NFL NEWS

Slip on snowy field changes game, gets player cut

Lindyssports.com Staff

December 06, 2016 at 9:08 am.

Dec 4, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA;  Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) catches a touchdown pass against Houston Texans cornerback Charles James II (31) and safety Corey Moore (43) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 4, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) catches a touchdown pass against Houston Texans cornerback Charles James II (31) and safety Corey Moore (43) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

HOUSTON — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers kept his eyes fixated downfield as he scrambled to his left away from the Houston Texans’ pass rush, creating time and a prime scoring opportunity.

Despite dealing with a painful hamstring injury, Rodgers’ trademark mobility and vision paid off with major dividends during this pivotal fourth-quarter sequence.

Rodgers capitalized with a perfect lob pass when Texans reserve cornerback Charles James, who was waived Monday, stumbled in the snow and skidded across the ground at Lambeau Field on Sunday. James’ sudden loss of footing in the sloppy conditions led to wide receiver Jordy Nelson accelerating past him to haul in a 32-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Rodgers as the Texans lost their third game in a row.

James was abruptly elevated into an increased role on defense because two-time Pro-Bowl cornerback Johnathan Joseph was forced out of the game with a rib injury earlier in the drive.

“I slipped, I feel like it’s my fault,” James said following the 21-13 loss inside the Texans’ locker room. “That’s what you get paid for: to stay up and be at your best. I got to stay up and make the play and I didn’t. He put the ball where he needed it to be and he scored.”

Rodgers engineered a classic pair of fourth-quarter drives to put the Texans away after a game defensive effort through three quarters. First, Rodgers led the Packers on a 12-play, 98-yard drive where his elusiveness and strong arm propelled the Packers to a 14-7 lead.

The touchdown to Nelson represented a huge momentum swing.

“I talked to Charles and he just lost his footing,” Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye said. “It’s tough because between every play you’ve got ice in your shoes and I had to make sure I had to scrape that off so I wouldn’t slip.

“It’s bad timing. We all know Charles is going to compete. I hate to see it happen.”

Help over the top didn’t arrive in time as the Texans’ safeties were caught out of position on the touchdown. Nelson hurt the Texans, catching eight passes for 118 yards on 10 targets.

“I was in my deep third coverage and I couldn’t see Aaron Rodgers because he was scrambling around,” strong safety Corey Moore said. “I kind of saw Jordy Nelson running free and I was like, ‘Oh man, I got to get over there.'”

Then, Rodgers boosted the Packers’ lead with an eight-play, 89-yard march that included passes of 21 and 28 yards to Nelson before fullback Aaron Ripkowski scored on a three-yard plunge up the middle to put the Texans away.

“They played great for three quarters,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. “They may have gotten a little tired. They played their hearts out.”

Rodgers completed 20 of 30 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 108.9 passer rating. He piled up 98 of those yards in the fourth quarter alone.

“As a thrower, you love a perfect environment,” Rodgers said. “As football fan and historian, you love games like this. These are the fun ones. This is Lambeau Field in the winter that we love.

“We had some good field position earlier in the game and kind of squandered it. To put together two drives over 180 yards of offense was pretty special.”

Rodgers was only sacked once by a Texans defense playing without injured defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who didn’t make the trip due to elbow and wrist injuries. Rodgers was hit just four times overall.

“Everybody knows Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback,” said Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who had the lone sack against him. “He’s an NFL MVP. He’s always gotten it done. His team won, so hat’s off to him.”

The Packers finished the game with 16 first downs and 309 yards of total offense. It’s not like they delivered a dominant performance against the Texans’ shorthanded defense, but the fourth quarter ultimately decided this game as Rodgers imposed his will.

“He’s a great player, I thought we got after him some, pressured him,” Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said. “He’s going to make his share of plays. I thought we battled him hard, though. I think he would probably say the same thing.”

Meanwhile, as disappointed as James felt Sunday, that didn’t compare to Monday when the popular player was waived and replaced by cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz, who was claimed on waivers from the Steelers. Shabazz was cut Saturday when the Steelers were forced to sign kicker Randy Bullock because regular kicker Chris Boswell was injured.

James rose to national prominence during his star turn on Hard Knocks, becoming known for his feisty style, underdog status and colorful sock collection.

James was primarily a special-teams contributor and is relatively undersized for the cornerback position. He said goodbye on social media.

“My time in Houston is up,” James wrote on Instagram. “I gave y’all everything I had. All I have is good memories about this place. I’m truly sorry I couldn’t be better in the most precious moments but I’m only human and life happens. To the people who know my story, my journey, my testimony you’ll know it’s just a detour in the road.”