NFL News & Analysis

NFL Preseason Week 1 Game Recap: Houston Texans 26, Green Bay Packers 7

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) looks to throw in the first quarter in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Mjs Apc Packvstexans 0814210084djp

The Houston Texans came into Green Bay as three-point underdogs but fought through adversity and walked out of Lambeau with a 26-7 victory in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL preseason.

Click below for more PFF tools:

PFF Fantasy Rankings | PFF Fantasy projections | NFL Premium Stats | Win totals tracker

Texans defense strong against the run: While the Packers rested most of their starting offensive linemen this week, their backups failed to pave the way for the ground game. Of the six linemen who played significant snaps, only rookie center Josh Myers and second-year guard Jon Runyan earned a run-blocking grade above 60.0 for the night. The Texans took advantage of this, gathering four tackles for loss or no gain. Perhaps this could be a bright spot for a potentially dark Texans season.

A tale of two young QBs:  Jordan Love and Davis Mills made their preseason debuts tonight, and they enjoyed varying degrees of success. While far from perfect, Love had an encouraging night. The Utah State product put up a 60.0-plus PFF grade and two big-time throws, though he did turn the ball over on a strip-sack. Mills recorded two turnover-worthy plays and earned a sub-60.0 grade, even if he did uncork several good-looking throws during the night.

Change of Scenery does Conley Well: Chris Conley shined tonight, earning what will likely be the highest receiving grade of the game. While the veteran wideout has yet to feature as a team's primary receiving option, he may very well build a rapport with Tyrod Taylor and have a strong year in Houston.

Undrafted RB performs: The best part of the preseason is seeing unheralded players get their moment. For the Texans, that may be undrafted Ole Miss back Scottie Phillips this year, who generated more than 70% of his rushing yards after contact tonight, scoring a touchdown and boasting the highest rushing grade of the contest.

Former D2 star dazzles: The Packers enjoyed a strong performance from their own former undrafted player in former Ferris State WR Malik Taylor. The Flint native only played a small special teams role for Green Bay in 2020 after spending 2019 on the practice squad, but he made a case to expand that with a fantastic performance tonight. Taylor earned the Packers’ highest receiving grade of the night while averaging a healthy 2.78 yards per route run.

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit