The Packers elevated FB Andrew Beck from the practice squad, leaving recently acquired TE John Fitzpatrick as a healthy scratch.  The Packers previously signed K Brandon McManus, releasing Narveson.  Devonte Wyatt was inactive due to injury.  Fitzpatrick, S Kitan Olapado, DE Brenton Cox, OL Travis Glover and OL Jacob Monk were healthy scratches.  

OFFENSIVE LINE:

The offensive line had an up and down game.  Tackles Walker and Tom had trouble with two excellent Edge players in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter in pass protection.  The line did enough to open holes for the running backs.  The Packers gained 82 yards on 20 carries (4.1-yard average), but the running backs gained 87 yards on 17 carries, a 5.12-yard average.  Watson, Reed, and Melton each ran an end around/jet sweep, and they combined to gain minus 5 yards. While running a sweep on 3rd and short against a 9-man box to the short side of the field has been known to work, it may be that opponents have seen these runs on film and are ready for them. 

QUARTERBACKS: 

Love faced more pressure than normal against the Texans.  He completed 22 of 34 passes for 220 yards (6.47 yards/attempt) with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  Love made som big-time throws, including a laser to Kraft (I still think the Texans' safety Calen Bullock, got a hand on that pass) for a touchdown, and a beautiful 30-yard go route to Wicks for another touchdown.  Bullock would later intercept an errant pass over the middle that was intended for Watson.  The third touchdown pass was a short pass to Jacobs who turned it into an 8-yard touchdown.  Love is certainly willing to throw the ball into very tight windows.  Despite being under pressure on a regular basis, Love did not have any rushes/scrambles.  

TIGHT ENDS:

Kraft caught 3 of 4 targets for 33 yards and a touchdown.  Kraft showed very good athleticism as he had to lay out to catch the touchdown pass, and good concentration as the pass was a bullet that just missed the safety's outstretched arm.  Kraft also caught another pass while shaking off a tackle attempt that allowed him to gain extra yards.  Sims caught 1 pass for 2 yards.  I thought the tight ends might make hay against a depleted opponent (5 starters out including 2 linebacks and some defensive backs), but this was a pretty good day.

RUNNING BACKS:

Josh Jacobs continues to grow on me.  Jacobs gained 76 yards on 12 carries, a 6.3-yard average, with a long of 27.  His jump cuts while running inside and his ability to navigate trash are excellent.  It tends to be a little cluttered when the Packers run inside.   He has enough speed to be a threat to bounce a run outside and enough power to break a tackle and usually fall forward while finishing runs.  There is a reason why the Packers were willing to pay big money for a running back and why having exceptional backs on the roster in general is important.  Jacobs caught all 5 of his targets for 16 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown.  Emanual Wilson gained 11 yards on 5 carries.  His best run was wiped out by a penalty on Doubs, though that block is the one that sprang Wilson for most of that run.  

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Romeo Doubs caught 8 of his 10 targets for 94 yards with a long of 23.  Doubs runs all the routes and does a lot of the dirty work.  All of the Packers wide receivers do dirty work, though.  My eye test tells me that while Doubs gets his fair share of targets per game, he often is not the first option, even when he is the player who ultimately gets the target on any particular play.   Wicks caught 3 of his 6 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown.  Wicks missed most of last week's game with a shoulder injury, and he was listed as questionable coming into this game.  His low snap count is probably injury related.  Reed caught 2 of 4 targets for just 10 yards, including a drop of might have been a lateral, and another drop of a beautiful deep pass down the right sideline.  He also made a boneheaded play on special teams.  Watson caught 1 of 2 for 9 yards and Melton caught his only target for 8 yards.  

2 of Houston's 5 starting defensive backs did not play.  The 5 DBs who did play had to play every single snap - no rotations or substitutions.  Too many of Love's passes had to be high quality throws.  That is on the receivers and head coach LaFleur.

DEFENSE:

This was an excellent defensive game plan.  Once again, Hafley made some halftime adjustments, this time holding Houston to 3 points in the second half.  Houston scored 22 points but 10 came on two turnovers that gave Houston the ball on the Green Bay 11 yard line.  Hafley really dialed up the pressure with stunts and twists and with blitzes from all angles.

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN:

The Packers allowed 142 yards on 33 rushes, a modest 4.3-yard average.  Mixon did run wild with 115 yards on 25 carries (4.6-yard average).  Their running backs gained 123 yards on 28 carries, a 4.39-yard average.  The Texans stuck with running the ball, which is why Slaton got a lot more snaps than usual, Wooden and Brooks not being known for the run defense.  Clark had 4 tackles (2 solo), including 2 tackles for loss.  Clark had some pressures and beat the offensive lineman several times.  [I have not always been Clark's biggest fan, but this was a solid day.]  Wooden had 2 tackles (1 solo) and a quarterback hit.  Slaton and Brooks had no statistics, which is not surprising as they were pretty invisible on the field.  I did see Slaton try to arm-tackle Mixon a couple of times.  

DEFENSIVE ENDS:

Gary had his third good game in a row.  He had 5 tackles (2 solo), 3 quarterback hits, and 1 sack.  Hafley got Gary freed up by using stunts a couple of times, and Tytus Hoiward, their right tackle, slipped on a play allowing Gary to get his sack.  Still, it was a good day and a better day from Jeff Hafley, who freed up several players with stunts and dialed up some blitzes at opportune times.  Enagbare had 4 tackles (2 solo).  He earned his snaps.  Van Ness had 2 tackles (1 solo0, one of which was a tackle for loss.  The guy has a motor and someone has to soak up some snaps.  Preston Smith had 1 assisted tackle.  

LINEBACKERS:

Eric Wilson certainly answered the bell after Quay Walker was injured on the Texans thrid possession.  He had 5 solo tackles, 4 of which were tackles for loss, 1 QB hit, and one pass defensed, a nice play against TE Dalton Schultz on a 3rd and 5 to force a punt.  Wilson seems like a hard-working, coach-able player with sound fundamentals.  When a coach draws up an inspired scheme, one that puts Wilson in a position to succeed, he is able to execute it.  McDuffie had 4 tackles (2 solo).  He was sound if sometime a step too late.  Edgerrin Cooper had 3 tackles (2 solo).  Both of his solo tackles were tackles for loss.  The guy is like a missile when he sees it.  That said, he had a few issues in run support.  Walker had 1 solo tackle before he left with a concussion.    

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

The Packers have a tight rotation with pretty well defined roles.  That is easier when the players separate themselves from their peers.  Evan Williams led the Packers with 9 tackles (6 solo).  There were some big stops in there.  Williams plays with a high IQ.  McKinney had 6 tackles (5 solo) including a sack.  When Hafley has McKinney run a blitz from the edge, he does not miss.  When Jaire runs a corner blitz, he waved at Mixon who was off to the races for 32 yards.   That said, the team did shut down Houston's wide receivers.  Alexander had 3 solo tackles.  Stephon Diggs caught 5 pass or only 23 yards.  Tank Dell did not catch any of his 4 targets.  Credit to the DBs, but also to the pass rush, which was heavy and unpredictable.  Bullard had 4 tackles (3 solo).  Ballentine and Anderson had special teams tackles.  

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Whelan bombed 5 punts for a 56.8-yard average, and a net of 51.6 yards.  He also handled yet another bad long snaps from Orzech.  Brandon McManus made the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired.  Reed inexplicably caught a punt at the half yard line.  Nixon failed to field a punt which then hit Corey Ballentine, causing a turnover.    

WR: 2.67

RB: 1.10

TE: 1.21

OL: 5.02

DI: 1.84

DE: 2.14

LB: 2.42

DB: 4.59

Photo courtesy of Tork Mason, USA Today Network