GREEN BAY – The Packers took a 7-0 lead into halftime over the Texans on a snowy Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The second quarter began with another big defensive stop. The Texans had fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 49 and went for it, but RB Alfred Blue was stopped for no gain by DE Datone Jones, and the Packers took over in good field position.
Green Bay took advantage this time, driving 50 yards in 10 plays for the game's first score. The Packers went for it on their own fourth down, fourth-and-2 from the Houston 42, and RB Christine Michael picked it up with a 5-yard run.
From there, consecutive 6-yard passes to WRs Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery were followed by a 5-yard Montgomery run and a 7-yard Nelson catch. WR Randall Cobb finished the drive with a 9-yard TD catch, as QB Aaron Rodgers scrambled to his right and found Cobb cutting across the snowy end zone.
K Mason Crosby's extra point put the Packers up, 7-0, with 8:02 left in the half.
The Green Bay defense responded nicely. Rookie DE Dean Lowry recorded his first career sack on second down, leading to a Houston punt, which Cobb returned 23 yards after breaking multiple tackles to set the offense up at the Green Bay 40.
The Packers went three-and-out, though, and P Jake Schum pinned Houston on its own 11. Three straight incomplete passes – two of them being dropped by Houston receivers clearly struggling with the wet conditions – led to another punt. Texans WR Braxton Miller was down on the field for an extended period after his third-down drop, holding his arm after getting taken down hard by S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Miller left the field and was taken straight to the locker room.
Rodgers hit Nelson for 8 yards and FB Aaron Ripkowski ran straight ahead for 10 to start Green Bay's next drive, but that was all. The Packers punted the Texans back to their own 11 again, with 1:37 left in the half.
The Texans got moving with three straight completions to TE C.J. Fiedorowicz that gained 30 yards total, but LB Julius Peppers sacked Osweiler for a 10-yard loss to stall the drive. That gave Peppers 142 ½ career sacks, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time list, ahead of Michael Strahan.
