3 Keys For the Houston Texans Against the Packers

The Houston Texans travel to Green Bay to face one of the toughest opponents on their schedule. Neither team has more than two losses, and Jordan Love has had a hot hand since his return from injury. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans are still missing superstar Nico Collins, but they do have Joe Mixon back healthy. Houston will have to hope Mixon and Stefon Diggs can have big games to get them the win in Green Bay.

Avoid Jaire Alexander

Green Bay Cornerback Jaire Alexander has had a tremendous early season. In the last game, he held Marvin Harrison Jr. to a goose egg before his injury. Alexander also leads a secondary that has almost as many interceptions(nine) as touchdowns allowed(10).

The issue for the Houston Texans is that Alexander's job is a lot easier now; with Collins injured, he will likely shadow Stefon Diggs throughout the game. This won't stop Diggs from getting his numbers, but it does affect when and where Stroud targets him. If he detects man-to-man defense, he might rather look for Tank Dell. Diggs is good at finding soft spots against a zone defense, though, so Stroud might want to wait for zone before he targets Diggs.

Getting Joe Mixon Going Is Critical For the Houston Texans

Another way for the Houston Texans to counteract the Packers secondary is to take them out of the game entirely. Houston's offensive line might beat Green Bay's defensive line one-on-one, and Joe Mixon just needs a bit of room to get to the second level and push. Even if he doesn't see the endzone, Mixon can pick up chunks of yards and make life easier for Stroud.

Although there isn't plenty of data on Mixon's play since he has been missing due to injury, the Houston Texans typically do well if Mixon has a good day. Mixon rushed for over 100 yards twice this season: once was their first victory against the Colts, and the other was the recent 41-point game against New England. Getting Mixon going early also takes a bit of the pressure off of C.J. Stroud, who will have the eyes of America on him during this game.

Keep Jordan Love In the Pocket

This is certainly easier said than done, but giving Jordan Love a side to rush toward can be detrimental to a defense. In the open field, Love can usually find a target to throw to eventually. Otherwise, he can just keep it and run. It's not that Love is a bad pocket passer, but rather that he can pull off explosive plays if he is allowed to run unchallenged.

Keeping Love in the pocket will essentially fall on the defensive ends and outside linebackers for the Houston Texans. Fortunately, there is no shortage of talent in that position, as Will Anderson Jr. is proving himself to be a capable pass rusher. He recorded three of the four total sacks on Drake Maye in the New England game.

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Article originally written by Shane Foley