Packers open the preseason against the Texans

[Cheesehead]

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT


Packers vs. Texans:

• All-time, Regular season: 3-1-0
• All-time, Preseason: 0-0-0
• All-time, Postseason: 0-0
• All-time, in Green Bay: 1-1-0
• Streaks: The Packers have won the previous two regular-season matchups.

COACHES CAPSULES


Matt LaFleur: 0-0-0, .000; 1st NFL season


Bill O’Brien: 24-20-0, .545 (incl. 0-1 postseason); 6th NFL season


Head to Head: 0-0


vs. Opponent: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Texans; O’Brien 0-1 vs. Packers


Matt LaFleur…In his first season as the Packers’ 15th head coach.

• Entering his 11th season in the NFL, having served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistat for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• Guided the Titans’ offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
• Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
• Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press.
• Coached rookie QB Robert Griffin III with the Redskins in 2012, who became the first QB in team history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Bill O'Brien…Is in his sixth year as the Texans’ third head coach.

• Guided the Texans to winning seasons in four of his five seasons as head coach, including three AFC South division championships (2015-16, 2018).
• Coached WR DeAndre Hopkins to become the third-youngest player in NFL history to reach 6,000 receiving yards behind Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald.
• In 2015, led Houston to another 9-7 record, winning the AFC South.
• Served as offensive coordinator for a New England Patriots team that advanced to Super Bowl XLVI and led the league in scoring (32.1 ppg).
• Named ESPN National Coach of the Year in 2012 after leading Penn State to an 8-4 record, despite scholarship reductions and a postseason ban.

THE PACKERS-TEXANS SERIES

• The two clubs have played each other only four times in the regular season since the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion club in 2002.
• The first meeting came in a nationally televised Sunday night contest at Reliant Stadium in Houston, one that the Packers won, 16-13, on a 46-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell as time expired.
• Houston native and longtime Packers WR Donald Driver led Green Bay with 10 catches for 148 yards (14.8 avg.) and QB Brett Favre threw for 383 yards in the win.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS


Packers head coach Matt LaFleur served as an offensive assistant in 2008 and 2009…Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich spent two season as a player on the Texans practice squad…Packers defensive backs coach Jason Simmons played six seasons with the Texans (2002-07)…Simmons played alongside Texans defensive line coach Anthony Weaver for two seasons (2006-07) in Houston…Mike Pettine (2009-12) and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith (2010-12) coached alongside Texans offensive line coach Mike Devlin while with the New York Jets…Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten served as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at Westfield High School in Houston from 2008-15…Packers senior advisor to football operations Ted Thompson is a native of East Texas and played 10 seasons for the Houston Oilers (1975-84)…Packers equipment manager Red Batty spent 13 seasons (1981-93) in the same role with the Houston Oilers… Packers S Mike Tyson and CB Natrell Jamerson played in 10 games each for the Texans in 2018...Tramon Williams entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Houston in 2016...Evan Baylis entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Houston in 2017 and played in one game....Anthony Coyle was a rookie free agent signee by Houston in 2018...Texans CB Deante Burton spent time in 2018 on the Packers’ roster...Texans DE J.J. Watt was a four-year letterwinner at Pewaukee HS (Pewaukee, Wis.) and played college football at Wisconsin...Texans OT Max Scharping is a native of Green Bay and attended Green Bay Southwest where he earned three all-conference honors…Texans WR Jester Weah is a native of Madison, WI…Packers from the Greater Houston area include: CB Tony Brown (Beaumont), DL Kingsley Keke (Richmond) and WR J’Mon Moore (Missouri City)...Players who were teammates include: Packers P JK Scott, CB Tony Brown and Texans DE Johnny Dwight (Alabama); Packers DL Montravius Adams and Texans DE Angelo Blackson (Auburn); Packers G Justin McCray and Texans TE Jordan Akins (Central Florida); Packers WR Trevor Davis and Texans WR Chad Hansen (California); Packers WR Geronimo Allison, LB James Crawford and Texans RB Josh Ferguson (Illinois); Packers S Darnell Savage and Texans LB Jesse Aniebonam (Maryland); Packers DL Fadol Brown, Texans WR Floyd Allen and S A.J. Moore (Mississippi); Packers LB Preston Smith, S Will Redmond and Texans LB Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State); Packers QB DeShone Kizer, WR Equanimeous St. Brown, Texans WR Will Fuller V and C Nick Martin (Notre Dame); Packers C Corey Linsley and Texans CB Bradley Roby (Ohio State); Packers LB Blake Martinez and Texans OLB Brandon Scarlett (Stanford); Packers DL Kingsley Keke, TE Jace Sternberger and Texans FB Cullen Gillaspia (Texas A&M); Packers DL Kenny Clark and Texans K Ka’imi Fairbairn (UCLA)...Justin McCray also played under Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett who was an assistant coach at UCF...Packers K Sam Ficken played two seasons (2012-13) under Texans head coach Bill O’Brien at Penn State...Packers TE Marcedes Lewis played with Texans P Bryan Anger (2012-15), CB Aaron Colvin (2014-17) and FS Tashaun Gipson Sr. (2016-17) while with the Jacksonville Jaguars…Packers S Adrian Amos played the 2015 season with Texans NT Brandon Dunn on the Chicago Bears…Packers RB Tra Carson played with Texans QB A.J. McCarron while with the Cincinnati Bengals…Packers G Billy Turner played with Texans CB Bradley Roby for three seasons (2016-18) with the Denver Broncos.