Taking an in-depth look at how the Houston Texans (1-5) measure up against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers (4-1).
Week 7 Preview: Houston Texans Odds Versus Green Bay Packers
Jair Lopez
Where do both teams stack up heading into Week 7?
The Houston Texans are nursing their wounds after a devasting defeat in overtime against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. However, Houston is looking to turn the page quickly as they host the Green Bay Packers this upcoming Sunday.
The Packers are coming off a defeat of their own against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they have a favorable 4-1 record compared to Houston's 1-5 start.
However, it's fair to point out that three of the Packers wins have come against teams below .500 in the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, they have a 1-1 record against teams above .500 as they defeated the New Orleans Saints but lost against the Bucs last week.
On the other hand, Houston lost against four opponents above .500 in the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Tennessee Titans. The Texans are 1-1 against teams below .500 as they earned their first win of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars but lost against the Minnesota Vikings.
Scouting Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers offense will present many problems for the Houston Texans, with Rodgers looking solid overall. Rodgers has 13 touchdowns to only two interceptions while averaging 274.8 yards per game. It will be difficult for Houston to win the turnover battle against an aggressive quarterback that is excellent at preventing turnovers.
The Texans run defense is also a concern heading into Week 7 after allowing Derrick Henry to rush for 202 yards and two touchdowns. The Packers have a reliable running back of their own in Aaron Jones, who is averaging 78 yards per game, has five rushing touchdowns, and averages 5.2 yards per carry.
The Packers have averaged 139.4 rushing yards in the first five games, but they could be bound for a big day running the football as Houston has allowed an average of 177.5 yards on the ground.
Rodgers is averaging 274.8 passing yards, but Houston has limited opposing passing attacks to 245.5 yards through six games. Rodgers could do damage of his own through the air, but it seems insignificant that they try to force-feed their receivers if Houston can't stop Green Bay's rushing attack.
Rodgers has been fairly balanced in spreading the football around to his targets despite losing his lead receiver in Allen Lazard for the foreseeable future. Lazard was leading the team with 254 yards and had two touchdown receptions before his injury.
The Texans' main concern shouldn't be putting up points if the last two games are any indication that they have found an identity on offense. It is the defense that needs some work as they are allowing 30.3 points per game.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are averaging 32.4 points per game, which ranks third in the NFL. This production may be a little inflated given the defenses they have faced early on, but Houston's defense ranks similarly to the Vikings that the Packers faced in Week 1.
Can the Texans passing game continue their great play?
The good news for the Houston Texans is that the offense has begun to click after their early inconsistencies and has produced at least 30 points in the last two games to bring their average points per game to 24.3.
The Texans offense has seen a huge hike thanks to the improvement in their passing game. Will Fuller leads the receivers with 28 receptions, 455 yards and has a hot streak of four touchdowns in the last four games.
Darren Fells and Brandin Cooks have also been instrumental for the passing game as they have two touchdowns in the last two games. The passing attack has been vital for the offense's success with the inconsistencies in the run game.
David Johnson is averaging 58 yards per game, has three rushing touchdowns, but is averaging 4 yards per carry. Houston is only averaging 85.8 yards per game, so it's imperative they get their rushing attack going against the Packers (allowing 116.2 yards per game).
This passing offense could be the new norm under Tim Kelly, but it's also possible that they regress depending on how the run game performs in the coming weeks.
Predictions
Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans are a better team than their 1-5 record portrays, but they have yet to defeat a team with a winning record. Houston was close to giving the Titans their first loss of the season, but their defense has shown to be a liability late in games.
Good teams take care of the inferior competition at the end of the day, and the Packers have done just that as they are 3-0 against teams with a losing record.
Watson certainly has the talent and the firepower to come out with a win, but the defense will have to come up big in the final quarter if the Texans hold the lead late in the game. It's easier said than done, but Houston has the opportunity to keep their season alive with a win in Week 7.
Prediction:
According to Sports Betting Dime, the point spread for this game will be 57. This game has all the indications that it will be a high scoring game with both teams averaging over 30 points in the last two weeksTaking the over for 57 points might be a safe bet with Watson and Rodgers squaring off in Week 7.