Sunday, December 07, 2008

Halftime: Packers 7 - Texans 10

The Pack avoided going down 14-0 near the start of the 2nd quarter when a wide open TE Owen Daniels was stripped of the ball by Desmond Bishop as he was about to go into the endzone. The ball was recovered by Tramon Williams at the 3. The Pack did get a drive going but it was ended by a sack on third down. Also on that series, RT Mark Tauscher was injured and needed help to get to the sidelines. He was taken to the locker room for X-rays. Tony Moll replaced him in the line.

Following a punt to the Texans 8 yard line, and an eventual sack on Schaub, the Texans appeared to get something going when they converted on a 3rd-and-13 on a screen pass to Slaton. Soon afterward, however, Williams got an interception and set the Packers up for their first touchdown, which came on a 20-yard pass from Rodgers to Donald Lee. Packers 7 - Texans 7.

On the following series, though, Williams got beat on another long pass, 46 yards, again to Matt Walter, who was the same receiver that earlier caught the Texans' 58-yard TD pass.

After the 2-minute warning, the Packers held the Texans at the 11 on 3rd and 7, setting up their field goal to put Houston up 10-7.

Will Blackmon then had his 99-yard kickoff return called back on a holding call on Jason Hunter. This is the kind of day it is. And this is why it has "Uh-oh" written all over it.

The Packers had a final drive going, down to the Texans' 48, when Rodgers rolled out to the left on third down and was intercepted with 33 seconds left. (Sigh.)

The Texans then managed to move the ball the last half minute and got a 21-yard pick up on a third down slant across the middle when the receiver beat Desmond Bishop. It set up a 41-yard filed goal attempt with 1 second left on the clock. A glimmer of hope, though, as the kicker pushed it wide right.

The Packers were 0 for 5 on 3rd down conversions in the half, by the way.

It was uninspired play on both sides of the football by the Packers. For a team that must have this game, they sure aren't playing like it.