Tag: Jordan Love

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans explains conservative play-calling on final drive

DeMeco Ryans said the Green Bay Packers did enough to stop the Houston Texans from punching it in for a touchdown on the final drive Sunday afternoon.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

If the Houston Texans would have gone for the jugular, perhaps they’d be sitting at 6-1.

If the Texans tried to attack through the air instead of settling for their ground game behind Joe Mixon, perhaps they would have finished with more than three points in the second half on Sunday’s outing against the Green Bay Packers.

That wasn’t the case. The Texans never picked up the steam, thus leading to a comeback drive from Jordan Love and a game-winning field goal from Brandon McManus to secure a 24-22 victory at Lambeau Field.

Houston never kicked it into high gear, thus heading home with its second loss on the season.

“I just try to execute every play that I can, that I get called. I don’t know the philosophy in there,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said.

While Stroud only completed 10 pass attempts for a career-low 86 yards, he seemed to come to life on the final drive. Facing a third-and-10, he found Xavier Hutchinson for a gain of 11 and a fresh set of downs.

Houston knew the Packers were going to use their timeouts to stop the clock. If they were aggressive, they could have been up by five with just under two minutes remaining.

Instead, the Texans called two running plays to Joe Mixon for a loss of five yards. Stroud then tried to connect with receiver Tank Dell, but the pass would have been well short of the first down even if the second-year target held onto the ball.

What’s worse is the incompletion stopped the clock and allowed Green Bay to hold its final timeout until the offense took the field. That later played a pivotal role in helping McManus have time to set up the game-winning kick.

“What it seemed like is we were trying to just run out the clock and then try to kick the field goal before we ended up having to throw the ball on the third down and give them the ball back with like 1:40 left,” Stroud said of the final three plays. “I think that it was a good plan, just got to execute better.”

Ryans disagreed with the sentiment that the Texans’ initial plan was to settle for a field goal from Fairbairn and mentioned that every drive comes with the intent of scoring a touchdown.

“They did a good job stopping us,” Ryans said. “Didn’t get in. Obviously, we didn’t pass the ball well all day, so wasn’t good all the way around.”

Fairbairn gave Houston a quick lead off a 35-yard chip shot. Seven plays and a timeout with three seconds remaining later, it was McManus’ turn to secure the win.

“They finished it the right way,” Ryans said. “Made the plays when they needed to make it, and they finished the game the right way.”
The Texans return to NRG Stadium for the first time since Week 5 to take on the Indianapolis Colts.

Instant Analysis: Texans’ passing game struggles in road loss against Packers

The Houston Texans move to 5-2 on the season after falling short on the road against the Green Bay Packers

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.

Jordan Love made one more throw than C.J. Stroud.

It was the one to set up the eventual game-winning field goal.

Five days after being signed, Brandon McManus drilled a 45-yard field goal as time expired to help the Green Bay Packers secure a 24-22 victory over the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field.

Both teams sit at 5-2 entering Week 8. Houston falls to 2-2 on the road, while Green Bay improves to 3-1 at home.

Love, who tossed a pair of interceptions during the first half, orchestrated a clean final drive after Ka’imi Fairbairn hit a 35-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 2020 first-round pick went 4 of 6 for 44 yards, including a pair of 10-yard completions to Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs.

Stroud, who last week tossed three touchdown passes, constantly was under duress and never found an identity pass. He threw for a career-low 86 yards and completed just 10 pass attempts.

But the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year saved his best drive for last, driving Houston 45 yards in 13 plays late in the fourth quarter to set up Fairbairn’s kick.

On third-and-10, Stroud connected with a diving Xavier Hutchinson for a gain of 11 to keep the drive alive.

If Houston’s offense was looking for any promise, it starts with Joe Mixon’s consistency on the ground. He rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.

The offensive line made the offense one-dimensional in the second half after allowing four sacks.

Defensively, the Texans set the tone early thanks to a pair of turnovers. With Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o out due to injury, Neville Hewitt stepped up and proved his value as a No. 3 option with an interception against Love on the opening drive.

Rookie Calen Bullock picked off Love with just under four minutes remaining in the first half to set up Mixon’s second touchdown before halftime. Bullock, a third-round pick out of USC, recorded his third interception in seven games.

The Texans’ special teams set up Mixon’s first score after M.J. Stewart recovered a fumble after the ball ricocheted off Corey Ballentine’s leg. Sunday marked the second consecutive week where Houston registered three turnovers.

Houston returns to NRG Stadium following a two-game road trip to take on the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday at noon CT.

What did Packers QB Jordan Love say about Texans star C.J. Stroud?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love only has positives to say about Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud.

Jordan Love considers C.J. Stroud a friend.

He also knows what the Houston Texans’ did last season is something that most could only dream of as a rookie.

“You don’t see too many quarterbacks that come in and ball out the way he did,” Love told reporters of Stroud in Green Bay earlier this week. “Definitely a testament to the work he’s put in to get there. I’m proud of him. You don’t see too many quarterbacks that do come in and play well right away.”

Love, a 2020 first-round pick, had three seasons to sit and learn under four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers before taking over as the face of the Packers.
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, was thrust into the starting role for a franchise that hadn’t had a winning season since 2020.

Over three seasons, the Texans had posted a combined 11 wins.

In one year with Stroud, the Texans total 10 regular-season victories and a playoff win over Deshaun Watson’s Cleveland Browns. Stroud would win Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for over 4,00 yards and 23 touchdown passes.

Love, who played for Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California, is three years older than Stroud but said he knew of the former Ohio State quarterback’s potential from his time at Rancho Cucamonga High School in San Bernardino County just outside Los Angeles.

“I’ve been watching him for a while now, since high school, so watched him in college and then watched him ball out last year,” Love said. “Me and C.J. are close.”

Not only are the two California passers close off the field, but they’re also close in the hunt for MVP honors. Stroud ranks fifth in passing touchdowns (six), sixth in passing yards (1,577) and ninth in completion percentage (68.3).

Love, who missed two games with a lower-body injury, is second in passing touchdowns (12) and second in yards per game (282.9).

“Jordan is a great dude,” Stroud said Wednesday. “I think he’s a great quarterback. He’s definitely a friend of mine and somebody who I look up to.”

A win for either side not only strengthens their chances of making the playoffs but it also sets the tone for an MVP push. Love knows Stroud’s a unique talent in the pros.

The same goes for the coach looking to take the Texans down.

“I do have a lot of respect for him and what he was able to do a year ago just to be able to come into the league as a young player and put up the type of numbers that he did and lead them into the playoffs,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “I think that was pretty impressive.”

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT at Lambeau Field.

What did Texans QB C.J. Stroud say about Packers star Jordan Love ahead of Week 7?

A battle for the 2024 MVP could be on the line in Week 7 between Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud and Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love.

C.J. Stroud considers Jordan Love a good friend.

The two grew up in Southern California. They’re both represented by the same agent. Each path to the NFL saw its fair share of twists and turns.

Now, Stroud and Love are two of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks and MVP candidates entering their second season as full-time starters. Sunday’s matchup at Lambeau Field between the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers could give an inside track for one young of the gunslingers to take control of the race for the league’s Most Valuable Player.

While Stroud and Love are friends off the field, they’ll be enemies on it Sunday afternoon. That might be the ultimate sign of respect.

“I think Jordan is a great dude. I think he’s a great quarterback,” Stroud said Wednesday. “He’s definitely a friend of mine and somebody who I look up to. And I think the way he’s handled his career has just been very professional and just always has a good attitude, a way to just turn.

“For him to be able to play the way he’s playing now, especially off an injury, I think is just super-dope.”

Despite missing two games with a leg injury, Love hasn’t dropped pace in the hunt for the title of QB1. He’s second in passing touchdowns (12) and yards per game (282.8) while posting a 3-1 record under center.

Last season, Love took the league by storm, finishing second in touchdown passes (32) and 11th in passer rating (94.6). Stroud might have been the only player to outshine him after becoming the fifth rookie in league history to throw for over 4,000 passing yards in their first season.

The No. 2 overall pick also led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio and passing yards per game.

“What he did last year was very, very impressive,” Love told reporters in Green Bay of Stroud’s rookie season. “You don’t see too many quarterbacks that come in and ball out the way he did. Definitely a testament to the work he’s put in to get there. I’m proud of him.”

Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are considered the “face” of young passers. Love and Stroud aren’t far behind after throwing for over 4,000 yards in Year 1 as starters.

The Texans are looking to extend their three-game winning streak and improve to 2-1 on the road. Green Bay could pick up its third consecutive win while touting one of the league’s top defenses.

Quarterbacks will be the headline for Sunday’s showdown. Respect could be the underlying story.

Packers QB Jordan Love named FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week for Week 6

Four touchdown passes helped Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love become the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week for Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season. 

Four touchdown passes helped Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love become the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week for Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season.

Love completed 22 of 32 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Love’s four touchdown passes were tied for the most in the NFL during Week 6. His passer rating of 119.5 was the sixth best.

Among Love’s touchdown passes: a third-down touchdown pass to Jayden Reed, a third-down touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs and a 44-yard touchdown pass to Christian Watson. He capped off the performance — and sealed the win — with a backpedaling touchdown pass to Doubs in the second half.

Including the postseason, Love has thrown multiple touchdown passes in 10 straight games, the third longest streak in team history. Love’s four touchdown passes against the Cardinals tied a career high.

Love and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams won the weekly award, which is now a combination of air and ground candidates. Love and Williams beat out Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker and Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon. Every week, six players are nominated, and the two top vote getters from the six-player field win the award.

According to the award page, “FedEx will once again proudly work with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to make donations of $2,000 in the names of the two winning players ($4,000 total) to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country every week.”

Love previously won the FedEx Air Player of the Week in Week 18 of last season.

Here are some of Love’s best plays from Week 6:

Here is QB School’s breakdown of Love’s performance:

Texans embracing challenge of facing Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love

The Houston Texans know that Sunday’s battle against Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will be cinematic.

Through six games this season, the Houston Texans’ defense has been up to the task of making life hell for opposing quarterbacks.

Minnesota Vikings journeyman Sam Darnold is the only passer to present problems to the Texans en route to a 5-1 record. He threw four touchdown passes and completed over 70% of his throws in what became the worst loss of the DeMeco Ryans era.

Other than that, life’s been grand whenever facing a gunslinger on Sundays.

Chicago Bears starter and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams tossed two interceptions and was sacked seven times in a 19-13 victory back on Sunday Night Football

Buffalo Bills star and potential MVP favorite Josh Allen completed nine pass attempts and totaled a season-low 131 yards.

Jacksonville Jaguars starter Trevor Lawrence looked lost in a 24-20 loss back in Week 4 after completing 54.6% of his throws.

And Will Anderson Jr. made sure to give No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye his “welcome to the NFL” moment with three sacks in Sunday’s win. Maye also tossed two interceptions and coughed up a fumble on a Danielle Hunter stip-sack.

Yes, the Texans look to have one of the league’s toughest defenses. Now comes their toughest test at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon: Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

“Going against Jordan Love this week, he will be the best quarterback we’ve seen this year,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It will be a really, really tough matchup.”

Believing that Love is a better quarterback than Allen would be considered a bold take, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely wrong. The numbers would back it up.

After sitting for three seasons behind four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, Love has transformed into one of the league’s most dangerous men with a football. He completed 64.2% of his throws for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions while leading Green Bay back to the postseason in 2023.

When on the field, Love has lived up to the billing of his four-year, $220 million extension. He’s second in the league in touchdown passes (12) and yards per game (282.7), despite missing two games with a knee injury in Week 1’s against Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

If there is a caveat to slowing down Love, it’s his turnover ratio. Despite ranking second in passing touchdowns, he also ranks second in interceptions with six.

“Jordan Love is a talented, talented quarterback,” rookie safety Calen Bullock said Monday. “I think everybody knows that. He’s in a good area with Green Bay. He has a good receiver corps that he believes in.”

Much like C.J. Stroud, Love has options on offense. Five different receivers have at least 10 catches through six games. Three players, including recently reinstated Romeo Doubs, are averaging over 12.8 yards per catch and have at least two touchdown receptions.

“A lot of passing out of those guys, and we know we got to be up for that challenge,” Bullock said.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

Jordan Love just accomplished another Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers feat

Packers QB Jordan Love just became the 10th player in NFL history to have two or more TD passes in 10 straight games.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw four touchdown passes during Sunday’s 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, extending his current streak of games (regular and postseason) with multiple touchdown passes to an NFL-high 10.

How rare is the feat? Love became just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to have a streak of 10 or more games. Two of the other nine? Former Packers quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

Favre threw two or more touchdown passes in 11 straight games between the 1995 and 1996 seasons. Rodgers, meanwhile, had multiple touchdown passes in 14 straight games between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Rodgers’ 14 straight games are tied with Tom Brady for the NFL record.

Love’s current streak of 10 straight games is the longest in the NFL since Tom Brady had 13 between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Love’s streak dates back to the Packers’ Week 15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over the last 10 games, including the postseason, Love has thrown 26 touchdown passes.

Here’s a look at Love’s current run, via pro-football-reference.com:

pro-football-reference.com

The 10 quarterbacks to throw two or more touchdown passes in 10 straight games: Love, Rodgers, Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Dan Marino, Drew Brees, Favre, Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton. Not a bad list.

Love will attempt to extend his streak to 11 games against the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Texans have allowed 12 touchdown passes — tied for the second most in the NFL — through six games this season.

Cardinals fumbled more than the football vs. Packers

The Arizona Cardinals not only had three fumbles in the loss to the Green Bay Packers, they also fumbled away first place in NFC West.

A 2-4 start to the Arizona Cardinals season has probably deflated the optimism fans carried after their Week 5 win over the San Francisco 49ers. In their 34-13 loss on Sunday to the Green Bay Packers, the Cardinals not only had three fumbles, they also fumbled away a chance to take the NFC West lead. Had they won the game, their 3-3 mark and 2-0 division record would have had them in first place.

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing could not find a decent play call in the first half. It wasn’t until the Packers had accomplished a 24-0 lead that the Cardinals had a drive last more than five plays.


After suffering a concussion in the first half of the loss, hopefully wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. can recalibrate and participate in Week 7. Offensively, the Cardinals need to take a deep look into the mirror and conjure up a healthy amount of honor. The 2024 season is slipping right out of the hands of the Cardinals and they were never in the slightest bit competitive today.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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NFC West Watch: Cardinals lose to Packers 34-13

NFC West Watch: Cardinals lose to Packers 34-13

The Seattle Seahawks may not have played this weekend, but some separation in the NFC West was created for them. Despite losing to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, the Green Bay Packers did do the Hawks a favor by defeating the Arizona Cardinals.

With Seattle and San Francisco having played on Thursday, and the Los Angeles Rams on a bye week, the Cardinals were the only team in the division to take the field on Sunday. The latest installment for them was a road trip to Lambeau Field.

Unfortunately for the Red Birds, it was not a pleasant one. Arizona was dismantled by the Packers to the tune of 34-13, and it was not as competitive as even that score might suggest. The Packers built up a 24-0 lead in the first half, and although the Cards did manage to pull within 24-13, Green Bay scored 10 more points to officially put the game out of reach.

Kyler Murray completed 22-of-32 passes for 214 yards and a lone touchdown. His counterpart on the Packers, Jordan Love, had the exact same completions/attempts. However, Love tossed for 258 yards and four touchdowns, opposed to one interception.

The perplexing season for Arizona continues. Their only two wins of the season have come against NFC West opponents: San Francisco and Los Angeles. They are 0-4 against the rest of the league so far.

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Packers QB coach gave Jordan Love a zero grade for decision-making on bomb to Jayden Reed vs. Rams

Tom Clements gave Jordan Love a “zero” grade for decision-making on his 53-yard bomb to Jayden Reed vs. the Rams.

The end result of the throw was incredible, but Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements still gave Jordan Love a zero for decision-making grade on his 53-yard bomb to Jayden Reed into triple coverage last week against the Los Angeles Rams.

“I got a zero on the grade sheet for the decision there,” Love said Wednesday. “It worked out. Not a great decision, it worked out but you can’t rely on that working out all the time…learn from it, grow from it. Not a great decision.”

On the play, Love went deep to Reed despite coverage from two defensive backs and a trailing linebacker. Amazingly, Reed made the catch in triple coverage inside the 10-yard line, setting up the Packers’ first touchdown during Sunday’s 24-19 win.

Fortunately for Love, the cornerback didn’t track the ball down the field, and the other defensive back wasn’t able to prevent Reed from making the contested catch. Despite the decision-making process, the throw couldn’t have been better.

Love said he was expecting Clements to give him a harsh grade after seeing the coverage on the sideline post-play.

“Very cool play. Great catch by J-Reed with three guys around him,” Love said. “It looked cool but it definitely could have gone wrong…I just have to make a better decision in that situation.”

Love didn’t expect the safety to be as deep as he was when he threw the ball. After seeing the coverage on the tape, he said the better decision was going to Bo Melton on the deep dig route.

He also wasn’t surprised that Clements — a veteran quarterbacks coach who worked with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay — gave him a poor grade on the play.

“Tom is who Tom is and he is going to stay true to how he grades us, how he coaches us. That’s staying true to our reads, going through our progressions, being on time with our feet, reading with our feet…if you’re not doing that, Tom is going to let you know you’re not doing that. That’s what I appreciate about Tom and how he coaches.”

Would Love try to make the same throw again?

“No. I wouldn’t. I would not. But I’m glad it worked out the way it did,” Love said, smiling.

Hear more from Love below: