On Saturday, January 13th, the NFL playoffs begin with the Cleveland Browns visiting the Houston Texans. These teams faced off just a couple of weeks ago in Houston. The Browns came out on top 36-22. However, the game was never that close. The Browns’ offense exploded, scoring 22 in the first half alone. On the back of Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper, the Browns took a 36-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Browns took their starters out of the game, and Houston scored two garbage-time touchdowns.
However, this wild card matchup will be very different. In the first matchup, the Texans were without Rookie of the Year candidates CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. CJ Stroud has exploded onto the scene for the Texans. The 2023 2nd overall pick has led the Texans to a 10-7 record and a division title. Nevertheless, the Browns have the top defense in the NFL. Against another elite defense in the Baltimore Ravens, the Texans offense sputtered to just 9 points. When Stroud played against the Jets, who have allowed the third-lowest completion percentage and fourth-lowest yards per attempt, he struggled, going 10-23 for just 91 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. The Texan offense will have their work cut out against this Browns’ defense. They are number one in total yards allowed per game, 19 yards ahead of second place. They are first in pass yards per game and 11th in rushing yards allowed per game. The weakness of this defense is their performance on the road. Those numbers are drastically inflated by their games at home. At home, the Browns have allowed a quarterback rating which grades quarterback play based on passing statistics 64.2. On the road, that number jumps to 86.8. The Browns’ offense is red hot on the other side of the ball.
Joe Flacco has reignited an offense that has struggled for the past few years. He is one of the Browns’ five different starting quarterbacks this season, and no other team in the history of the NFL has utilized five different quarterbacks and made the playoffs. Of all these quarterbacks, Joe Flacco has emerged as arguably the best-performing. In addition to all the quarterback injuries, over 25% of the Browns’ total cap space is currently on injury reserve. In addition, kicker Dustin Hopkins and other key players are not expected to play despite remaining off of IR. However, the situation is improving with star safety Grant Delpit being activated off IR on Wednesday; the Browns’ depth has been tested all year, starting in the second week of the season when superstar Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Under the leadership of Coach of the Year favorite Kevin Stefanski, the Browns have found ways to win. They have cruised to an 11-6 record and a second-place finish in the tough AFC North. In the best division in football and suffering many injuries, the Browns have fought for the top Wild Card spot and seem destined for a deep postseason run; I believe the Browns will beat the Texans by a score of 31-17. The Texans are a great team, but the Browns have the better defense and the hotter offense right now. Joe Flacco has won a Super Bowl before and knows how to deal with the pressure of the playoffs, while CJ Stroud is a rookie making his first-ever start in a playoff game. I think the momentum and experience of the Browns will carry them to a convincing victory to open the playoffs.
