On Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers scored the game-winning field goal from Brandon McManus to defeat the visiting Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. Wearing white helmets and “Winter Warning” uniforms, the Packers shined at times but also faltered at times, with Jordan Love needing a delayed drive to escape with the victory – the team’s third in a row after a 2-2 start.
Here are five things that stood out from the Packers’ victory over the Texans:
The Packers locked up the WR
Texas receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell combined for five catches and 23 yards, connecting on 11 targets. Dell (four targets, zero catches) was completely ruled out. Diggs, who had been in a war of words with Jair Alexander and Keisean Nixon all afternoon, turned seven targets into just 23 yards. Without Nico Collins, C.J. Stroud couldn’t find anything in the passing game. In total, he completed only 10 passes and finished with 55 net passing yards.
Second specialist
Brandon McManus will make headlines after making the game-winning kick in his Packers debut, but don’t forget to throw flowers to Daniel Whelan. Not only did he bombard the boats all afternoon, but he also struggled to catch and hold McManus’ match winner. Whelan had three punts for 60 yards and averaged 56.8 yards per five punts. He consistently changed things up for the Packers, which was essential because the game turned into a punt fest in the second half.
Doubts shine
He wasn’t one of three players to catch a touchdown pass from Jordan Love, but Romeo Doubs was outstanding in his second game back from suspension. He caught eight passes for a game-high 94 yards, including two catches on the winning kick. Doubs also opened the game with a 23-yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage, had an 11-yard catch on first down after scoring in the first half, and gained 11 yards and a 12-yard touchdown drive to open the second half.
No takeaways, but we struggle with loss all day long
For the first time all season, the Packers didn’t have a takeaway. However, Jeff Hafley’s defense resulted in four sacks and a total of 11 tackles for loss in a mostly breathtaking performance. The Packers have proven they can handle man-to-man coverage against a top quarterback without relying on tackling the ball. In nine games that didn’t start with a loss, the Packers scored just six points. The Texans struck out six times and finished 4-for-13 on third down. Dominating early in the game and often creating negative plays on the first or second down helped the Packers get the job done without turnovers.
A commendable victory
The Packers did everything they could to blow the game away, but they earned credit for beating their AFC rival, losing the battle 3-0 (two interceptions by Jordan Love), struggling to consistently run the game (82 rushing yards) and making several team blunders special (lost on the boat return). Matt LaFleur’s team isn’t playing their best football, but they’re finding ways to win games while growing and learning from their mistakes. It’s a sign of maturity that this team is 5-2 in seven games. This time last year, the Packers were 2-5. Learning how to win is a massive step towards becoming an exceptional team. All things considered, the Packers look like a freight train that’s just starting to roll. Once they start rolling, watch out.
