Keys to the Game (Oct. 25)

By: 
Bill Huber
Correspondent

The Green Bay Packers (4-1) travel to take on the Houston Texans (1-5) at noon Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston. FOX televises the game.

Coaches

Green Bay — Matt LaFleur, second season (17-4). Houston — Romeo Crennel, interim coach (1-1); 29-56 overall record, including four seasons with Cleveland Browns and one full season with Kansas City Chiefs.

History

Packers lead 3-1. In the last matchup, Green Bay won 21-13 at Lambeau Field on Dec. 4, 2016.

When the Packers have the ball

After a poor day for Aaron Rodgers and company at Tampa Bay, the Packers will have a chance to rebound against a Texans defense that ranks 26th in the NFL with 30.3 points allowed per game, 30th in total defense (423.0 yards per game) and 32nd against the run (177.5 yards per game and 5.43 yards per carry).

The run defense is a major concern for Crennel.

“We’re trying to figure that out and we’re meeting on that today,” he told reporters in Houston on Monday. “During this week, we’ll see if we can come up with a better plan than what we have. Maybe we have to cut back on some of the things that we’re doing to keep the mental errors to a minimum. Then the physical part of it, I think we have guys who can play physical football. Sometimes we don’t always do it. But we have to focus on those two areas and see what we can come up with.”

Defensive end J.J. Watt, the former Wisconsin star, is the face of the franchise. He is tied for the team lead with three sacks. When he last played a full season in 2018, he had 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He is joined up front by Brandon Dunn and P.J. Hall.

Hall is a disruptor; he had seven tackles last week vs. Tennessee. Charles Omenihu enters on passing downs and is tied with Watt for a team-leading six quarterback hits. Rookie Ross Blacklock, who was considered a first-round option for the Packers, has four tackles in limited action.

Whitney Mercilus and Brennan Scarlett are the outside linebackers. Mercilus has three sacks after recording 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions last season. Jacob Martin has two sacks off the bench.

Zach Cunningham and Tyrell Adams are the inside linebackers. Cunningham quietly is one of the better off-the-ball linebackers in the NFL. He’s got a team-high 61 tackles and has added two sacks. Adams is playing for injured starter Benardrick McKinney.

Bradley Roby and Vernon Hargreaves are the corners, and Justin Reid and Eric Murray are the safeties. Roby has the team’s only interception and leads the team with five passes defensed. On passing downs, Reid moves into the slot and Lonnie Johnson is the third corner. Johnson gave Packers tight end Jace Sternberger a concussion during last year’s joint practices. Reid is second on the team with 40 tackles and Murray has a forced fumble.

Roby figures to match up with Packers star Davante Adams.

“Roby’s been pretty consistent as far as his coverage is concerned,” Crennel said. “He’s a good cover guy. We usually put him on what we consider to be the best receiver. He’s done a decent job this year of shutting that guy down — or maybe not shutting him down, but they don’t throw to that guy as much because he is competitive.”

When the Texans have the ball

While Houston is only 21st with 24.3 points per game, the Texans will stress the Packers with quarterback Dashaun Watson. With 13 touchdowns vs. five interceptions, Watson is seventh with a 107.6 passer rating.

The offense revolves around Watson, with Houston ranking 24th with 3.99 yards per rush and 85.8 rushing yards per game but first with 8.42 yards per passing attempt and third with 282.2 passing yards per game.

An offseason trade took away Watson’s best player, receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Watson has made it work.

Will Fuller has 27 catches for 455 yards and four touchdowns, Brandin Cooks has 27 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns and former Packers star Randall Cobb has 22 receptions for 277 yards and two more scores. Cobb, who averaged a career-best 15.1 yards per catch last year in Dallas, caught three passes for just 17 yards last week.

Tight ends Darren Fells (three) and Jordan Akins (one) have combined for four touchdowns.

“It says that we have guys who can make plays and are making plays, and that our quarterback sees that he has weapons around him that he can utilize,” Crennel said of the overall production. “He’s taking advantage of what the defense gives him and throwing to the open guy.”

David Johnson, who was acquired in the Hopkins trade, has been decent with 350 rushing yards (4.0 average) and 12 receptions (9.9 average). He was an All-Pro in Arizona with 2,118 yards and 20 touchdowns from scrimmage in 2016 but hasn’t been nearly the same player since that breakout second season. Watson is second on the team with 109 rushing yards and Duke Johnson is third with 55 yards (3.2 average).

The offensive line is made up of left tackle Laremy Tunsil, left guard Senio Kelemete, center Nick Martin, right guard Zach Fulton and right tackle Tytus Howard.

Tunsil is a stud; he hasn’t allowed a sack or quarterback hit. Of the six sacks charged to the line by Pro Football Focus, Fulton was responsible for four. Green Bay native Max Scharping played frequently at left guard the first three games but not since.

Special teams

Ka’imi Fairbairn is 10-of-11 on field goals, including 9-of-9 from inside of 50 yards. In his fourth NFL season, he’s made 84.5 percent of his field-goal attempts for his career. Bryan Anger is averaging a robust 47.5 yards per punt. Only seven of his 21 punts have been returned, giving him a solid net average of 42.8.

DeAndre Carter handles both phases of returns, with an 8.5-yard average on punt returns and 20.9-yard average on kickoff returns.

Green Bay’s return and coverage units have been feeble. On returns, it ranks 28th on punts (4.3 average) and 24th on kickoffs (19.4 average). For coverage, it ranks 22nd on punts (8.8 average) and 26th on kickoffs (25.3 average). The saving grace has been kicker Mason Crosby making all nine field-goal attempts.