Texans vs. Packers: Rants & Raves

The Green Bay Packers finally return home after three straight games on the road.  Will Lambeau Field bring some home cookin' and help the Packers continue their quest to run the table?  Last time there, the Packers were embarrassed by the Indianapolis Colts which then rolled into another two losses.  Although the Philadelphia Eagles were just as beat up as the Packers, a road win against a team that started the season hot was nothing to scoff at.  It's the type of thing that can catapult a team in an entirely different direction.

The Houston Texans come to town and, as with any AFC opponent, there isn't a lot of familiarity to lean on when preparing.  Let's take a look at the positive and negative angles to be found in this match up.

Rants

Doctor, Doctor

The Packers are having another season of constant injuries that have rarely allowed all of their preferred starters to be on the field at the same time.  That seems to be the case around the league this year so Green Bay isn't alone.  Last week's win in Phily may have been a slight case of "who is healthier?".  Offensive linemen T.J. Lang and J.C. Tretter are both doubtful and I'll go ahead and assume neither will play this week.  That means more Jason Spriggs at guard, where he's out of position, but hasn't been awful.  Listed as questionable are Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Blake Martinez and Jake Ryan.

Rodgers will play and is likely only listed as questionable because there is no more probable designation.  Still, that he appears on the list adds to the mounting list of guys who have been in danger of or have missed time.  Obviously not having Rodgers for any game is a huge loss.  Matthews may play, but after he suffered his separated AC joint and returned, he wasn't effective.  Will a week of rehab be enough to help him be productive?  Will he miss a few more games as he did earlier this season?  One thing we know from Matthews' history is that if he can be out there and help, he'll be in uniform.  Or he might not.  His loss would be huge with Martinez not likely to return for another week or two and Ryan still a question mark.  Matthews had to move inside against the Eagles to fill the hole so if all three are out, it's Joe Thomas and Carl Bradford.  The problem with that scenario is that this isn't the fourth quarter of a preseason game.  Injury may once again put the Packers defense at a big disadvantage.

Cornerback Damarious Randall returned but wasn't his usual aggressive self.  He failed to attack and missed a few tackles in Philadelphia.  His presence is helpful as he's one of the better corners on the roster but he's still not 100% since surgery on his groin.  It looks like another week of Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter.  We can only dream what this season would have been like had Sam Shields not gone down in week one and landed on injured reserve.  DeAndre Hopkins is one of the league's best receivers and will likely be drawing the ire of Packers fans most of the afternoon.  How defensive coordinator Dom Capers game plans for Hopkins will be a key to victory.  Do they roll safety help over the top or do they work the pass rush angle?  That will be something to watch.

If the Packers can weather the storm for a bit and get Matthews, Martinez, Ryan and the two offensive linemen back, they're looking better for depth.  History tells us that it's not a given that they'll all get back and there will surely be some new bumps and bruises added.

Wanted: Tight End

Jared Cook has been back from injury for the past two games and has been up and down in his production.  He has missed a lot of time and hasn't been able to establish his niche in the offense and get on the same wavelength as Rodgers.  Aaron, Rodgers that is.  Richard Rodgers is another story and we can only hope the days of seeing him featured in the game plan are over.  Cook has, at times, not seen a pass headed his way and has had a few drops.  This is a game where he could become a big X-factor and finally stretch the middle of the defense.  Houston ranks fifth in the league in total yards per game allowed.  The Packers are likely in for another week of getting yards in small bunches.  With receivers Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson tearing up opposing corners, the Packers need to scheme Cook on a linebacker or safety and take the few yards at a time the Texans will allow.  

The Packers are going to have to get more receivers involved beyond the outside two or it could be a flashback to the struggles in the passing game as receivers struggle to separate and produce.  The tight ends need to have a big day.

That's It?

After last week, there isn't a ton to complain about coming into this game with Houston and let's just enjoy that for at least this week.

Raves

Force vs. Force

The Texans have the fifth-best rushing attack, with 121 yards per game.  Green Bay is only allowing just over 90 per game.  Games are often won and lost up front in the trenches.  This is a big test for the Packers' ability to step up and win a match up that doesn't necessarily favor them.  Lamar Miller has been a solid replacement for Arian Foster.  Miller's presence has allowed Houston to survive with Brock Osweiler at quarterback.  Osweiler has been far from great this season but when he doesn't have to do much to get a win, the Texans roll.  

Simply put, the Packers need to get mad and make Houston one dimensional, focusing on the dimension that isn't as likely to beat them.

Hurry Up And. . Score

Last week, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense carved up the Eagles with a ton of short passes that kept Green Bay's offense in rhythm and Philadelphia's pass rush away.  Houston only has 20 sacks on the season, 26th in the league.  The loss of J.J. Watt has certainly impacted that stat.  The Packers won't want to take their chances with a Houston front that is still active and stout.  Philadelphia played off more than the Packers have seen in a long time and I don't foresee Houston wanting to do the same.  This week will be a true test of how well Adams, Nelson, Randall Cobb and Cook can get off the line and win their match up early.  The slant to Adams has become a thing lately.  Will that be one of the big stories when the final gun sounds on Sunday?

The Packers use their hurry up offense but also try to possess the ball as long as they can.  That will certainly be the strategy this week as well but the key is touchdowns.  The offense has been getting into the red zone but have had to settle for field goals too often for this late in the season.  An early lead puts a lot of pressure on Houston to throw their way to a win.  I went to Arizona State University and watched more Osweiler ball than I care to remember.  Yes, he's  a pro now and a different quarterback than he was back then but. .  not really.  The Packers still ideally want Brock to have to rescue his team.  Those odds are with the good guys in that scenario.

Carpe Diem

With the Minnesota Vikings losing and falling to 6-6, the Packers can pull even with them by beating Houston.  Depending on what happens between the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints, the Packers could be in position to get back atop the division by season's end.  The Packers blew some chances over the last month to jump ahead of Minnesota and keep up with the Lions.  That just sounds weird to say.  They have to seize the day now if they want to truly make anything of this season.  Winning the division seems to be the most likely scenario where Green Bay get to the postseason.  The wild card will likely take some help elsewhere.  The Packers' last three games are against divisional opponents so they need to set themselves up to control their own destiny with wins in those games.  They won't want to look past Houston while peeking ahead to next week's game against the Seattle Seahawks.  A regression and loss to this Texans team would take all of the wind out of the sails and start another downturn on the roller coaster ride that has been 2016.  The Packers responded last week on the road.  They're calling on the home crowd to get loud.  Can home sweet home bring them another step closer to redemption?

 

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Jason is a freelance writer on staff since 2012 and also co-hosts Cheesehead TV Live, Pulse of the Pack and Pack A Day podcasts.  You can follow him on Twitter here

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Comments (4)

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NickPerry's picture

December 03, 2016 at 02:26 pm

Just saw on NFL.com that Clowney isn't making the trip to Green Bay, injured wrist/hand. He may not play like a #1 overall pick, but he was playing better this year. That and the guy is quick as hell, don't mind both him and Watt not playing one bit.

I'd still like to see Michael. He has as many yards as Starks and Lacy combined on the season playing behind a pretty bad O-Line in Seattle. He may not be the brightest bulb in the tool shed, but given McCarthy's unwillingness to use Montgomery and Starks with his 2.5 YPC average, WTH do you have to lose? I'm not suggesting a full time role, but he's the best RB on the Packers roster right now. He's also been on the roster for 3 weeks. There's also that comment by McCarthy made the first week after they claimed him about feeling comfortable using him, well gosh Mike, did he regress? If so MORE than Starks?? Monty??? Though we really don't know about Monty because you don't use him.

"Can home sweet home bring them another step closer to redemption?"

I don't think "Home Sweet Home" has been all that sweet, at least not since 2014.

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pacman's picture

December 03, 2016 at 05:29 pm

Can't believe much that MM says about players playing, etc. No because he's just lying - just seems to be much deception going on with these talks. Part of the game now.

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AK Cheese's picture

December 03, 2016 at 03:39 pm

Lets carve these guys up and early and let some banged up players rest.

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CAG123's picture

December 04, 2016 at 01:17 pm

Does anyone else feel like the Packers should go after Devonte Foreman if he is available in the draft? Maybe put Lacy on a prove it deal as the number 2 and let Starks go?

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