Brandon McManus kicked a field goal on the final play, securing a 24-22 victory for the Packers over the Texans.

 GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brandon McManus claimed he hadn’t planned on performing a “Lambeau Leap” if he made a winning field goal in his Green Bay Packers debut. However, after kicking a 45-yard field goal as time expired, securing a 24-22 victory over Houston on Sunday, he couldn’t resist the urge to jump into the stands and celebrate with the Lambeau Field crowd.

“I thought it would be cool to do that,” McManus said. “I definitely need to work on my hops. I don’t practice jumping that much anymore.”

With this win, the Packers (5-2) overcame three turnovers, marking their third consecutive victory while halting Houston's three-game winning streak.

“It wasn’t perfect, definitely not perfect,” said Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who completed 23 of 31 passes for 214 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. “A lot of mistakes. But we found a way to win, and that’s what it’s all about.”

McManus' kick was just the latest chapter in an eventful year for him. After being out of work since summer due to a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault during a Jaguars trip to London last year, the NFL found insufficient evidence to support a violation of the personal conduct policy. The case has since been resolved. The Packers released rookie Brayden Narveson and signed McManus on Wednesday, relying on the veteran's proven reliability. McManus has converted over 90% of his career field-goal attempts from under 50 yards, while Narveson had hit 12 of 17, none from beyond 49 yards.

On Sunday, McManus rose to the occasion. Even after the Texans called a timeout before his initial kick, he remained composed and delivered on the second attempt, thanks in part to a good hold by Packers’ holder Daniel Whelan, who managed a low snap.

“I always want a practice kick if I can,” McManus noted. "It was a little windy today, so I was just checking where the wind might move the ball."

On the opposing side, Houston’s Joe Mixon rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, while Ka’imi Fairbairn successfully converted all three of his field-goal attempts, putting the Texans (5-2) ahead with a 35-yarder with 1:44 remaining.

However, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled, completing just 10 of 21 passes for a career-low 86 yards and was sacked four times in a contest featuring seven lead changes.

“Obviously, we didn’t pass the ball well all day,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged. “So, it wasn’t good all the way around. We ran the ball well. I thought Joe did a good job running the ball. We needed to pass it. It was not good enough, starting with the protection. If we can’t protect, then that’s going to be difficult for the quarterback to make the plays.”

Despite missing several key players, including five defensive starters and injured receivers Nico Collins and Robert Woods, the Texans nearly achieved a remarkable victory.

The game’s emotional intensity was palpable even before kickoff, with Texans receiver Stefon Diggs exchanging words and shoves with Packers cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Keisean Nixon. Houston held a 19-14 lead at halftime, capitalizing on three turnovers by the Packers to score 16 points.

Josh Jacobs gave the Packers the lead midway through the third quarter with his first career touchdown reception—marking the sixth-year pro's 212th catch, breaking the record for the most career receptions without a touchdown.

“It was long overdue,” Jacobs said. “We talked about it all week in practice that, ‘Man, this is the week we’re going to get (it).’ We had three or four plays in the red zone for me.”

However, the Packers went three-and-out on their next three possessions, allowing the Texans to regain the lead on Fairbairn's final field goal. Trailing 22-21, Green Bay started its last drive at its own 30-yard line with one timeout remaining.

“It’s a two-minute drive, we need a field goal, we know what we need to do,” Love reflected. “So the mindset is just go win the game.”

The Packers moved to midfield, with Love connecting with Romeo Doubs for a 13-yard gain. An offside penalty on Houston's Will Anderson brought the Packers five yards closer. Following a 6-yard completion from Love to Doubs, the Packers called a timeout with three seconds left to set up McManus.

“He's a vet,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur praised. “You can see it. The moment's not too big for him. Obviously, that was a big-time kick.”

Injuries:
Packers linebacker Quay Walker left in the first half for a concussion evaluation after inadvertently being struck in the head by teammate Kingsley Enagbare's leg.

Up next:
Texans: Host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.
Packers: Visit the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.