Packers can't give up explosives to Texans offense still searching for consistency

Houston boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the game, but even with C.J. Stroud, the Texans offense hasn't been a down-to-down force. So, don't get beat deep.

C.J. Stroud profiles as a surgeon. His accuracy, timing, and poise provide the ideal skillset for a quarterback capable of methodically picking a defense apart. Add in Stefon Diggs to a lethal group of pass catchers with the return of sensational 2023 rookie Tank Dell and nascent star Nico Collins, and this Texans offense was slated for detonation. Instead, poor game scripts, a leaky offensive line, and penalties have scuttled any chance for Houston to fulfill its promise. On Sunday they’ll face a defense mirroring its style: a team of big-game hunters. If Green Bay can play disciplined, it can hold down an offense that right now is all sizzle and no brat.

In the Bobby Slowik era, this Texans offense ranks 26th in offensive success rate. They’re 25th this year even with Nico Collins taking a giant leap (nice branding). That’s good news for a Packers defense checking in at 28th in defensive success rate this season. But in the aggregate, Jeff Hafley’s group enters Sunday’s potential Super Bowl preview 15th in defensive DVOA while the Houston offense is 17th.

For all the plaudits coming Stroud’s way, he currently helms a below-average offense relying on its elite defense to win games. Other than a 41-point exposition last week against the worst team in the NFL, the Texans offense averages 20 points per game the rest of the season. They stuck on “7” against a Brian Flores defense Love lit up in the second half and hit their head on “19” against Chicago.