Packers put on their snowtires
McCarthy lauds ‘ good bad- weather win’ as team plows to .500
GREEN BAY, Wis.— With snow falling at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers were back in their element.
The Packers clawed to .500 after beating the Houston Texans 21- 13 on Sunday for their second consecutive victory as they try to keep pace with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, Jordy Nelson had 118 yards receiving and a score, and the Packers pulled away with two fourth- quarter touchdowns.
“Well, that was a good badweather win,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “A lot of fun to play in that type of atmosphere in Lambeau Field.”
The Packers ( 6- 6) weathered wintry conditions, making just enough plays on the cold turf to even their record for the first time since they were 4- 4 after losing to Indianapolis on Nov. 6. They’re two games back of the division- leading Lions.
Brock Osweiler connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a 44- yard touchdown pass with 1: 51 left to get within eight for the Texans. Nick Novak missed the extra point, with footing slippery at Lambeau.
The Texans ( 6- 6) had one last shot after the Packers failed to run out the clock. But Osweiler’s lastditch pass- and- lateral play from the Texans’ 12 with four seconds left failed, handing them their third consecutive loss.
“There’s not much a margin for error with our team, and we’ve got to do a better job in the fourth quarter,” coach Bill O’Brien said.
The Texans are tied with the idle Tennessee Titans and a half- game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts, who play the New York Jets on Monday night, for the AFC South lead.
Just Jordy
The Packers broke a 7- 7 tie when Rodgers found Nelson open in the end zone for a 32- yard touchdown pass with 12: 42 left after Texans cornerback Charles James slipped on the turf. Nelson, who missed last season with a knee injury, finished with eight catches.
“I don’t know how much more Jordy needs to prove,” McCarthy said. “He’s going through what every great player goes through in that first year back from major injury.”
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Rodgers was 20- for- 30. He looked OK after being limited in practice with a left hamstring injury, taking off for a couple runs, though he didn’t seem to have his usual mobility on the slippery turf.
Rodgers didn’t face much pressure in the first half against a defense minus injured end Jadeveon Clowney. The Texans started getting more pressure on Rodgers in the second half.
“I don’t know if you ever come out better than you did coming in, but I feel good about where I’m at,” Rodgers said. “I had decent movement and didn’t do anything to create a major setback.”
Osweiler has faced heat for the Texans’ offensive struggles. He was composed in the second half in leading a 10- play, 63- yard drive that ended with a six- yard TD pass to Ryan Griffin on fourth- and- one to tie it at 7 with 7: 32 left in the third quarter.