Brandon McManus kicked a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give Green Bay a 24-22 victory over Houston on Sunday, McManus couldn't help himself.
Green Bay (5-2) overcame three turnovers to win its third straight and snap Houston's three-game winning streak.
The Packers released rookie Brayden Narveson and signed McManus on Wednesday, trusting the 33-year-old veteran's reliability. McManus has made over 90% of his career field-goal attempts from less than 50 yards, while Narveson had gone 12 of 17 without attempting any from beyond 49 yards.
Houston's Joe Mixon rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Ka’imi Fairbairn was 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts and put the Texans (5-2) ahead by making a 35-yarder with 1:44 left.
C.J. Stroud was just 10 of 21 for a career-low 86 yards and was sacked four times in a game that had seven lead changes.
Houston still nearly pulled off what would have been a remarkable victory, considering all the players the Texans were missing.
The Texans didn't have five defensive starters with tackle Mario Edwards Jr. serving a suspension while linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Jimmie Ward were out with injuries. Houston also played without injured receivers Nico Collins and Robert Woods, as well as receiver/punt returner Steven Sims.
Houston was seeking its first four-game winning streak since 2018, when the Texans won nine in a row. The emotions of this game were evident even before the opening kickoff, as Texans receiver Stefon Diggs exchanged words and shoves with Packers cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Keisean Nixon.
The Texans built a 19-14 halftime lead by scoring 16 points off three Packers turnovers.
Josh Jacobs put the Packers ahead midway through the third quarter when he got his first career touchdown catch - on the sixth-year pro’s 212th overall reception. Jacobs had the NFL record for most career catches without a touchdown reception.
But the Packers went three-and-out on their next three possessions, allowing the Texans to come back again on Fairbairn's last field goal. Green Bay trailed 22-21 when it got the ball at its own 30 with one timeout remaining.
The Packers were at midfield when Love hit Romeo Doubs for a 13-yard gain. An offside penalty on Houston's Will Anderson brought the Packers 5 yards closer. After a 6-yard completion from Love to Doubs got Green Bay to Houston's 26, the Packers called a timeout with 3 seconds left to set things up for McManus.
Packers LB Quay Walker left in the first half to get evaluated for a concussion after teammate Kingsley Enagbare's leg inadvertently hit him in the head at the end of a play.
The Packers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
