Joe Flacco has rescued the Browns' quarterback situation by winning four straight games with 300+ yard passing games. How long can it continue? (Cleveland Browns)
Can the Joe Flacco magic carpet ride continue?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
HOUSTON, TX
Four downs on Browns (11-6) v. Houston Texans (10-7)
First down: Flacco Fever, Phase Two.
Who saw this coming? The Browns blasting into the playoffs with Joe Flacco flicking thunderbolts down the field? The Browns averaging 28.6 points a game and 312 passing yards in Flacco’s five starts after rescuing a dire quarterback situation? Couple that with the NFL’s No. 1 defense in most relevant categories and you have a bona fide Super Bowl contender with your fourth quarterback leading the way. Flacco’s eight interceptions rank him lower than any quarterback alive in the playoffs in the goofy analytics metrics that don’t factor in poise, leadership and experience – intangibles that have endeared him to his still-new teammates. Flacco turns 39 on Tuesday. He has a maximum of four more games left in his Browns career, and he is as fresh and healthy as any other quarterback in the playoff field, including his counterpart in the wild card game, Houston’s C.J. Stroud, who is 22. Flacco’s nine-year gap between post-season starts is the second-longest in NFL history to Doug Flutie’s 12 years. And now Flacco has a chance for his eighth post-season road win, which would push him past G.O.A.T. Tom Brady’s seven. In Flacco’s previous life, his Baltimore Ravens appeared in six postseasons – and Flacco won his first start each time. It’s a story that even Myles Garrett is finding hard to believe. “[I’m] just hoping he doesn’t expire before we get to the Super Bowl,” Garrett joked.
Second down: A new challenge.
In the previous meeting against the Texans on Christmas Eve, Flacco hooked up 11 times alone with Amari Cooper and Cooper smashed a Browns single-game record with 265 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It was a pass-and-catch exhibition that resembled a 7-on-7 practice segment because the Texans mounted no pass pressure whatsoever on Flacco. Things could be different this time around. The Texans are expected to have back their blue-chip edge rushers who missed the first meeting – Jonathan Greenard (12.5 sacks) and rookie Will Anderson (seven). Greenard left early in the game with an ankle injury and Anderson missed it entirely, also with an ankle injury. While both may be less than 100 percent, their presence will stress Browns offensive tackles Geron Christian and James Hudson. “It’s going to be a tough battle regardless of who’s in there,” said Kevin Stefanski.
Third down: Another new challenge.
Stroud was 7 years old when Flacco was drafted 18th overall by the Ravens and 12 when Flacco capped a nearly perfect postseason with an MVP performance in Super Bowl 47. Stroud concluded one of the greatest regular seasons for a rookie QB, finishing sixth in passer rating (100.8) and becoming the third quarterback in NFL history to lead the league in average yards per game (273.8) and TD/INT differential (23/5). The others were Joe Montana and Tom Brady. He was out with a concussion in the first meeting and now is making his first post-season appearance. “We’re going to have to play tight coverage,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “We’re going to have to stay after him in the pass rush. We’re going to have to limit run after the catch because he does a good job of giving his guys opportunities to run after the catch, including Nico Collins. That’s one of the things he does best.” As much as the Browns dominated Houston backup QB Case Keenum in the 36-22 win on Christmas Eve, it was interesting that Garrett didn’t register a single pressure. It was Za’Darius Smith who had the big day with two sacks, four quarterback hits and one pass deflection. That’s because Houston left tackle Laremy Tunsil continued his mastery over Garrett. According to NextGenStats, Tunsil has allowed one pressure in 40 one-on-one matchups against Garrett since 2018. That’s the lowest pressure rate (2.5 percent) allowed to Garrett over that time frame with a minimum of 40 matchups.
Fourth down: Time to be special.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that in the first meeting the Texans returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and executed one of the rare successful onside kicks of the NFL season. The Houston special teams finished first in the much-respected Rick Gosselin Special Teams Rankings under coordinator Frank Ross, a former assistant to Bubba Ventrone with the Indianapolis Colts. The Browns were much improved in Ventrone’s first season as their coordinator. They ranked 11th. They were 18th in 2022 and 30th in 2021 in the same rankings. In the postseason, every play is magnified. A downed punt near the goal line, a missed PAT, or a turnover can be a huge momentum-changer. The Browns will try to get past this first post-season game with replacement kicker Riley Patterson filling in for Dustin Hopkins, who suffered a left hamstring injury chasing Houston returner Dameon Pierce in the first meeting. Patterson was a perfect 3 for 3 on field goals and 4 for 4 on PATs in two playoff games with Jacksonville last season. In two games with the Browns, he’s missed only one kick in eight attempts – a PAT in his first game against the Jets.
The pick: Browns 31, Texans 17.
My record: 11-6.
