The win improves the team to 6 - 6 on the season. Now tied with Minnesota in the division standings and two back of Detroit.
The margin with the Lions is really a one game differential since the Packers won their first meeting. The goal between now and the last game of the season (in Detroit) is to narrow the margin to 1 game.
Snow fell throughout in Lambeau Field and outside my living room window all game, adding to the atmosphere and creating an extra challenge for players on the field.
The Pack didn't perform as well as they did in Philadelphia six days earlier, but took control early.
The defense created a turnover after a Texans pass completion and the Packers took it inside Houston's three yard line when a mishandled snap was recovered by Houston.
It was 0 - 0 after the first quarter.
The Packers defense showed signs of life in Philly and with a few more starters healed up upped their level of play again. The defense stopped Houston went it went for it on fourth and short; leading to the Packers first score, a 9 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb. Cobb did a snow angel in 'pay-snow' before leaping into the north end zone stands. (Note, the end zone is frequently called paydirt.)
Houston hasn't been scoring much of late, and they kept up the trend in Green Bay, only tying the game midway through the third quarter.
Into the final stanza, the Packers finished a 98 yard drive with a 32 yard pass to Jordy Nelson standing alone in the end zone after a defender slipped on the snow.
The next time the Pack got the ball, this time at their 11, it ended with an Aaron Ripkowski dive over the goal line and a 21 - 7 lead. A highlight of the series was a key third down conversion to Nelson who rose above a defender to pluck the ball from the air with his country-strong grip.
Houston made it a one-score game with less than 2 minutes to go, but missed the extra point. Davante Adams covered the onside kick and the Pack ran out the clock.
Four games remain. The Packers need to take it "one game at a time," as a tough Seattle squad comes to town next Sunday.
There's a trip down the Lake Michigan coastline to play the Bears in Soldier Field; back home Christmas Eve day to drop coal in the stockings of Minnesota players; and a close-out in Detroit for what I'm hoping is a showdown for the NFC North Division title.
(Wondering about the same cap for multiple blogs? It's on a two game win streak!)
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