Packers Periscope: Week 7 vs Houston Texans
The Packers are scheduled to face the Houston Texans in week seven.
After a rout at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers are in need of a rebound. They will try to get back in the win column this week facing a 1-5 Houston Texans that recently fired their head coach Bill O’Brien. O'Brien is considered the main culprit who traded away key assets and had the team off to a slow start of 0-4. However, since naming Romeo Crennel the interim head coach, the Texans are 1-1 and appear reinvigorated.
Green Bay is set to face every team representing the AFC North in 2020, and Houston happens to be first. The Packers and Texans have met only four times with the Packers winning three of those meetings.
When these two teams last saw each other in 2016, it was under perfect conditions for Lambeau Field. With a steady snow falling, Green Bay bested Houston 21-13 for their second win during the run the table stretch to end the year. Aaron Rodgers connected with his favorite target Jordy Nelson eight times for 118 yards, including a touchdown. Nelson was responsible for over half of Rodgers’ yardage.
Brock Osweiler was the quarterback for the Texans that day, but it will be Deshaun Watson replacing the retired veteran this time around.
The Packers have yet to face Watson, who is now without his top target DeAndre Hopkins. Despite not having Hopkins, Watson is off to an impressive start in 2020, ranking in the top echelon of NFL quarterbacks in passing yards and touchdowns.
Green Bay fans will recognize one of Watson’s targets, former Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb. Since leaving Green Bay after the 2018 season, Cobb spent a season with the Dallas Cowboys before signing a three-year deal with Houston.
The 17th ranked Houston offense is coming off a 36-point performance in week six that still resulted in a loss. Since the firing of O’Brien, the offensive unit has posted at least 30 points in back to back weeks.
Unfortunately, their defense hasn’t been much help. Some people have suggested the Packers should trade for defensive end JJ Watt who has another year left on his current deal. Watt has been the Texans' most productive pass rusher with a team-high 3.0 sacks.
That said, it may be a little early for Houston to become sellers on the season. They desperately need a win this week as they sit behind the Tennessee Titans (5-0) and the Indianapolis Colts (4-2) in the AFC South.
For Green Bay, Sunday could be a good chance to jumpstart their pass rush, which is lacking thus far. Watson has been sacked 19 times already this year, ranking third in the NFL.
Offensively, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense have no reason not to put up points this week. The Texans are relatively scant of defensive talent and are surrendering on average 30.3 points. Rodgers could be without his starting left tackle David Bakhtiari who left last week’s game with a chest injury, but that shouldn’t stop Green Bay from coming out 5-1.
Brandon Carwile is a Packers writer who also enjoys watching and breaking down film. Follow him on Twitter @PackerScribe.
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Comments (18)
flackcatcher
October 23, 2020 at 03:44 pm
Scans roster.... Wonders if Jordy has any gas left in his tank? Abby? Janis.... JANIS!!! (Sigh) Never again. Maybe we can lure James Jones out of his NFL gig. (Hope springs eternal...)
Lare
October 23, 2020 at 03:47 pm
Honestly, with this defense I think the Packers ned to score 40 points each week to win
Packers1985
October 23, 2020 at 04:03 pm
Couldn't agree more and we don't have many weapons(apart from Adams and jones) on offensive side either. So cant afford to loose anyone for injuries.
fastmoving
October 23, 2020 at 05:03 pm
Oh my goodness.....we dont have many more weapons than a deep WR group. Top 10 in the NFL and an even higher ceiling. A top 5 running game with good receivers as well and a good TE group.
No, no weapons at all. There is only one football to go around. If AR has an off day no players in the world will help.......
Hematite
October 24, 2020 at 08:00 am
Jones is questionable Sunday with a calf injury.
Leatherhead
October 23, 2020 at 07:57 pm
25 points would have been enough last week if we hadn’t given them 14.
TarynsEyes
October 23, 2020 at 08:58 pm
What do you mean gave them 14?
Their defense made the plays and earned those 14 points and then added another 24 while Rodgers and Co did squat for near three whole quarters.
albert999
October 23, 2020 at 06:58 pm
Why wouldn’t Gutey make at least one big trade
Super bowl boyzz
PhantomII
October 23, 2020 at 08:50 pm
Probably worried he'd be missing a draft pick next year and I doubt he would spend any cash for a Super Bowl or he would have last year. Nothing has changed. We still have a lot of voids to fill on this team and on Defense Pettine instead of using his players strengths he forces his system on multiple players who are not good at every aspect of it and the play is mediocre. Look at P. Smith being paid pass rusher money to play coverage....Ridiculous. We need pressure on their QB resulting in sacks, TFL, Hurries and mistakes, INT's.
jannesbjornson
October 23, 2020 at 09:03 pm
Touche'
albert999
October 23, 2020 at 06:59 pm
Bucs get brown....good or bad?
Leatherhead
October 23, 2020 at 08:12 pm
They beat us without him. Why would you want a lowlife like Brown in your locker ?
jannesbjornson
October 23, 2020 at 09:05 pm
Brady loves him for the deep ball and if he's not completely nuts upstairs, the guy runs perfect routes.
albert999
October 24, 2020 at 12:12 am
Deep ball
Isn’t that what linda Lovelace used to do
Hahahahahahahah
PhantomII
October 23, 2020 at 09:38 pm
Bucs coach was his OC in Pitt. If anyone could get something out of him without the xtra it probably would be him. Guy is a very good WR. Hopefully turns his life around. Really a shame.
NickPerry
October 24, 2020 at 06:18 am
Normally I have my Green & Gold glasses on and will ALWAYS predict a GB victory no matter who the opponent is, but something is really bothering me about this game. Deshawn Watson scares the hell out of me and with all the speed the Texans have I have this ugly feeling the WR will take the Packers defense deep down the field and Watson will escape and pick up 1st down after 1st down with his legs.
Hopefully Kenny Clark is closer to himself this week than last. The Packers HAVE to maintain their gap integrity and not let him step up and out or spin out circle around the edge. And for the love of God would you PLEASE do something different on defense if what your doing isn't working Mike Pettine!!
TarynsEyes
October 24, 2020 at 02:57 pm
I hear you and I'll add that a GB win will come on the mistakes that Watson is likely to provide. Watson plays mistake-free football, the odds of GB being 4-2 get better.
PatrickGB
October 24, 2020 at 02:26 pm
The Packers win more games with their offense rather than their defense. Yes, I would love to see a better defensive performance but they are ranked in the middle of the NFL so that’s about right. Sure, I wish for more but without Clark and King it shows. What worries me more is the injuries to Bak, Jones, Tonyan, Ervin and Lazard. Our offense will struggle until these guys are back and healthy.