Packers Building Momentum In Time to Host Texans

The Green Bay Packers, who dominated the Arizona Cardinals for their second consecutive win, seem to be rounding into form with the powerful Houston Texans coming to town.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After a couple games with erratic accuracy and suspect decision-making, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love delivered a big-time performance during Sunday’s victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

In his third game back following a knee injury, Love had his best overall performance of the season by completing 22-of-32 passes for 258 passing yards with four touchdowns and just one interception. Having two of his top targets, receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, back in the lineup was key.

Doubs and Watson both found the end zone, with Watson catching a 44-yard touchdown and Doubs scoring twice.

After the game, Love reflected on getting Doubs involved and the team’s bond after a challenging couple weeks for the third-year receiver.

“You know, we’re a family. We’re in this thing all together,” Love said. “So, just staying together, keeping that brotherhood is definitely very important to us. I don’t think Rome has ever shown emotion when he scores any touchdowns. I think that’s just who he is.

“It was awesome to get that little group hug we had going out there on his first touchdown. But that’s what this team is all about is that brotherhood and just staying together and going out there and playing for each other.”

Team chemistry will be vital as they prepare for next week’s home game against the Houston Texans, where Lambeau Field will host a “Winter Whiteout” game featuring the new white helmets.

Having Doubs and Watson back will help, especially if fellow receiver Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder) is out, but finding consistency against Arizona was key to setting up for success against Houston, which is one of the best teams in the NFL with a 5-1 record.

Defense has been a major factor for the Packers (4-2), highlighted by their improvement in forcing turnovers. Last season, the team had 18 takeaways across 17 games, but this year, they’ve recorded an NFL-leading 17 takeaways in just six games. With three more against the Cardinals, Green Bay has forced at least two turnovers in all six games, their longest streak since a nine-game run in 2002.

“I think there’s a lot of different circumstances that play into that,” LaFleur said. “It’s a credit to our players, first and foremost, but I do think we’re playing with a lot more vision this year, and I think our guys are doing a good job of just taking everything that we drill and stress on a daily basis and apply it to the game.

“You can talk about it and drill it until you’re blue in the face in terms of punching at the ball and making a conscious effort of really attacking the football, but those guys have got to go out there and do it, and that’s what you’re seeing.”

While Xavier McKinney’s five-game interception streak was snapped, the Packers took advantage of three fumbles, including one forced by Evan Williams with the Cardinals in scoring position.

“I think we just became really ball conscious. We’re developing a little bit of a legacy for taking the ball away, and it dramatically improves our chances of winning a game,” he said.

“Just a lot of momentum that carries after each one. You get to go celebrate with the crowd after each one at home and, after you see somebody else get one, it makes you want to go get another one, so it’s a really good thing we got going and hoping to carry it into next week.”

With the defense playing at a high level, it takes pressure off the offense to put up points. Offensively, the Packers have been finding balance between the run and pass. While Love was excellent, Green Bay supported him with what LaFleur termed 179 “muddy, tough yards” on the ground because the Cardinals were determined to limit the run game.

“I think that’s always the goal to be able to have a great run game and a great pass game, just play off each other with both of those,” Love said. “And then explosive plays, that’s our mindset. We try and get those explosive plays and then, obviously, try and take care of the ball, which I think we can still do a better job and build on that next week.

“But explosives, take care of the ball and have a balanced game is definitely something we want to be on offense.”

Even when Green Bay did face some pressure on the offensive end, it still delivered. The Packers converted 7-of-12 on third down on Sunday, its 58.3 percent success rate its second-best of the season.

Being able to convert more than 50 percent of the time on third down can be a crucial factor when playing against another great offense like Houston to keep the ball out of the hands of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Being able to find that rhythm early against Houston, which ranks 10th on third down and fourth in sack percentage, will be a crucial test for a Packers offense that seems to be rounding into form.

While the defense has proven its ability to make plays, the offense needs to stay connected and consistent. It’s not just about explosive plays or avoiding turnovers, it’s about maintaining balance and building on the chemistry they found against Arizona.

The Texans’ third-ranked defense will challenge them, but if Love and the offense can keep that momentum going, they’ll put themselves in a strong position to get their third straight win.

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Last year, it was the draft picks on offense. This year, it's the draft picks on defense who will lead the #Packers to a playoff run.

Here are Three Oveerreactions from Sunday. ⬇️https://t.co/JXTuXRgIr5

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 14, 2024

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