This game wasn’t what most people expected. The Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns faced off in what most thought would be a higher scoring affair. However, after poor offensive performances and a surprisingly strong stand from the Browns defense, this was the year’s lowest-scoring game.
For Houston, an inability to get any momentum going was their downfall. On their three full first-half drives, the Texans totaled just 88 yards, 67 of which came on only one drive. However, Houston was not alone in the inability to gain any real momentum as the Browns, outside of their initial drive ending in a field goal, had to punt the ball away twice and turned the ball over on downs in the first half. Furthermore, both punters got a workout today as eight of the 15 drives this game ended with one team booting the ball downfield. It turns out that Cleveland’s initial three points would be crucial as the game entered halftime with the Browns up 3-0.
The third quarter saw three drives ending in two punts and a missed field goal from Houston. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was a non-factor through most of this game, finishing with just 132 passing yards and attempting only 20 passes all game. However, the return of Nick Chubb was huge. Chubb ran for a total of 126 yards and also scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. In addition, Cleveland amassed 231 total rushing yards as Kareem Hunt added 104 yards of his own. Just as the game was coming to a close, Chubb ripped off a 59-yard run putting the game on ice after Houston had made it just a three-point game. After that, Mayfield would take a pair of knees to run out the clock. Cleveland won an ugly, hard-fought game by a score of 10-7.
The Browns defense held Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson at bay in this one as he totaled 163 passing yards, going 20-30, and tossing a fourth-quarter touchdown pass. Randall Cobb led the Texans in receiving yards with 41, while Pharaoh Brown caught the touchdown pass from Watson. Part of the credit for Houston’s struggles can be given to Cleveland’s defensive line. Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi got home for a shared sack while Sheldon Richardson grabbed a sack of his own. In conclusion, the Texans lost an ugly game where their usual middle of the road offense looked like a bottom tier offense.
Highlights
Right where it had to be 🎯
📺: @NFLonFOX
📱: https://t.co/Nm64mQkAPf pic.twitter.com/8JxgD9DHJL— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 15, 2020
Watson tosses a 16-yard touchdown to Brown.
.@NickChubb21 IS BACK❗️
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/elXd6QbFMk
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 15, 2020
Chubb runs in the first touchdown of the game.
That’s our RB 😤
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/TNMnLnEb45
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 15, 2020
Chubb rips off a 59-yard run to ice the game.
Moving forward, the Texans can’t expect much. The defense continued to give up many yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the offense couldn’t get anything going against an average Cleveland defense. Watson’s offensive line let him down on several occasions, and the run game struggled. It has been a rough year for Houston, and the next seven weeks aren’t showing any more promise. The Texans will stumble into next week’s game against the New England Patriots.
For the Browns, you now move to 6-3 on the season and are in prime position to grab one of the three wild-card spots this season. However, Mayfield will have to play more consistently if the Browns want a shot at making a deep playoff run. The duo of Chubb and Hunt are great, but they aren’t going to win you games against top-tier opponents. The return of J.C. Tretter boosted the offensive line’s health this week, and while it was an ugly win, a win is a win. The Browns could be heading into a trap game next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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