THAT’S MORE LIKE IT

 Packers Manhandle Texans; Jump Back Into Playoff Hunt

 

The offensive firepower that had been missing from the Green Bay Packers returned with a vengeance on Sunday night as Aaron Rodgers tossed a career best and tied the all-time Packer record 6 TD’s (tied with Matt Flynn from last year). The defense that had been up and down and had been looking to reestablish itself found itself as well as the Pack had 3 picks and dropped the Texans Matt Schaub 3 times. The measure of how well the Packers D played came with the caveat that Schaub had been sacked a scant 3 times this entire season.

 

The Packers as a team played with an intensity and focus they had yet to display all year. The Texans came in younger and hungrier and eager to prove they belonged. Green Bay has been at times lethargic and going thru the motions. The offense has been out of sync and the defense has been better but still incomplete. They have played on reputation and have not always put 100% into it. The price of winning is steep, and as this Packers team is still young winning has come so easily they have become much like a fighter who comes up from the hardscrabble mean streets, achieves success and a title and the riches that come with it and is no longer willing to put his face into a fist as he has achieved the good life. The Packers came to put their fist into the face of Houston and they showed why they are still among the most feared teams in the NFL.

 It is worth noting that Packers accomplished these feats without their #1 WR, their #1 RB, and #1 DT. Greg Jennings continues to be plagued by a nagging groin injury that has been very slow to heal, Cedric Benson has been placed on the newly designated IR that will allow the Pack to add him back to the roster in 6 weeks after sustain a Lisfranc injury to his foot. For the uninitiated a Lisfranc is named for the doctors that discovered it, and in lay terms it is a hyper extension of the arch tendon of the foot, and injury that is not only painful but may significantly slow Benson’s ability to rehab  and stay in shape during his layoff. B.J. Raji missed his first game since January of 2010 with an ankle sprain. Raji’s absence was one the Texans hoped to be able to exploit without his massive presence in the middle.

 In playing on a field that can charitably be called terrible, players from both teams went down and had a difficult time with the footing. The Texans All Pro RB Arian Foster looked like a guy slipping on a banana peel numerous times as his feet flew out from under him; while a far more serious note it seemed as if player’s cleats would bite into the turf and not give resulting in what looked like serious knee injuries. Packer LB D.J. Smith went out and the look was not good after being blindsided and having his knee turned out on impact. Brandon Saine also left and the Packers have deemed both players to having sustained “…significant knee injuries…”. Rookie Nick Perry and Sam Shields also left after their cleats caught in the cow pasture the Texans call home.

 After losing Desmond Bishop in the preseason the Packers had to insert the long forgotten Brad Jones. Even rookie LB Daniel Manning saw action. The Texans could only drool looking across the line and seeing a bevy of new and unfamiliar and unexpected faces. That glee was short lived. Foster has been the premier RB in the NFL since leading the league in rushing in 2010. He entered the game among the league leaders in rushing and all-purpose yards and was averaging 125 yards/ game. He exited with a paltry 40 yards as the swarming and suddenly resurgent defense bottled him up. Without Raji the Texans felt they could exploit the middle of the line. They thought wrong. Time and again the Packer line stood tall. Rookies Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels saw much playing time and were successful in holding their gaps along with vets Ryan Pickett and C.J. Wilson that forced Foster to run into the teeth of the defense.

 Schaub fared no better in his attempt to throw the ball. He has a world class receiver in Andre Johnson but Johnson was held to but 75 yards on 8 catches. In the process Johnson also eclipsed the 10,000 yard mark fir his career. Schaub was pressured all night and perhaps the most amusing sack was when A.J. Hawk blitzed, did not fall for an excellent play fake but found himself running over Schaub as he turned his head in desperation looking for the running back. Schaub was sacked almost as an afterthought and tossed the ball away in disgust.

 The Texans had high hopes in this game. One of only two unbeaten teams left in the NFL the Texans looked to put a stamp of validity on the young, talented squad. But it was the Packers that took the kids to school. Aaron Rodgers marched the Pack down the field and opened with a scoring bolt to Jordy Nelson. After holding the Texans during the next series Texan DE J.J. Watt caught Rodgers from behind for a sack then stood over him mocking Rodgers’ signature ‘Championship Belt’ move and then throwing it away. Perhaps the young Mr. Watt would benefit from learning a little respect for those that have already achieved a Super Bowl and MVP. While Rodgers’ California cool will shrug off Watt’s antics to the press Rodgers, the reigning MVP in the NFL, took the opportunity to shove Watt’s mocking back in his face.

 Rodgers looked completely different than he has all year. He reverted back to his MVP form where he would make a quick decision, release the ball even quicker and his form even looked better. No longer throwing the ball over his target’s heads or at their feet Rodgers repeatedly was stepping into his throws and firing tracer darts. Velocity and body control were what has been missing from Rodgers to date and he had none of those issues last night. In getting the ball out quicker the Houston defense had little time to react. They certainly wore the look of a team caught completely off guard. By the time the smoke had cleared they were down 21 -10, Rodgers had 3 TD passes, Nelson had 2 TD snags and the suddenly new and improved and record tying beast James Jones had 1.

 Last week the Packers were in almost the identical spot. Huge lead, controlling the ball and the game, no problem in scoring. They learned fast that they must play 4 quarters and not a half of football hoping that will sustain them. The Pack opened the 3^rd quarter with a long drive of 16 plays, 80 yards and almost 7 minutes the ended as the Texans repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties. Twice the defense stopped the Packers short of the goal line and twice the Texans let their immaturity run wild. Connor Barwin literally ran up the backside of a teammate in an attempt to block a field goal and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. And after a scrum in a pile at the end of another field goal drew a flag Rodgers lofted one to Nelson in the corner of the end zone that Nelson grabbed as he was being rolled up.

Alex Green drew the assignment to replace Benson and was serviceable but not spectacular. He gained 65 yards on the ground and while he had an issue with hitting the wrong hole he held on to the ball and presented enough of a threat to keep the Texans from doubling the receivers. As time goes on and the game slows down Green may become more selective as the offensive line was opening up holes that Green either overran or just plain missed.

Schaub looked to position the Texans for a comeback has he drove them 65 yards into the end zone to end the 3^rd quarter. Great teams have an answer to such events. Green Bay showed the promise of that potential on the next drive as they opened the 4^th quarter. It took Rodgers all of 3 plays and 30 seconds to find a wide open Tom Crabtree who grabbed the rock and ran unmolested to the Promised Land for his 2^nd huge TD of the year. As the Texans feverishly tried to clamp down on Rodgers’ targets they neglected to cover Crabtree. The Houston bench had a collected look of defeat, a look seen almost all of last year when the Packers offense would come thru and pillage a town before exiting.

At one point Green Bay was forced to play all 5 of their top draft picks. Worthy, Daniels, Manning, and rookie DB’s Jerrel MacMillian and standout CB Casey Hayward had their own niftiness when MacMillian tipped a ball that Hayward yanked down and took off only to slide safely into second base to seal the win. But it was for from Hayward’s best play. Hayward has been heralded as having tremendous ball instincts. Earlier in the contest, while blanketing Andre Johnson Hayward tracked the ball and deftly swatted it away and stood over the fallen Johnson making an incomplete signal with gusto.

But his juggling, bobbling, circus act pick in the end zone killed the Texans and their drive and announced to the whole world as to who the next great Corner may be. Better move over on Revis Island; Hayward is coming. Hayward’s play is smooth as silk and his talent is so undeniably obvious he will see much more action far more quickly. His quantum leap improvement is showing he can play and he is smart as well. It is a combination that will make it hard for Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers to ignore.

Rodgers completed his night with a catch made by James Jones that can only be called spectacular. As Jones sped to the end zone he completely laid out, diving for a ball only he could catch as he was covered well. As Jones dove he stuck one arm out, the ball hit, and Jones – the same James Jones who had so many drops last season – caught and secured the ball with one hand. This TD catch now ties the Packer all time record of 3 consecutive games with at least 2 TD catches with the immortal Don Huston. That’s pretty heady company for a guy thought to be on his way out during preseason.

While on the subject of drops Jermichael Finley added to his growing resume of dropped passes. Earlier this week and also this season Finley took to the press to complain about Rodgers not getting him the ball enough. Finley’s agent also went media by calling out Rodgers by adding Rodgers is “…not much of a leader…” If there is to be an iconic image of Finley that will endure the test of time it will be of Finley sitting on the ground with his arms outstretched and palms turned to the skies after another dropped ball. Perhaps Finley would benefit most from keeping his criticism to himself until his play is at least commensurate to those around him and his maturity level rises. Assuming Andrew Quarless and D.J. Williams can get back on the field and healthy, their ability to catch passes may usurp Finley’s talent and ill-timed drops.

So complete was the Packers dismantling of the Texans the end of the game resembled a preseason contest. While the Texans’ Watt chewed sullenly on his mouth piece on the sidelines the field was taken by such players a Graham Harrell, Jarrett Boykin, James Starks and T.J. Yates, the Texans savior from a season ago. With exception of a blown assignment on a punt that resulted in a Texans TD, the Packers played as complete a game as they have all year. While it is far too soon to declare them back all the way they certainly took a giant step forward to that end against a good team when they most needed it.