Cleveland Browns cruise to win over Houston Texans, face win-and-in playoff scenario

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Cleveland Browns cruise to win over Houston Texans, face win-and-in playoff scenario

Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Sun, Dec 24, 2023 ·

15 min read

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HOUSTON — The math is pretty simple for the Browns.

They will play on "Thursday Night Football" in four days against the New York Jets in Cleveland . A win there and the Browns will clinch a playoff berth for just the third time since 1999.

That's the scenario because the Browns took care of business Sunday afternoon in Houston. They went out against a Texans team also fighting for a playoff spot and handed them a 36-22 defeat.

Cleveland led 36-7 with 12:31 remaining, at which time coach Kevin Stefanski began emptying his bench. The Browns then went back to their starters after the Texans scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick and scored another touchdown to pull within 14 points with 4:12 remaining.

The Browns (10-5) notched their third season with double-digit wins since the franchise returned to the league in 1999. It's the second one in Stefanski's four seasons, with the team finishing the 2020 regular season 11-5.

Sunday's win can be distilled down to two players: Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper . The Browns' quarterback and receiver combination posted eye-popping numbers during their time on the field.

Cooper set a franchise record for receiving yards in a single game with 265 yards, four more than the 261 Josh Gordon had on Dec. 1, 2013, against the Jacksonville Jaguars . He did so on 14 targets and 11 catches.

Flacco completed 26 of 41 passes for 370 yards, his second consecutive 370-plus-passing performance since taking over as the starter in Week 13. He had three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 96.6 passer rating.

Here's how Sunday's game unfolded in the Lone Star State.

Amari Cooper sets Browns single-game receiving record

It took the Browns having to go back to their starters after they thought they had the rest of the day off. However, Amari Cooper left Houston with the franchise's single-game receiving yards record when he made a 13-yard catch with just under 3:49 remaining.

The catch gave Cooper 265 yards for the day, four more than Josh Gordon had on Dec. 1, 2013, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cooper had 11 catches on 14 targets.

Cooper's previous personal high was 226 yards against the Green Bay Packers in 2019 while with the Dallas Cowboys .

Cleveland Browns forced to put starters back in the game

After Houston turned a 36-7 Browns lead into a 36-22 advantage with just over four minutes remaining, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was forced to put his starters back in the game after pulling them with 12:31 remaining.

Houston Texans sandwich two TDs around onside kick recovery

The Texans managed to make things entering midway through the fourth quarter by scoring two touchdowns to pull within 36-22 with 4:12 remaining. In between the two, the Texans executed an onside kick to get the ball back.

The first score was a 5-yard TD pass from Davis Mills to Nico Collins with 6:08 remaining. The two hooked up for the 2-point try as well.

The second was a 1-yard run by Andrew Beck with 4:12 remaining.

Cleveland Browns empty the bench with less than 11 minutes remaining

After getting the ball back on a turnover on downs with 10:57 remaining at the Houston 40, the Browns elected to start emptying the bench. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was in at quarterback, Nick Harris at center and Michael Dunn went in at left guard.

Quarterback Joe Flacco left having completed 25 of 39 for 357 yards with three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.9 passer rating. Receiver Amari Cooper had 10 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets.

The defense did the same thing after the Browns turned the ball over on downs. Several of the Browns' key defensive players stayed on the bench as the Texans marched down the field for the first offensive touchdown of the game,

Kareem Hunt adds to the Browns lead as they close in on 10 wins

Kareem Hunt scored from a yard out with 12:31 remaining for the fifth Browns touchdown of the afternoon. Quarterback Joe Flacco hit Amari Cooper for the 2-point conversion to make it 36-7 Cleveland.

End 3rd quarter: Cleveland Browns 28, Houston Texans 7

The Browns took a three-touchdown lead into the final 15 minutes in Houston.

Duron Harmon gets his first interception with the Cleveland Browns

Safety Duron Harmon wasn't even on the active roster for the Browns before the week leading up to last Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears . However, the veteran was added off the practice squad when Grant Delpit went onto the injured reserve list.

Harmon, who had 23 career interceptions entering the season, got his first with the Browns with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter. That gave Cleveland the ball at its own 49.

Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper for their second TD hookup

The Browns capped their first third-quarter drive the only way possible. Joe Flacco found Amari Cooper for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 2:35 remaining in the third.

The Browns tried a direct snap to Jerome Ford for the 2-point conversion, but were unable to get it. That left it at 28-7 in their favor.

Cooper moved to eight catches on 11 targets for 220 yards and two touchdowns with the scoring catch.

Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper somehow convert fourth-down pass

Dustin Hopkins ' hamstring injury left the Browns in another precarious position. They had fourth-and-8 from the Houston 30 in the third quarter.

Flacco found himself swarmed by Texans defenders, but threw a pass in Amari Cooper's direction on the left sideline. Cooper, amazingly, managed to make the catch with both feet inbounds at the Texans 17 to move the chains.

That catch gave Cooper 200 yards receiving. He later added more.

Martin Emerson Jr. starts half on sideline with shin injury

The Browns may have taken another defensive injury hit as cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. started the second half on the sideline. He did not have his helmet and was wearing a towel over his head.

Emerson briefly left the game late in the first half. He was officially listed as questionable with a shin injury, but was ruled out later in the third.

Halftime: Cleveland Browns 22, Houston Texans 7

The Browns couldn't convert late in the half, but they still held a two-score lead over the Texans at the break. Houston is to receive the second half kickoff.

Cleveland has a 267-75 edge in total yards. Quarterback Joe Flacco was 12-of-22 passing for 246 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and a 86.6 passer rating.

No kicker hurts Browns late in half with end-of-half interception

Dustin Hopkins' hamstring injury cost the Browns a chance to add points at the end of the first half. Instead, of trying a field goal from the Texans 18 with 5 seconds remaining, the Browns ran a pass play into the end zone.

Quarterback Joe Flacco threw his second interception of the half, this one by Derek Stingley Jr. to end the half.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with interception to give Browns late-half chance

The Browns defense got the ball back when Shelby Harris deflected a pass by Houston quarterback Case Keenum and it ended up in the hands of linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who returned the ball to the original line of scrimmage, the Texans 41.

Joe Flacco throws deep interception with less than 2 minutes

Browns quarterback Joe Flacco had his obligatory one interception. DeAndre Houston-Carson was running step for step with Marquise Goodwin on a deep corner route, and picked off the ball.

That gave Houston the ball at its own 18 with 1:30 remaining in the first half.

David Njoku TD catch, DTR gets 2 due to Dustin Hopkins injury

The Browns made it 22-7 with 4:16 remaining in the first half when Joe Flacco hit David Njoku for a 21-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play scoring drive. The interesting part came after the score, when Dustin Hopkins' hamstring injury forced the Browns to go for a 2-point conversion.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson came in at quarterback and ran a simple keeper to the right for the 2-point play. Corey Bojorquez then kicked off after the score for Hopkins.

Dustin Hopkins questionable with hamstring injury

Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins was shaken up while trying to make a tackle on Dameon Pierce 's kickoff return. He went to the medical tent twice after the return, but not back to the locker room.

After spending some time out of the tent, Hopkins went back into the tent. The official announcement is a hamstring injury and his return is questionable.

Dameon Pierce's kickoff return gets momentum for Houston Texans

The Browns were poised to turn things into a rout early after Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper connected for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

On the subsequent kickoff, Houston's Dameon Pierce returned it 98 yards for the touchdown. That cut the lead back to seven at 14-7.

Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper to the end zone

The Joe Flacco-to-Amari Cooper connection the Browns have going the last few weeks has been a major success. The latest example was a 75-yard hook-up on play No. 3 of their first second-quarter possession that ended with Cooper running into the end zone.

Dustin Hopkins' PAT made it 14-0 Browns with 12:04 remaining in the second quarter.

End 1st quarter: Cleveland Browns 7, Houston Texans 0

The Browns held a 7-0 lead over the Houston Texans at the end of 15 minutes of play. The Texans were facing a second-and-15 from their own 37 to start the second quarter.

Cleveland held a 96-43 edge in total yards. That included a 90-18 advantage in passing yards, with 75 of those going to Amari Cooper.

Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper a great way to start a drive

The Browns have started two of their first three drives with quarterback Joe Flacco hitting Amari Cooper for a big gain. The first time was a 53-yard strike on the first play of the game to set up the Browns' only touchdown of the first quarter.

The second time came on their third drive, which started at the Browns 21. On the first play, Flacco found Cooper on the sideline for a 22-yard gain to the Browns 43.

That drive, however, did not cross midfield and ended in a punt.

Cleveland Browns start in base defense, force a punt

The Browns committed holding penalties on the second and third plays of their first defensive series. That allowed Houston to move from its own 27 to the 49.

However, two quarterback keepers and a false start on left tackle Laremy Tunsil left the Texans in third and long, and they had to punt.

The Browns opened with this defensive look:

DE: Myles Garrett
DT: Shelby Harrison
DT: Dalvin Tomlinson
DE: Za'Darius Smith
LB: Sione Takitaki
LB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
LB: Tony Fields II
S: D'Anthony Bell
CB: Greg Newsome III
CB: Martin Emerson Jr.
S: Ronnie Hickman

Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper for big gain on first play sets up Jerome Ford TD

Joe Flacco went up top for a 53-yard strike to Amari Cooper on the Browns' first play. That put the ball on the Texans 6.

It also made Cooper the first Browns receiver to post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Three plays later, out of a wildcat look, Jerome Ford took the snap, swept to the right and caught the corner for a 4-yard touchdown run. Dustin Hopkins' PAT made it 7-0 Browns with 13:18 left in the first quarter.

Cleveland Browns lose toss, but start with the football

The Browns took the ball after losing the toss and Houston deferred. Pierre Strong Jr. got a rare chance to return a kick, which he did to Cleveland 41.

QB: Joe Flacco
RB: Jerome Ford
TE: David Njoku
WR: Amari Cooper
WR: Elijah Moore
WR: David Bell
LT: Geron Christian
LG: Joel Bitonio
C: Ethan Pocic
RG: Wyatt Teller
RT: James Hudson III

Joel Bitonio active, expected to play for Cleveland Browns against Texans

All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio was active for Sunday's game at the Houston Texans. He had been listed as questionable coming into the game due to the back injury which forced him out of last Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears in the first quarter.

Bitonio has still only missed one regular-season start since the end of the 2016 season, the Browns' Week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers . Michael Dunn started in his place for that game, just as he filled in for against the Bears.

The Browns will have three of their five starting offensive linemen back in the lineup, with Bitonio and center Ethan Pocic back after injuries. The tackles, Geron Christian and James Hudson III, remain replacements for starters.

Juan Thornhill , Anthony Walker Jr. inactive for Cleveland Browns vs Texans

The Browns inactive list include multiple players who have been battling injuries that have led them to miss multiple games. That includes safety Juan Thornhill (calf), linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (knee), linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk (calf) and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral muscle).

The other inactive players for the Browns are cornerback Kahlef Hailassie , center Luke Wypler and defensive end Isaiah McGuire.

How to watch, stream and listen to the Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans

TV channel:CBS WOIO-TV (Channel 19).
Stream: Paramount+ , Fubo (free trial) .
Announcers:Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analyst) and Evan Washburn (sideline reporter).

How to listen to the Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans on the radio

The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Andrew Sicilliano (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5. It can also be heard on Sirius/XM, either on channel 138 or 381.
Sports USA will carry the game nationally on various outlets. Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Brandon Noble (analyst) will be on the call.
The Browns have also started a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael "Rafa" Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland , as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.

Browns-Texans odds, money line, over/under

Provided by Tipico Sportsbook ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at noon ET, Saturday.
Moneyline (ML):Browns -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Texans +130 (bet $100 to win $130)
Against the spread:Browns -2.5 (-120) | Texans +2.5 (-120)
Over/Under (O/U):40 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans injury report

Browns:Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (knee), out; left guard Joel Bitonio (back), questionable; linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk (calf), out; safety Juan Thornhill (calf), out; defensive end Ogbo Okoronhwo (pectoral muscle), out
Texans:Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle), out; linebacker Blake Cashman (hamstring), out; defensive tackle Maliek Collins (hip), questionable; receiver Nico Collins (calf), questionable; linebacker Denzel Perryman (Achilles), questionable; quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion), out

Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans in Week 15

The Browns improved to 9-5 on the season with a 20-17 come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns, thanks to three Joe Flacco interceptions, found themselves in a 17-7 deficit entering the fourth quarter. However, cornerback Cameron Mitchell started the comeback by tripping up Bears quarterback Justin Fields for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Cleveland 33 on the first play of the fourth. Flacco took over from them, throwing for 212 yards and a game-tying 51-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:08 remaining. Flacco threw for 374 yards in the game. Dustin Hopkins made a pair of fourth-quarter field goals, including a 34-yard go-ahead kick with 32 seconds remaining. D'Anthony Bell then intercepted a Bears Hail Mary pass on the final play that actually went through the hands of Chicago's Darnell Mooney while he was on the ground and was kicked into the air, where Bell caught it.

The Texans improved to 8-6 on the season with a 19-16 overtime win at the Tennessee Titans in Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made four field goals, including a 54-yarder in overtime for the win. Case Keenum, the Texans' No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart, started in place of C.J. Stroud, who was out with a concussion. Keenum threw for 229 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the game. Devin Singletary ran for 121 yards as well for Houston.

Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans series

Sunday's game will be the 14th meeting between the Browns and the Houston Texans. The series dates back to 2002, the first year the Texans played in the NFL as an expansion team.

Overall:Texans 7-6
In regular season:Texans 7-6
In playoffs:N/A
In Cleveland:Browns 4-2
In Houston:Texans 5-2
Streak:Browns won the last three meetings
Last meeting:Browns won 27-14 in Houston on Dec. 4, 2022

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns cruise to win over Texans, face win-and-in playoff scenario

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