Packers vs. Texans Preview
A Super Bowl preview could be on display this Sunday at Lambeau Field. The Packers and Texans are two teams that fell short of Super Bowl glory last year but were not expected to make it that far anyway. The Texans were coming off a horrible 2022 season, and they lost the first overall pick by winning their last game. They used the second overall pick on future superstar quarterback CJ Stroud. The Texans drafting him was a blessing in disguise, as Bryce Young is on his way out of Carolina, and Stroud is becoming a great player. The Packers finished 8-9 in 2022 and traded future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Jets. It was the end of an era, and it was time for Jordan Love. The Packers found their superstar in Love, who had his struggles at first but led them to the playoffs and a blowout playoff win in his first season starting.
The last time the Texans came to Lambeau Field was in 2016, under very different circumstances. The Texans were in quarterback limbo with no hope in sight, and they had to face the Packers during their "run the table" season and had a lot of momentum. The Packers still had Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, and a very high-powered offense and solid defense, which gave them a better chance to win than the Texans. Now, in 2024, these two teams meet with very even teams, with many stars on offense and even more on the defensive side of the ball. The Texans have a great young core, with DeMeco Ryans as their head coach, and the Packers are in a similar position, having the youngest team in football and arguably the most talented. The Texans can hurt opposing teams in many ways, such as throwing the ball to many great receivers or handing the ball off to Joe Mixon or Dameon Pierce. The Pack has Josh Jacobs, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, a deep receiving core, and talented tight ends to put up many points per game.
The Texans have much better special teams, with Ka’imi Fairbairn being a solid and reliable kicker compared to the kicker carousel that the Packers have been on for this season. Hopefully, signing veteran kicker Brandon McManus will solve their special teams issues, but it's always challenging with the Packers. The Pack has Kisean Nixon returning to his All-Pro form, and Jayden Reed is a dynamic threat on the kickoff, too. Sunday's matchup could be a shootout with both teams scoring a lot of points, and it could come down to the wire with field goals, and the Texans have a better advantage in that regard. However, this matchup on Sunday will be extremely exciting, and maybe this could be the Super Bowl that fans were hoping for last year.
