Texans Playoffs vs Browns: Final Thoughts and Score Prediction
The Texans play their first of hopefully many playoff games under DeMeco Ryans
The Browns have one of the worst turnover differentials in football. Joe Flacco hasn’t been a part of all of that, but he’s not absolved of it.
Flacco will throw you one. He will also put the ball on the turf occasionally too. The problem is Flacco isn’t as generous as a few weeks ago. Even the interceptions against the Texans meant little in the grand scheme of the game.
The Browns take the ball away about as good as anyone. The Texans have the least turnovers in all of the league. C.J. Stroud has been lucky, and that will need to continue.
Turnovers will ruin the eventual loser in this game. If either team squanders a possession and puts their defense in a precarious position it might be the moment that makes the difference.
I feel like 17-20 points will win this game. I like the chances of both defenses being disruptive and slowing down each offense. I don’t see Flacco and company lighting the Texans up. Not with Will Anderson and Jonathan Greenard back and the secondary healthier and consistent from the past couple of weeks.
I also don’t believe the Texans are lighting the Browns up. Enough, sure. And I trust their kicking game. But this isn’t a Browns team, even with their compromised stars, that is going to allow a lot of offense unless it gets out of hand.
Score Prediction
I believe the Texans get it done and win 20-17. This should be a slugfest with whatever team blinks first ultimately takes the loss. C.J. Stroud is special and plays well in big games. He’s getting some receivers back for this game, guys he can trust in Noah Brown and Robert Woods. The Texans must hit Joe Flacco and get to him far more than the last game or they’ll see a similar result. Devin Singletary running the ball well would spell doom for the Browns. It will be close, might even take a final-drive success like the game against the Buccaneers, but the Texans pull it out.
Texans 27 Browns 17
Let’s gooooo