Packers-Texans was a chaotic battle of heavyweights – and still an example of why both can win the Super Bowl

Good teams don't have to be perfect to still be considered good, and that was clear when the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans took the field on Sunday.

While the Packers secured the 24-22 win with a last-second field goal from recently signed Brandon McManus, neither team really looked great and the heated game inched closer to a tie.

“It wasn’t perfect,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “It definitely wasn’t perfect. Lots of mistakes. But we found a way to win.”

However, both young quarterbacks showed up Only enough, along with some other strong performances from the players around them, to the point where each team's fan base should feel like their team still has a chance to compete in January and beyond.

Love had a classic game in which he resembled equal parts Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, channeling their energy into a few incredible throws that led to goals and two rough interceptions. The Packers' defense provided enough support to survive the interceptions, but it wasn't Love's cleanest game.

“A quarterback's primary job is to take care of the football, but I also don't think we're putting him in the best positions to throw the football, especially today,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said.

Still, he had enough high-profile plays that made it easy to see why the Packers (5-2) are still considered NFC title contenders. They have a great quarterback And They were able to run the ball on Sunday.

Josh Jacobs has given the Packers a dynamic they didn't have a year ago. Data from TruMedia shows Jacobs added an average of 0.10 expected points per rush and gained a first down on 25% of his carries. The ability to move the ball efficiently on the ground has been crucial to Green Bay's ability to stay afloat in moments like these when Love is careless with the ball.

Ground game and defense with a few aerial explosives are still a winning strategy in the NFL. The Packers pressured CJ Stroud on 51.7% of his dropbacks, and that was all together Only enough to give the Packers a win.

“To hold a team that good to 22 points, considering some of those offenses started deep in our own territory, you have to give (defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley) game ball for that defensive performance,” LaFleur said.

Houston finally had a game where Stroud really struggled, but this time they ran the ball more easily than usual. Joe Mixon was incredibly effective, rushing for 115 yards, two touchdowns and a few clutch carries in the second half for the Texans to give a chance at the end of the game.

This was the first game where Stroud couldn't really overcome some of the difficulties his pass protection was giving him. He was under pressure all game and struggled to find a rhythm. As a result, he only managed 86 yards through the air and 55 net passing yards. In a game that featured the running game, Stroud had arguably his worst performance as a professional quarterback from a production standpoint.

“We just couldn’t find our rhythm,” Stroud said.

The good thing is that it's unlikely Stroud will ever play that badly again. Even in adverse situations like the one the Texans' offensive line has repeatedly presented, Stroud has stayed afloat and is a force in elite quarterback play.

If the running game can perform well again, the Texans will finally have an offense complete enough to be as stable during the season as people have imagined. The offensive line is still a concern, but from a running game standpoint there was progress on Sunday.

Both teams have weaknesses, but are still quality teams that can make a breakthrough if things go well for them. Someone has to lose a battle between heavyweights, this round happened to go to the Packers.