The Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans are not frequent opponents but the very first time the two teams met back in 2004 there was drama. Brett Favre led the Packers to a thrilling win over the Texans on the game’s final play. Ryan Longwell kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired to give the Packers a 16-13 win.
Brett Favre Leads Packers to a Last Second Win Over the Texans: The Buildup
The 2004 season got off to a very poor start for the Packers. The team was just 1-4 after five games and looking to get back on track after finishing 10-6 and winning the NFC North the previous season.
Favre and the Packers did find their stride and ran off four straight wins entering their game against the Texans in Houston. They beat the Lions, Cowboys, Redskins, and Vikings to improve to 5-4. They needed to continue winning to keep their hopes of winning the division and making the playoffs alive.
The Texans entered the game with a 4-5 record after dropping their last two games. The Texans also needed a win to stay in the playoff hunt.
A Tough Start for the Packers
It didn’t take long for things to get off track for the Packers. Star running back Ahman Green was injured on the first play of the game. He gained seven yards but suffered injured ribs. He returned early in the second quarter but left the game for good before halftime when the pain in his ribs got worse. The X-rays later proved negative, but Green only carried five times for 15 yards in the game.
Green Bay was already without Najeh Davenport, so Walter Williams came in at running back. The Grambling alum had just been activated off the practice squad. He carried seven times for 42 yards including a 28-yard gain but left later in the second quarter with an ankle injury.
That left Tony Fisher as the Packers only healthy running back for the rest of this game. After the game, Fisher said, “I’m always prepared. I’m not a starter, but I have to always be prepared to be one. I’m still a running back, and you have to be prepared to do everything.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Packers took a 3-0 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Longwell. The key play on the drive was a 50-yard pass from Favre to Donald Driver. The wideout finished the game with 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown.
The lead was short-lived. Houston responded right away with a touchdown drive. Their key play was a 49-yard pass from David Carr to Andre Johnson. On the next play, Carr found Domanick Williams for a six-yard touchdown pass.
Houston expanded their lead on two field goals by Kris Brown and the Packers trailed 13-3 at the half.
Brett Favre Leads Packers to a Last Second Win Over the Texans: The Comeback Begins
The third quarter was scoreless. One Packers drive ended on a Favre when Aaron Glenn intercepted a Favre pass intended for Javon Walker at the Texans 16.
The Packers got the ball back at their own 19 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Favre completed passes to Robert Ferguson for 23 yards and to tight end Bubba Franks for 27 yards on the drive. He found Driver on a 24 touchdown pass to pull the Packers to within 13-10.
The next drive ended with a 39-yard Longwell field goal to tie the contest at 13-13. A 20-yard pass to fullback William Henderson and a 10-yard run by Fisher helped spur the drive.
The Packers had another chance to pull ahead late in the game. With 3:16 to go, Favre threw long for Antonio Chatman, but Dunta Robinson intercepted deep in Houston territory. The Green Bay defense forced a three and out which gave the Packers the ball back at their own 31 with exactly two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Final Drive
Favre went 6-for-7 on the final drive and his only incompletion was a spike to stop the clock. He hit Fisher for three yards and then Chatman for six. Facing third-and-one, Favre found Chatman on consecutive plays for six and 11 yards and a pair of vital first downs.
With 17 seconds left, the Packers had the ball at the Houston 40-yard line. Favre dropped back and found Driver for 12 yards to the Texans 28. The Packers called their last timeout with four seconds left on the clock.
Longwell came in and booted a 46-yard field goal as time expired. “I’ve got the best snapper in the league and the best holder in the league. It makes my job a little easier,” Longwell said. “Today was my chance and it was redemption after my early miss. I don’t often get a chance to do that.”
The Packers had increased their winning streak to five games.
Brett Favre Leads Packers to a Last Second Win Over the Texans: The Aftermath
Favre finished the game by completing 33-of-50 passes for 383 yards and one touchdown. Walker caught nine passes for 88 yards.
The defense shut the Texans out in the second half. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila had two sacks while linebacker Na’il Diggs led the team with eight tackles including six in the first half.
“We couldn’t block him,” Texans director of scouting, Chuck Banker said. “He ran over our guard. And he flowed past two blockers.”
Head coach Mike Sherman was proud of the way the Packers managed to win the game. “Our defense came out in the second half and shut out an explosive offense like that,” he said. “It speaks volumes of the work they’ve done. The defense really gave us a chance offensively to find our way.”
The Packers players were also pleased. “When you sit back and look at it, every week you’re not always going to be firing on all cylinders,” tackle Mark Tauscher explained. “Nobody ever is going to play perfect football all the time. [But] we’ve had games where we’ve played well and haven’t gotten it done. You need to win some like this.”
The Packers finished the season 10-6 and again won the NFC North title. This win over the Texans helped them get there.
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