The Texans had reason to celebrate a lot, with four offensive touchdowns and two defensive touchdowns against the Browns. (Houston Texans)
Browns magic carpet ride crashes and burns in 45-14 playoff exit
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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
Instant takeaways from Browns 45-14 defeat to Houston Texans …
1. Expiration Day: For five glorious weeks, the Browns thrived on Joe Flacco’s daring right arm. On Saturday, they died by it. Flacco, whose eight interceptions in five games didn’t really hurt, tossed two Pick 6s in the span of two minutes to seal a crushing, 45-14 defeat to the Houston Texans. Thus, the magic carpet Flacco and the Browns rode into the playoffs crashed and burned in Space City. The slightly-favored Browns were vanquished by the team led by rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and brilliant rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Browns (11-7) are one-and-done in their first playoff appearance since 2020. The Texans (11-7), the AFC’s fourth seed, will learn their next opponent on Monday night.
2. C.J. proud: Stroud strafed Jim Schwartz’s No. 1-ranked defense from the beginning with pinpoint accuracy, often targeting No. 3 cornerback Greg Newsome. The rookie from Ohio State was exceptionally poised in his first playoff appearance and benefitted from an inexplicably poor outing by the rested Cleveland defense. Only linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah showed up. Myles Garrett was taken out of his game by nemesis left tackle Laremy Tunsil and nobody picked up the slack on the Browns’ defensive front. Ryans took Stroud out of the game with 9:22 to play. Stroud was 16 of 21 for 274 yards, three touchdowns, no interception and a passer rating of 157.2 – 1 point from a perfect ranking. Stroud was sacked zero times and hit after a throw only once.
3. Pick 12: Though the Browns were outplayed the first half, the turning point came in the third quarter after the defense forced a punt on Houston’s first possession. A patient offensive series was in order, and the Browns had it going with three first downs. Then on first-and-10 from the Houston 34, Flacco came under pressure and threw the ball up toward the left sideline. Cornerback Steven Nelson caught it like a fair catch and then raced 82 yards for the touchdown. Two minutes of game time later, Flacco faced fourth-and-2 from the Browns’ 33. He threw for tight end Harrison Bryant to the right side, and linebacker Christian Harris stepped in front for the interception. Harris maneuvered 31 yards through the dejected Browns’ offense for another Pick 6. Just like that, it was Houston 38, Browns 14.
4. Wow: The first half ended with Flacco flattened by Will Anderson at the Browns’ 35. The Browns just let the final 30 seconds run out instead of using their last timeout. Stroud put on an exhibition against the No. 1 defense, throwing for 236 yards and three touchdowns for a 24-14 Texans lead.
5. Take that and that: No team in a long while attacked the Browns’ defense so aggressively as the Texans in the first half. They responded to Kareem Hunt’s two touchdowns with scoring possessions of four plays in 1 minute, 58 seconds, and then one play in18 seconds -- a 76-yard catch-and-run by backup tight end Brevin Jordan. He caught a 4-yard pass and as a couple Browns DBs were cleared out, Jordan accelerated from Ogbo Okoronkwo for a 72 YAC TD.
6. Newsome a marked man: It seemed like the Texans attacked Newsome wherever he was in the Browns’ defense. Nico Collins beat him for a 38-yard catch on a field goal drive early. John Metchie scorched him for a 27-yard play on series that ended with Collins taking a screen pass 16 yards for the score. On Stroud’s last TD of the half, tight end Dalton Schultz got behind Newsome and safety Ronnie Hickman for a 37-yard TD.
7. He was everywhere: Owusu-Koramoah was all over the field in the first half. JOK led everyone with seven tackles. Three were for losses. He had back-to-back TFL’s to end one Houston possession in favorable field position in the second quarter.
8. Ain’t keepin’ them out: In the span of a couple plays late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter, both teams lost an All-Pro offensive lineman. Houston’s Tunsil left the field after teammate Josh Jones rolled into the back of his left knee on a Texans PAT. On the third play of the Browns’ ensuing possession, left guard Joel Bitonio was helped off the field by two trainers with an ankle injury. Tunsil returned with 10:17 to play in the second quarter. The was a big return for the Texans because Tunsil was handling Myles Garrett mostly by himself. Bitonio did not return until the Browns’ final possession of the half.
9. Looking for Mr. Cooper: Cooper had 265 receiving yards in the Christmas Eve game. He didn’t make his first catch until 1:00 left in the first half.
10. Clean half: The Browns were called for two penalties in the first half. A pass interference on safety Ronnie Hickman gave the Texans a big first down after a third-down incompletion. The Texans weren’t flagged until an offensive holding on the next play, wiping out a 23-yard Devin Singletary run.
11. Pre-game notes: In a surprise move, the Browns made P.J. Walker the backup QB and designated Jeff Driskel No. 3 on the inactive list. Alex Van Pelt had said Driskel would be the backup. Other inactives: PK Dustin Hopkins, WR Cedric Tillman, RB Pierre Strong, CB Kahlef Hailassie, C Luke Wypler, DE Isaiah McGuire. For the Texans, both defensive ends Jonathan Greenard and Will Anderson were active, but DE4 Jerry Hughes was not.
