On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers signed veteran Brandon McManus to lend a hand solve their problems. On Sunday, McManus scored the game-winning field goal as time expired to defeat the Houston Texans 24-22.
Although many expected this match to feature two sturdy attacks, it was more of a defensive display. The Texans forced three turnovers in the first half and took a 19-14 lead into halftime.
Meanwhile, Green Bay’s defense performed admirably against Houston’s top-five passing offense, led by talented youthful quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud came up brief on Sunday afternoon, leading to his worst game of the season and likely his NFL career. He was 10 of 21 that day and threw for just 86 yards and no touchdown.
The Texans were forced to rely on running back Joe Mixon, who rushed for 115 yards and two scores on 25 attempts. Still, the Packers defense deserves a lot of credit. Houston scored just three points in the second half and was 4 of 13 on third down. Overall, there were a lot of encouraging lessons learned from Jeff Hafley’s defense, which showed that Jeff Hafley’s defense doesn’t have to rely on turnovers to win games.
Green Bay has some things to fix on offense and on special teams, but should be satisfied with a quality win in Week 7 against a playoff team. Here are the outstanding people who helped achieve this goal:
Even though the Packers didn’t force any turnovers on Sunday, they still lead the NFL with 17 sacks. McKinney played a huge role in that with his incredible streak of five interceptions in the first five games. This week he showed that he is more than just a hawk. In the first quarter, McKinney broke into the sack column after being sent to a safety tackle on third down. Unblocked, McKinney hit Stroud blind for eight points and forced a punt. Green Bay continues to find fresh ways to utilize the safety in playmaking.
October 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers defense Rashan Gary (52) chases Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud (7) at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: William Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent via USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin-Imagn Images
Although he didn’t have to work very challenging for it, Gary recorded his first sack since week one. On the same drive in which McKinney ultimately picked up a sack, Texas right tackle Tytus Howard slid into pass protection, allowing Gary to get a free rush against Stroud. His lone sack that day may have been a gift, but Gary also had a lot of pressure surrounding him that led to incompletions. Overall, it was a successful day for Green Bay’s top prospect, who didn’t quite live up to the hype surrounding him in Grade 6.
October 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams (33) celebrates the tackle that thwarted a two-point conversion in the second quarter of the game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin-Imagn Images
The safety novice continues to make plays. Williams has now had a productive last few weeks since becoming a high school mainstay. In the first half, he had great coverage on Tank Dell’s shifting offense, which forced an incomplete pass on third down. Williams then made an impressive tackle in open space, stopping Mixon on a two-point conversion attempt that prevented Houston from taking the lead with a second-quarter touchdown. He led the team with nine tackles for the second time in three weeks. The Packers have been keeping Williams on the field lately and it’s paying off.
October 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) is pushed off the field by Houston Texans linebacker D’Angelo Ross (37) after receiving a reception at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Tork Mason/Green Bay Press-Gazette via USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin-Imagn Images
There weren’t many positives to take from Green Bay’s offense this week outside of Doubs. The third-year forward served as Jordan Love’s guard for much of the day, intercepting several passes in huge moments. Six of his eight catches went on first downs, and Doubs led all receivers with 95 yards receiving. He had two key catches on the final drive, including one in the second half and a long one that helped set up the game-winning field goal. The team must be pleased with Doubs’ response since his one-game suspension. He had two touchdowns last week and then had his best game of the year against a tough opponent.
When Quay Walker left the field with a concussion in the second quarter, Wilson took the field in his absence. He had a nice tackle after a loss on a pass to Mixon, and then got off to a good start in the second half when he made a lightning move up the middle and picked up Stroud on third down. And yet Wilson is still not done making his presence known. He later took the defense out of bounds twice more, breaking up a third-down pass intended for tight end Dalton Schultz, then taking full advantage of the next tackle for a second sack on third down to Stroud. Wilson finished the game with impressive stats that included six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup. Perhaps the main special teams member should play a bigger role on defense.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 20: Green Bay Packers #8 Josh Jacobs scores a touchdown in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Jacobs was joyful that one of his streaks came to an end against Houston. After not throwing a single touchdown in his first 211 career receptions, his 212th turned out to be a lucky number. Jacobs capped the team’s first offensive drive of the second half with an 8-yard catch by Love to give the Packers a 21-19 lead. Jacobs was much more effective on the ground than in the air, recording five receptions for 16 yards. In my pre-game predictions, I said this game could come down to Josh Jacobs attacking a defenseless Texans defense. Well, Jacobs was a huge contributor to an uninspiring offensive attack, gaining 76 total yards on just 12 attempts.
October 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus (17) and Green Bay Packers kicker Daniel Whelan (19) celebrate the game-winning 45-yard field goal against the Houston Texans. Mandatory Credit: William Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent via USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin-Imagn Images
This time last week, McManus wasn’t sure if he would ever play in the NFL again after an incident in 2023 as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars that led to a sexual assault lawsuit. But desperate for a kicker, Green Bay ran a background check and agreed to sign McManus to replace struggling Brayden Narveson. He returned the favor by scoring all three extra points in his Packers debut, then scoring the game-winning 45-yard field goal. Houston even tried to ice McManus, but his previous nine years of NFL experience paid off. He celebrated with fans embracing him during a well-deserved Lambeau Leap.
October 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus (17) celebrates with kicker Daniel Whelan (19) after scoring the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Source: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
As good as McManus’ strike was, it wouldn’t have been possible without Whelan. The shot was very low, but Whelan handled it well and quickly got the ball to the kicker. Whelan also had an excellent day throwing the ball, totaling 284 yards on five punts and his long score was 66. His gross average of 56.8 yards was the team’s best single-game average since 1945. Of course, no team wants their player to have a nice day, but Whalen did a good job of converting the field after the call and was an integral part of the field goal.
