An interception by linebacker Malcolm Smith was one of the few plays the defense could celebrate. (Cleveland Browns)
Browns outlast Texans for tough win in home opener
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Instant takeaways from Browns’ 31-21 win over Houston Texans …
1. Taking care of business: It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was shaky and maddening much of the hot afternoon. But in the end, the Browns have Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and they needed them in the fourth quarter to stave off the pesky Houston Texans, 31-21. The Browns’ defense couldn’t stop Texans QB Tyrod Taylor or his injury replacement Davis Mills from converting third downs (7 of 13). The Browns held just a 3-point lead until Chubb and Hunt gashed the Texans on an 82-yard drive. Chubb blasted into the end zone from 26 yards for the touchdown, securing the victory and averting a second loss in a row a sixth time under coach Kevin Stefanski. The Browns’ offense struggled, too. Baker Mayfield was 19 of 21 for 213 yards and one touchdown. One of his incompletions was an interception. Donovan Peoples-Jones also lost a fumble.
2. MASH unit: The Texans weren’t exactly star-studded to begin with. They played most of the second half without the following starters because of injuries: quarterback Tyrod Taylor (hamstring), receiver Nico Collins (shoulder), receiver Danny Amendola (hamstring) and cornerback Terrance Mitchell (concussion). Also, safety Justin Reid (knee), who forced a fumble and had an interception, had to leave two times in the second half with injuries.
3. Tie-rod: Taylor’s bad luck continued. He played a masterful first half with two touchdown drives. But he had to leave after suffering a hamstring injury on his last attempted pass of the half. Rookie Davis Mills replaced Taylor to start the second half and engineered a 16-play drive that culminated in a 2-yard TD to Brandin Cooks. Taylor repeatedly froze the Browns’ defense with play-fakes. He set up a 22-yard screen pass to Phillip Lindsay with a deft play-fake, and then scored on a 14-yard keeper run after a pump-fake to the left. Taylor was 10 of 11 for 125 yards and had a passer rating of 144.3. Taylor, of course, gave way to Mayfield in Game 3 of the 2018 season with the Browns when he suffered a concussion. He would appear in only one other game for the Browns. Taylor also lost the starting job with the Chargers in Week 2 last season in a freak accident when an attempt to administer a pain-killing injection for cracked ribs by a team medic resulted in a punctured lung. He didn’t play again and joined the Texans this season.
4. Ouch: Mayfield was 9 of 10 passing before being intercepted by safety Jason Reid on a high throw over the middle for Anthony Schwartz midway through the second quarter. Worse, Mayfield injured his left shoulder when he reached with his left arm to try to trip up Reid. Mayfield was assisted off the field and then was treated in the locker room. He sprinted back to the sideline in time for the Browns’ next offensive possession. But this time, the Browns were behind, 14-7, with 7:06 left in the first half.
5. No problem: Mayfield’s durability proved strong again. He finished up a 10-play scoring drive on his first possession back with a 5-yard run into the end zone when everyone was covered. Six of the plays were runs by Chubb (four for 43 yards) and Hunt (two for 13 yards).
7. Yikes: Stefanski did a good job setting up a final punt by Houston by using all three of his timeouts starting with 18 seconds to go. It almost backfired, though, because Demetric Felton muffed the Houston punt and fell on the ball at the Browns’ 11 under a pile of Texans.
8. But, yes!: Felton more than atoned when he scored with a little screen pass from Mayfield, on which the rookie broke two tackles and twisted and turned his way to the end zone for a 33-yard play on the Browns' first possession of the second half.
9. Juice squeezed: Jarvis Landry slanted for a 9-yard gain on Mayfield’s first pass on the first official offensive play of the game. And that was it for Landry. He limped to the bench after taking a hit to a knee. Landry eventually was led to the locker room and did not return. With Odell Beckham Jr. inactive, it meant the Browns had about $30 million in receivers out for the game. It left Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz and Rashard Higgins as the only active receivers. The Browns had only three catches by receivers in the game, and one was by Landry. Peoples-Jones coughed up the ball on an immediate hit by Reid after a reception in the second quarter. The fumble was recovered by former Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey at the Houston 27. The Browns’ defense held and forced a punt.
10. Reversal of fortune: Punter Jamie Gillan didn’t have to wait until the fourth quarter to attempt his first punt, like in Kansas City. But for the second week in a row, Gillan’s first punt was eventful. This time, it was muffed by Houston returner Andre Roberts and recovered by linebacker Sione Takitaki at the Texans’ 35. It led to the Browns’ first TD, a 1-yard plunge by fullback Andy Janovich, his first as a Brown. The big play was a first-down strike to tight end Harrison Bryant for 29 yards.
11. Pre-game notes: In a surprise move, left tackle Jedrick Wills was made active and started the game. Wills suffered an ankle sprain in the Kansas City game and did not practice all week with the first-team offense. But after medics and coaches monitored a brief pre-game workout at about 10:30 a.m., they decided he could play. Rookie James Hudson and Blake Hance had split time with the first team in the practice week. Both were active in case Wills re-aggravated the ankle injury. Wills was relieved most of the fourth quarter by Hance. Also, Malcolm Smith started at middle linebacker in place of Anthony Walker (hamstring). Backup quarterback Case Keenum was the Browns’ game captain. Keenum, a native of Texas who attended University of Houston, began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Texans in 2012.
12. R.I.P.: The Browns paid tribute to the memories of broadcast legend Les Levine and long-time stadium stats crew member Gary Salzinger with photos and flowers displayed in the front row of the press box and a moment of silence prior to kickoff.
