GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers, fresh off a strong start to the season, are showing signs of ball security struggles as they head into the latter part of the schedule. In their recent match against the Houston Texans, which they narrowly won 24-22, the Packers committed three turnovers while failing to force any from their opponents.

Houston capitalized on Green Bay’s mistakes, scoring 16 points directly off turnovers, including two drives that began in excellent field position at the Packers’ 11-yard line. Despite this concerning trend, Green Bay secured its third consecutive victory thanks to a game-winning 45-yard field goal by Brandon McManus as time ran out. The team’s issues with protecting the football are alarming, especially since they had entered the game with an impressive league-high turnover margin of plus-9.

“It’s hard to overcome losing the turnover battle by three in this league,” commented Packers head coach Matt LaFleur post-match. Notably, this marks the first time the team has managed to win with a minus-3 turnover margin or worse since a close game against the Detroit Lions in 2019. Green Bay leads the league with 17 takeaways but has also committed 11 turnovers themselves, trailing only the Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee Titans, who have recorded more turnovers by the beginning of Monday night football.

Quarterback Jordan Love has thrown 15 touchdown passes so far, tying him for the league lead with Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—who was set to play later that evening. Love’s performance is even more impressive considering he missed two games early in the season due to a knee injury. Nevertheless, he has also thrown eight interceptions, placing him in a three-way tie with Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew for the most interceptions in the league thus far. The stark difference in his interception rate compared to last season is notable; Love was picked off 11 times across 579 pass attempts in 2022.

Reflecting on his experience, Love remarked, “It’s the NFL. There’s not always going to be wide-open guys. It’s going to be tight windows you’ve got to fit the ball in there sometimes.” He emphasized his willingness to learn from errors and continue pushing forward without being deterred by mistakes.

Aspects of the game that stood out include Green Bay’s pass rush, which shone brightly against Houston, resulting in four sacks and limiting quarterback C.J. Stroud to a mere 86 passing yards—his career low and the least any Packers opponent has managed with at least 20 passing attempts since 2008.

Conversely, the special teams faced challenges, particularly on punt returns, leading to two critical failures. One such incident involved a fumble recovery by Houston after a punt struck Green Bay’s Corey Ballentine, while another saw Jayden Reed caught off guard, receiving a punt just outside the end zone before being tackled at the four-yard line.

Highlighted performances came from McManus, who made a clutch kick during his debut, and punter Daniel Whelan, who showcased impressive averages that placed him among the best in Packers history. Linebacker Eric Wilson also made significant contributions with two sacks and four tackles for loss, while wide receiver Romeo Doubs was a standout with eight receptions for 94 yards, contributing two key catches during the crucial drive for the winning field goal.

On the downside, Reed’s performance was marred by two critical misplays, including the earlier mentioned misplay on a punt and a missed deep ball opportunity, resulting in underwhelming statistics for the day.

In the injury department, linebacker Quay Walker had to exit the game after an accidental collision with teammate Kingsley Enagbare.

In terms of milestones, Love’s consistency is notable—he has now thrown for over 200 yards and connected for a touchdown in 16 consecutive games, making it the second-longest such streak in Packers history, trailing Aaron Rodgers’ record of 19 games.

Looking ahead, the Packers (5-2) will take on the Jaguars (2-5) in Jacksonville, marking their first encounter since 2016. This matchup comes with lingering memories of a disappointing loss they suffered in 2021 during a game relocated to Jacksonville due to Hurricane Ida’s devastation in Louisiana.