The Cleveland Browns get the chance to even their record at 1-1 by hosting the Houston Texans at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday.
With Deshaun Watson waiting for his future to unfold, this game moved to “lock” status for many fans of the Browns. A loss would have all of us freaking out–as it should–but we’re not even going to consider that.
Houston is looking for a treasure trove of first-round picks to move Watson, but they can’t do anything until his legal matters are sorted out.
That means former Brown Tyrod Taylor is running the huddle, and he’s coming off a Week 1 victory.
As for Cleveland, the Week 1 loss was tough to swallow, but the Browns were right there with the defending AFC champions.
Now, Kevin Stefanski’s bunch must avoid a letdown and considering the coach’s track record–albeit brief–the Browns will not be overlooking Houston, a team trending in the wrong direction.
Here’s three reasons the Browns coast to victory.
1. Cleveland Browns DE Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney is coming off a strong debut performance against the Chiefs, and he should be even more of a factor when he lines up against the Texans.
First off, the Texans are going to run. First-year head coach David Culley dialed up 41 rushing plays in victory last week, and he’s probably going to try and do more of the same again the Browns.
Most of the attention in this one will be focused on left tackle Laremy Tunsil going up against Myles Garrett. That’s where Clowney comes in. The 2014 No. 1 pick hasn’t lived up to the billing as a consistent pass rushing threat, but he’s always done well at stopping the run.
Plus, he may be able to get after Taylor a little bit, especially going up against Tytus Howard. The right tackle surrendered four pressures against Jacksonville. Look for Garrett and Clowney to flip flop on the line as well, as Garrett should be given a break from Tunsil every now and then.
The Browns have the personnel to slow Houston down. Behind the line, they’re faster at linebacker, so look for Anthony Walker to make more of an impact in addition to rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
The second-round pick wasn’t all that visible in Week 1, but I think that changes against the Texans.
2. Cleveland Browns offense will roll
With Tyrod Taylor quarterback the Texans, Houston has become reliant on rushing the ball–a lot. New coach David Culley dialed up 40 running plays during the Texans’ win against Jacksonville in Week 1.
Mark Ingram was the bell cow, carrying 26 times for 85 yards and a score. Tyrod Taylor, also a threat to run, added 40 yards on the ground on just four carries.
Looking back at last week, Houston built up a lead on Jacksonville and focused on protecting it. Rookie Trevor Lawrence threw for over 330 yards and three touchdowns in defeat. Jacksonville’s two backs only carried a combined 14 times, but averaged just a tick under 5.0 yards per carry.
Mayfield shouldn’t come close to throwing 51 passes! If he does, the Browns are in trouble. Look for coach Kevin Stefanski to deploy more of the same, creating misdirection by effectively executing play-action calls.
Success rushing the ball via Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are key ingredient to doing just that, especially against Houston’s defensive line.
That Jacksonville was able to average what they did against Houston on limited attempts may indicate the Browns are ready to run all over Houston.
3. Cleveland Browns: Weapons still unfolding
You get the feeling that we’ve just started scratching the surface in terms what of we’re going to see the Browns do on offense.
Anthony Schwartz had a surprisingly big role in Week 1, and there should be opportunities for him again. Last week, we saw Brandin Cooks haul in three catches that went for over 20 yards (totaling 116 yards). As the Browns’ true deep threat, look for Stefanski to try and exploit his speed.
Additionally, we didn’t even see all that much of Donovan Peoples-Jones. He only had one target and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Baker go his way more often will defenses certainly paying more attention game planning around Schwartz’s speed.
At tight end, David Njoku sill oozes playmaking ability, while Austin Hooper has become a reliable chain mover on Cleveland’s offense.
Factor in the passing game with what the Browns are going to be able to do on the ground, and the Texans should be in store for a long day on the lakefront.