McClain: Texans almost overcame security issues with road loss to Packers

Dell threw a touchdown pass in the end zone on the first series and despite four targets, it was not intercepted. Stefon Diggs caught five passes for 23 yards, including a 17-yard gain. The tight ends combined for two catches and 43 yards.

The unrelenting pressure clouded the Texans’ passing game.

“We didn’t pass the ball well all day,” Ryans said. “Starting with security, it wasn’t good enough. If we can’t protect, it will be difficult for the quarterback to play. We need to go back to the drawing board and see what the problems were. watch the video, we’ll see what happens, starting with communication, and the guys will deal with the details of the work.

“They were able to put pressure on, whether it was acrobatics or blitzes, it affected the passing game. There are no excuses. We have to protect it and we have to create actions.”

Xavier Hutchinson was phenomenal in his only reception. It was a dandy 11-yard field goal on the Texans’ final drive, which started at the 38-yard line after Dell’s 13-yard return. On third-and-10 at the Green Bay 23, Stroud was sacked from the pocket, but made a perfect pass down the sideline that was caught by a diving Hutchinson at the Packers’ 12.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik then called consecutive runs to Mixon, forcing the Packers to use two timeouts, but they lost 2 and 3 yards, setting up a third-and-15 at the 17. Stroud’s third-down pass was well short of the sticks and was incomplete. This allowed Fairbairn to score a 35-yard field goal for a 22-21 advantage.

“I try to make every play that gets called,” Stroud said. “It looked like we were just going to miss it and then kick a field goal before we ended up having to throw it from third down and give them the ball with about 40 minutes left. I think yes it was a good plan – I just need to execute it better.”

At one point, Ryans didn’t contest an incomplete pass that looked like a back pass. In the second quarter, the hosts led 10:7. The Packers ran to the line of scrimmage and Love connected with Dontayvion Wicks on a 30-yard pass.

“We didn’t perform well enough throughout and didn’t finish the game,” Ryans said. “It’s a credit to the Packers. They finished the game the right way (and) made the plays when they needed to. Playing offensively is just not good enough for us.”

The Texans will need to play better offensively in their next game. The Colts are 4-3 with one game under their belt. The Texans won their first game of the season at Indianapolis Stadium and will be desperate for a win on Sunday to advance to the AFC South series.