Newcomer Becomes Unsung Hero of Packers’ Victory Over Texans

A player who joined the team less than 50 days ago and didn’t touch the ball on Sunday was a key figure in the Packers’ game-winning drive against the Texans.

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks rushes with the football during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With exactly 1 minute to go on Sunday and the Green Bay Packers in the middle of a do-or-die drive against the Houston Texans, coach Matt LaFleur subbed out veteran running back Josh Jacobs.

He was replaced by Chris Brooks.

Chris Brooks?

Who’s Chris Brooks?

Only the unsung hero of a 24-22 victory.

Brooks went undrafted last year and played 36 snaps for the Miami Dolphins as a rookie. The Dolphins, with a logjam in the backfield, released him in their final roster cutdown and he signed to Green Bay’s practice squad on Sept. 3.

Two weeks later, with rookie MarShawn Lloyd on injured reserve, the Packers promoted him to the 53-man roster. Entering Sunday’s game, he had played 14 snaps all season.

What on earth did he show to deem him worthy of game-deciding snaps?

“He’s done a great job since the moment we got him,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday. “Very intelligent guy. Definitely can contribute on (special) teams, as well.”

Then came the explanation of why the Packers entrusted him in a crucial moment.

“He’s been excellent in understanding the protection scheme,” LaFleur continued. “Obviously, he’s coming from a very similar system when he was down in Miami. So, he was familiar with our version of how we do our six-man protection. He’s reliable, consistent and does a great job. We’ve seen it in practice. That’s why he was in there at the end of the game.”

Brooks played the final four snaps. He didn’t touch the ball, but the Packers might not have won without his contribution.

On his first play, Brooks ran a route on 12-yard pass to Romeo Doubs that got the Packers into range for a long field goal.

The next three plays are when Brooks might have saved the day.

On first down from the 37, he stopped blitzing linebacker Jake Hansen in his tracks. Jordan Love completed a pass to Tucker Kraft on a play in which Houston’s Will Anderson was flagged for offside.

On first-and-5 from the 32, he blocked blitzing safety Jalen Pitre. Love had time to go deep but failed to connect with Dontayvion Wicks.

On second-and-5, Brooks once against stuffed Hansen, giving Love time to hit Doubs again for a 6-yard completion that set up the winning field goal.

“I think it all comes down to the preparation and practice throughout the week,” Brooks said after the game. “We work the heck out of pass pro during practice, and I think it’s the attention to detail and the ability to just keep finding those little things to get better at in pass pro.”

By going 3-for-3 in blitz protection, Brooks kept Love out of harm’s way and prevented a sack that could have knocked the Packers out of field-goal range.

“What you do when you don’t have the ball in your hands is extremely important,” Brooks said, “and I take pride in that. I think it’s all about attitude.”

Thanks to Brooks doing his clichéd one-eleventh, the Packers escaped Lambeau Field with their third consecutive victory.

“It means a lot. It means a lot,” he said. “There’s more work to do and I think that there’s a lot that we’re going to be looking to improve on.”

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