Texans vs. Packers: Houston defense fails on huge stage

Shredded through the air for six touchdown passes by Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday night, a number of key Houston Texans players struggled to even put their woeful performance into words after the game.

"That wasn’t us," defensive end J.J. Watt told Tania Ganguli of The Houston Chronicle following the loss. "That’s not the way we play. But you’re facing a quarterback who puts the ball on the money every single time. We didn’t get enough pressure on him."

Watt's frustrations were largely echoed by many of his teammates after the 18-point defeat, with linebacker Brooks Reed saying that he believes his team needs to "get our respect back" after being dealt such an embarrassing loss on national television. Although they still held a meager Green Bay rushing attack to 99 yards on 31 carries, the Texans literally had no answer for Rodgers and his stable of receivers in the passing game all evening.

The most disconcerting aspect from Sunday's loss may have been Houston's inability to force Rodgers out of his comfort zone, as the Pro Bowl signal caller appeared to benefit from clear throwing lanes for much of the 60-minute game. Set to face a Baltimore team known for both its balance and big-play ability in Week 7, head coach Gary Kubiak will need to hope that his defense can bounce back quickly from this poor performance.