Tonight's "Sunday Night Football" matchup looked like one of, if not the game of the year — or at least the quarterback matchup of the year — up until a little more than a week ago.
On Sunday night in Week 8, the Chiefs will host the Packers in a game scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. It was prime for a national showcase of Aaron Rodgers on one side and Patrick Mahomes on the other until the Kansas City QB went down with a knee injury last Thursday. The reigning NFL MVP practiced late in the week but was not expected to play, leaving Matt Moore in the lineup as the Chiefs' QB.
Mahomes' injury is part of the reason Green Bay enters Sunday night's game as a four-point road favorite, per Sportsbook Review. Another factor is the heat with which Rodgers enters Week 8.
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The Packers QB last week passed for 429 yards and 5 touchdowns (plus a rushing TD) for a perfect passer rating, becoming the third player in NFL history to record 400-plus passing yards, five or more passing TDs and a rushing TD in a single game. Further, the last time Rodgers played against the Chiefs (2015), he passed for 333 yards and 5 TDs with no picks for a 138.5 rating. And one more line for good measure: Rodgers has 1,737 pass yards, 15 TDs and just one INT for 106.3 rating in his past six starts on "Sunday Night Football."
So, yeah, one can expect the Green Bay passer to shine under the Arrowhead Stadium lights Sunday night.
Below is all the info you need to watch Packers vs. Chiefs on Sunday night, including the TV channels and kickoff time.
Who plays on Sunday Night Football tonight?
- Matchup: Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs
- Kickoff time: 8:20 p.m. ET
In both our Week 8 NFL picks against the spread and straight-up predictions, Sporting News projected a Packers victory Sunday night. Below are the explanations.
Pick against the spread: Rodgers is on fire, and that's why the Packers are strong road favorites in Arrowhead with no Mahomes on the other side. The Packers' biggest defensive problems lie against the run, but the Chiefs aren't committed to the run enough. The Chiefs' defensive problems against good balanced offenses with elite quarterbacks will show again after the one-week anomaly at the Broncos. The last time Rodgers played in Kansas City, Green Bay suffered the only loss of a 15-1 season. He'll barbecue a shaky AFC West secondary for a second consecutive game. Pick: Packers win 30-23 and cover the spread .
Straight-up prediction: Mahomes being out for this game was a bummer even before Rodgers found his groove; now we don't have a chance to see two of the NFL's best quarterbacks playing at their best in the same game. No matter how Kansas City wants to play this with Matt Moore, Green Bay has an advantage, even in the cauldron of noise that is Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs don't have the rush defense to beat the Packers in a battle of attrition, which is the only logical strategy against Rodgers. Pick: Packers 24, Chiefs 14 .
MORE: Week 8 TV coverage map
What channel is Sunday Night Football on?
- TV channel (national): NBC
- TV channel (Green Bay): WGBA
- TV channel (Kansas City): KSHB
- Live stream: NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com
As is the case for all "Sunday Night Football" games on NBC this season, Al Michaels will call the Packers vs. Chiefs play-by-play action, and Cris Collinsworth will provide analysis. Michele Tafoya will report from the sidelines, and NFL rules analyst Terry McAulay will explain penalties and other officiating rulings throughout the game.
For those who can't watch Packers vs. Chiefs on TV and wish to find the game on the radio, the Green Bay call can be heard on Sirius channel 81 and XM channel 225, and the Kansas City call can be heard on Sirius channel 83 and XM channel 226.
MORE: Watch every NFL game and RedZone on DAZN (Canada only)
Sunday Night Football TV schedule 2019
All "Sunday Night Football" games start at 8:20 p.m. ET.
| Week 1 | Sept. 5 (Thur.) | Packers at Bears |
| Sept. 8 | Steelers at Patriots | |
| Week 2 | Sept. 15 | Eagles at Falcons |
| Week 3 | Sept. 22 | Rams at Browns |
| Week 4 | Sept. 29 | Cowboys at Saints |
| Week 5 | Oct. 6 | Colts at Chiefs |
| Week 6 | Oct. 13 | Steelers at Chargers |
| Week 7 | Oct. 20 | Eagles at Cowboys |
| Week 8 | Oct. 27 | Packers at Chiefs |
| Week 9 | Nov. 3 | Patriots at Ravens |
| Week 10 | Nov. 10 | Vikings at Cowboys |
| Week 11 | Nov. 17 | Bears at Rams |
| Week 12 | Nov. 24 | Seahawks at Eagles |
| Week 13 | Dec. 1 | Patriots at Texans |
| Week 14 | Dec. 8 | Seahawks at Rams |
| Week 15 | Dec. 15 | Vikings at Chargers |
| Week 16 | Dec. 22 | Chiefs at Bears |
| Week 17 | Dec. 29 | TBD |