The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers’ Win Over The Houston Texans

Championship level teams don’t let one loss linger.

They approach the following week with a laser focus and find a way to get back on track.

That’s exactly what the Green Bay Packers did Sunday.

It remains to be seen if these Packers are a championship level team. But they took a step in that direction with a 35-20 dismantling of host Houston.

Green Bay improved to 5-1, and for the time being, is tied with Chicago for first place in the NFC North Division. Houston fell to 1-6.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly from Green Bay’s victory.

THE GOOD

RESILIENCY: The Packers were without left tackle David Bakhtiari and running back Aaron Jones — arguably two of their top-five players. Green Bay was also without starting cornerback Kevin King and safety Darnell Savage — two more of its top-15 players.

Somehow, though, the Packers routed a Houston team that was trying to save its season.

Billy Turner moved from right tackle to the left side and held up well. Veteran Ricky Wagner stepped in and held the fort at right tackle.

On the defensive side, cornerback Josh Jackson and safety Will Redmond stepped in for King and Savage, and somehow the defense played winning football.

AARON RODGERS: One week after Rodgers had a nightmarish performance against Tampa Bay, he was back to an MVP-level against Houston.

Rodgers was 23-of-34 for 283 yards and four touchdown passes. Rodgers finished with a passer rating of 132.3.

He threw a pair of touchdowns to Davante Adams, and one each to wide receiver Malik Taylor and tight end Jace Sternberger.

Last week, Rodgers completed just 16-of-35 passes for 160 yards with no touchdown passes, two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 35.4.

DAVANTE ADAMS: Green Bay’s Pro Bowl receiver had one of the best games of his career with 13 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

Adams’ 196 yards were the most by a Packer wide receiver since Jordy Nelson’s 209 in 2014. Adams also finished one reception away from the franchise record, which he already holds a piece of.

THE DEFENSE: Green Bay’s defense has struggled all year and entered Sunday just 20th in scoring defense (27.8). But the Packers had arguably their finest performance of the year against the Texans.

Houston got next to nothing done in the first half as Green Bay built a 21-0 lead at the break. And three times in the second half as the Texans had a chance to make things interesting, the defense stepped up.

First, with the Texans in a 28-7 hole, they drove to the Packers’ 8-yard line. On third down, though, Green Bay safety Adrian Amos sacked quarterback Deshaun Watson for a 12-yard loss.

With Houston down, 28-10, it reached the Packers’ 8-yard line once again. On third down, though, safety Vernon Scott dumped Duke Johnson for a 3-yard loss and the Texans had to settle for another field goal.

Then on Houston’s last gasp, it trailed, 28-13, and had a fourth-and-1 at its own 47. Watson ran an option play to the left, but Packers outside linebacker Preston Smith sniffed it out and dumped Watson for a 1-yard loss.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Packers went 3-for-3 in the red zone in the first half and 4-for-4 overall. … Green Bay was 7-of-12 on third downs (58.3%). … Jaire Alexander traveled with Texans’ leading receiver Will Fuller and held him to three catches for 35 yards and a garbage time touchdown.

THE BAD

REMEMBER RANDALL?: The Packers couldn’t cover slot corner Randall Cobb, who finished with team highs in both receptions (eight) and yards (95). Cobb, who played in Green Bay from 2011-’18, caught 470 passes and 41 touchdowns as a Packers.

Cobb was beat up late in his Packers career and played just nine games in 2018. Cobb clearly has something left, though, as he showed Sunday.

The Packers have never found a suitable replacement for Cobb. And with the NFL trade deadline coming on Nov. 3, perhaps Green Bay will explore bringing him back.

THE UGLY

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Packers have been mediocre, at best, on special teams to start the year. And they went from mediocre to lousy Sunday.

Green Bay led, 28-10, early in the fourth quarter when J.K. Scott dropped to punt. Green Bay running back Dexter Williams — who was only active because of an injury to Aaron Jones — missed his block on rusher Buddy Howell.

Howell blocked the punt, Dylan Cole recovered and Houston started at Green Bay’s 22-yard line. The Packers’ defense held the Texans to a field goal, or the special teams gaffe could have been even uglier.

Then the Texans recovered an inside kick with just 1:30 left. Both safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Chandon Sullivan had a chance to recover for Green Bay, but each Packer missed and Houston recovered.

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