driver and tight end Jermichael Finley. In fact, things were going so badly for Green Bay that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the game. The Packers moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Crosby attempt a 56-yard kick in the same direction he had already missed, McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. Rodgers' pass fell incomplete and the Chiefs took over. The Packers marched down field in the closing minutes, and Rodgers showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown that made it 19-14, but that was as close as they got. Green Bay came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since beating the Chicago Bears 10-3 in Week 17 last year.
Green Bay Packers rookie offensive lineman Derek Sherrod broke his right leg when Kansas City linebacker Tamba Hali rolled into in the fourth quarter he was playing in place of Bryan Bulaga, who went down with a knee strain. Notes: The Chiefs wound up having the ball for 36:11, while Green Bay had it for 23:49. Kansas City won despite going 1 for 5 in the red zone.
If's and But's moment: TE Pope clearly was still in bounds when the ball fell out of his hand. Because he fumbled it into the end zone, the ball should have been ruled a touchback and given to the Packers at their own 20-yard line. A challenge by McCarthy would likely have overturned the call on the field. But it's time to move on and think about the bigger task on hand. WIN THE SUPER BOWL. HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! GO! PACK GO!