Packers manage to keep train in the middle of the track in win against Texans, but not quite full speed ahead

 

The Packers 35-20 “road” win over the now 1-6 Texans was not quite the bounce-back game that Packers needed to restore order after last week’s debacle against the Buccaneers. They had four long drives for scores, but they also had six three-and-outs (OK, one drive got a first down on the first play--then it was three-and-out). There was also a couple of special teams miscues, a blocked punt and an on-side kick recovery that was soon nullified by a fumble, without which would have meant the Packer defense would have gone two consecutive games without a forced turnover. 

Aaron Rodgers did have a much better game than he did last week, but then again last week was arguably the worst game of his career, and his 283-yard, four touchdowns and no interceptions performance against one of the worst defenses in the NFL can arguably be rated as merely adequate. Although the Packers piled-up 253 yards of total offense in the first half, there were still some hick-ups, no thanks to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who caught no passes on four targets. 

But after a more normal first-half, and a 45-yard TD strike to Davante Adams on the Packers first drive of the second half, Rodgers completed just one of six passes for six yards on three consecutive three-and-outs. It can be argued that the game was all but won by that point, but lazy play has a way of catching up to you at the wrong times. Aaron Jones was out due to a calf injury, and Jamaal Williams had a serviceable game in relief; however, it could be argued that the lack of that one-two punch in the run game and pass-catching out of the backfield could explain the inconsistent play of the offense despite what the scoreboard showed. It just could have been that much more of a convincing performance of a team that learned from being just too cocky for its own good. 

On defense, this is another game that could have been more “interesting” than it needed to be. A Texan missed field goal in the first half, a failed fourth-and-one try and a late fumble after an on-side kick recovery were the kind of mistakes that makes the scoreboard look a little more lopsided than the game actually was. Yes, the Packers defense was efficient in the first half without the help of a turnover, but in the second half it bent plenty and occasionally broke; to its credit it twice prevented touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line that could have made for a more convincing argument that this game was one in which the Packers were just trying to keep their train in the middle of the track, rather than one where the team’s offense was confidently back on track and full speed ahead as it was in the first four games. 

Next week against the 1-5 Vikings should be another win with just adequate play, but they need to show more if they expect to exact revenge against the 49ers in two weeks.