AFC South-leading Texans chase 4th straight victory as they visit Green Bay

Houston (5-1) at Green Bay (4-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL odds: Packers by 2 1/2.

Against the spread: Texans 2-3-1; Packers 4-2.

Series record: Packers lead 4-1.

Last meeting: Packers beat Texans 25-20 in Houston on Oct. 25, 2020.

Last week: Texans won 41-21 at New England; Packers won 34-13 at home over the Arizona Cardinals.

Texans offense: overall (6), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (14).

Packers offense: overall (4), rush (2), pass (10), scoring (T-8).

Texans defense: overall (3), rush (13), pass (4), scoring (T-15).

Packers defense: overall (18), rush (8), pass (25), scoring (T-9).

Turnover differential: Texans even; Packers plus-9.

DE Will Anderson Jr. had his best game of the season last week against the Patriots to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year had eight tackles, three sacks and four tackles for losses — all career highs. Anderson also deflected a pass that was intercepted in the fourth quarter Sunday. He has 12 1/2 sacks through his first 21 games which ranks second in franchise history in that span behind J.J. Watt, who had 13 in 2011.

QB Jordan Love has thrown 12 touchdown passes in his four starts this season, and he has thrown for four scores in each of his past two home games. Although he’s thrown six interceptions already this year, he was picked off only once against the Cardinals, and that came when intended receiver Bo Melton slipped on a route.

Texans passing game vs. Packers secondary. C.J. Stroud threw touchdown passes to three different players (Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell and Joe Mixon) against New England. Diggs’ arrival this season adds to the array of playmakers Stroud has alongside him. He’s going to be matching up against a ball-hawking secondary that has picked off nine passes this season. Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney had an interception in each of the Packers’ first five games.

Texans: CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) will miss a second straight game. ... LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion), S Jimmie Ward (groin) and WR Robert Woods (foot) also are out. ... DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder) and WR Steven Sims (back) were questionable.

Packers: DL Devonte Wyatt (ankle) will miss a third straight game. … WR Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder) and DL Colby Wooden (knee) were questionable.

The Packers have won their past three meetings with the Texans and have averaged 32.7 points in those games. That streak started when Aaron Rodgers tied a franchise single-game record by throwing six touchdown passes — three to Jordy Nelson — in a 42-24 victory in 2012. … The Texans’ lone victory over the Packers was a 24-21 decision at Lambeau Field in 2008, with Kris Brown making a 40-yard field goal as time expired.

The Texans need a victory for their first four-game winning streak since reeling off nine straight wins in 2018. ... Texans RB Joe Mixon had 102 yards rushing with a scoring run and a TD reception against New England in his return after missing three games with an ankle injury. ... Texans RB Dameon Pierce had a season-best 76 yards rushing with a touchdown last week after missing four games with a hamstring injury. ... Diggs had six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots for his fourth straight game with at least 65 yards receiving. He had 108 yards receiving and a touchdown in his most recent game against Green Bay in 2022 with Buffalo. He has nine TD receptions in 10 games against the Packers. ... Texans TE Dalton Schultz had a touchdown reception in his previous game against Green Bay in 2022 with Dallas. ... Texans DE Danielle Hunter had a sack and his first forced fumble of the season against the Patriots. He forced two fumbles and had a sack in his previous game at Green Bay in 2023 with Minnesota. ... Texans S Calen Bullock had an interception and his first career fumble recovery against New England. He’s the only rookie with two interceptions this season. ... The Packers are 10-2 against AFC teams at home during Matt LaFleur’s six-year coaching tenure. … The Packers have 1,003 yards rushing this season. That’s their highest total through the first six games of a season since 1963, when they had 1,041. … The Packers rank second in the NFL with 55 explosive plays and the Texans are third with 54. An explosive play is defined as a run of 12-plus yards or a pass of 16-plus yards. The Baltimore Ravens have a league-high 59. … The Packers have a league-high 17 takeaways. … Love’s 12 TD passes put him in a tie for second place in the league, behind the 15 of Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield. Love ranks that high despite missing two games with a knee injury. … McKinney has a league-leading five interceptions. ... Packers WR Romeo Doubs had his first two touchdown catches of the season against Arizona after serving a one-game suspension. The suspension came after he missed two practices leading up to Green Bay's 24-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

The Packers made a kicking change this week, bringing in veteran Brandon McManus to replace rookie Brayden Narveson. Although Narveson had made just 70.6% of his field goals, he was tied for second in the league in attempts before the Packers released him. McManus should get plenty of opportunities as well, and he figures to convert more of them. He’s worth picking up off the waiver wire.

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Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Naquan Jones loses his helmet as he tackles Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Green Bay Packers defensive end Karl Brooks (94) celebrates after recovering a fumble during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) pressures Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) celebrates his touchdown with running back Joe Mixon (28) during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) reacts after his touchdown behind New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) celebrates after his touchdown with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) and center Juice Scruggs (70) during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)