The Houston Texans hosted the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card playoff game. These two teams previously met just a few weeks ago during the regular season. C.J. Stroud did not play in that game due to being out with a concussion, and the Browns won the game 36-22. This time, Stroud was available and vowed to make sure the results differed.
The Cleveland Browns clinched a playoff berth after beating the New York Jets in Week 17. This was their first playoff appearance since 2020. They were led by veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who became the starter for the rest of the season after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury. Despite rotating five different quarterbacks and losing key players due to injuries, they managed to overcome it all.
Game Recap
The Browns were without Cedric Tillman, Grant Delpit, and Dustin Hopkins. Denzel Ward was questionable due to a knee injury but was later ruled available to play.
Houston got on the board first with a field goal. The Browns answered back with a touchdown from Kareem Hunt. The Texans then scored their touchdown on a throw to Nico Collins. Suddenly, the game was back and forth. The Browns would not score again as Houston fully took control towards the end of the second quarter and never looked back.
Houston’s offense got the ball to start the second half, which resulted in a punt. Luckily, the defense put on a show in the second half. Their defense forced two picks by Joe Flacco that were both returned for touchdowns. They also forced three turnovers on downs when Cleveland attempted to convert on 4th down. The Browns never got back in the red zone and the defense did not have an answer for the Texans’ offense.
C.J. Stroud in the first half had 11 completions out of 16 attempts for 236 yards and three touchdowns with a 151.0 passer rating. The 236 yards is the most yards ever in the first half by a rookie in a playoff game and the three touchdowns tie the record for most by a rookie.
He finished with 16 out of 21 completions for 276 yards along with three touchdowns. This win makes him the youngest quarterback ever to win a playoff game.
Nico Collins finished with six receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown. Devin Singletary finished with 13 carriers for 66 yards and one touchdown.
What’s Next
The Houston Texans will go on the road for the divisional round of the playoffs. Because the Steelers-Bills game was postponed until Monday due to the storm, the Texans will have to wait until after that game to find out who their next opponent is. If the Steelers win, Houston will face the Chiefs. If the Bills win, Houston will face the Ravens. The game will be on Saturday, January 20, and begin at 4:30 p.m. EST.
Photo Courtesy: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
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