Where can Packers find edge against Texans' stellar defense?

For the Packers to light up the scoreboard on Sunday, they'll likely need to isolate one particular area of the Texans defense and attack it at just the right time.

Through the first six weeks of the 2024 season, the Green Bay Packers have already faced multiple quality defenses. The Tennessee Titans, for whatever malfeasance Will Levis commits on a near-weekly basis, rank in the top 10 against both the run and the pass by DVOA. The Minnesota Vikings lead the NFL in both categories and do so by significant margins. Even the Indianapolis Colts rank among the middle third of the league defensively.

However, arguably none of those opponents offered the same type of challenge that the Houston Texans will present on Sunday.

Houston's defense features field tilters at every level. Up front, the twin terrors of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter can wreck any game plan. In just six weeks, the tandem has combined for 15 quarterback hits, eight sacks, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. For the second-year pro Anderson, this season has seen him develop even further as a pass rusher. As for Hunter, 2024 resembles his past seasons with the Vikings: dominant.

Roaming in the middle, Azeez Al-Shaair has quietly developed into one of the premier off-ball linebackers. He makes impact plays against the run every game, entering the week with 21 stops -- a Pro Football Focus statistic for quality tackles -- and trending toward setting a new career high in the metric. And among those in his position group, Al-Shaair also currently leads the league with 13 total pressures, according to PFF.

Meanwhile, the secondary might actually feature the scariest part of the Texans defense. Derek Stingley Jr. has come into his own over the past 12 months, comparing favorably to All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner in defensive passer rating (both in the mid-70s), coverage snaps per reception (17.7 for Stingley versus 18.9), and forced incompletion percentage (21% versus 22%). Converted safety Jalen Pitre has finally found a home in the slot, showcasing the coverage skills to handle inside receivers and the physicality to play the run. Jimmie Ward provides a veteran presence and helps keep the group in position while promising rookies Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock round out the unit.

"They play very fast, very physical, very sound," Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said of the Texans defense. "I think their play style is one of the best, if not the best, in the league just when you watch them. So, it's going to be a great challenge. They do a really, really good job.

"You look at the talent they've assembled, I think they've done a great job getting a lot of really good football players, and they play extremely well together. You can tell it's one cohesive unit. Everybody's playing as one."

Behind all that talent, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans conducts the entire operation. Since he first became a play-caller with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021, arguably no defensive coach has done a better job squeezing quality play out of his talent. Almost from the jump, Ryans' units featured creative wrinkles that routinely caught opposing offenses off guard. Not only did he build what his predecessor, Robert Saleh, achieved with the 49ers, but Ryans built on that success schematically and carried it with him to Houston.

And while the Texans defense has the potential to terrorize any team, they have institutional advantages over the Packers. Ryans spent six years as an assistant with the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, the same coach under which LaFleur learned his craft. Many of the ways LaFleur likes to attack defenses come from strategies deployed by Shanahan, and Ryans knows better than most how to counteract them.

All of which differentiates the Texans from any opponent the Packers have faced so far this season. This week, LaFleur and his staff will need surgical precision to find an edge when on offense.