Cleveland Browns: Texans will be first true test of Freddie Kitchens offense

When the Cleveland Browns take on the Houston Texans, it will be the biggest test of Freddie Kitchens’ offense since he took over as offensive coordinator.

The Cleveland Browns match-up with the Houston Texans is expected to be one of the best games of the week, as both teams have been on a roll in recent weeks.

The Browns enter the game on a two-game win streak, playing with a much different energy since Gregg Williams was named the team’s interim head coach.

On the other side, the Texans have won eight straight games after starting the season 0-3, and have put themselves in a great position to win the AFC South division title.

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Houston is led by one of the best defensive units in football, a big reason why the team has gone on the winning streak.

Houston’s defense has given up the fifth fewest points this season, allowing only 20.2 points per game. They have also given up only 333.6 total yards per game, the eighth fewest in the league.

Houston’s defense will be the best group the Browns have faced since Freddie Kitchens was named the offensive coordinator, and it will be a true test of Kitchens’ offense.

The Browns offense has greatly improved in the three games that Kitchens has been calling plays. Cleveland’s offense has averaged 28 points per game in their last three games, with an average of 385.7 yards per game.

Kitchens’ scheme has made Baker Mayfield much more comfortable throwing the ball, and it has created a lot of problems for defenses. Mayfield has completed 73.9 percent of his passes for 771 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception in the three games with Kitchens calling plays.

Kitchens has been designing plays that takes advantage of Mayfield’s skill-set as a rhythm passer. No longer is Mayfield sitting in the pocket longer than 2.5 seconds waiting for a receiver to become open. Instead, Kitchens is using simple route combinations that takes advantage of holes in a defense to create options for Mayfield.

And Kitchens scheme has also improved the play of the offensive line, as Mayfield has been sacked only two times in the past three games, with both sacks coming against the Kansas City Chiefs.

However, the offensive line will be tested Sunday against the Texans, as the Houston front-seven is arguably the best in the NFL. They posses three players that can get after the quarterback in J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus. Combined, the three have combined for 22 of the team’s 34 sacks this season.

If the Texans are able to penetrate the Browns offensive line, it will be hard for Mayfield to get in a rhythm in the passing game. He may have to rely on the run game and Nick Chubb to help stall some of the pressure off the edge.

But the Texans are an even better defense against the run then they are against the pass. The Texans defense has given up only 96.8 rushing yards per game, the seventh fewest in the league. Chubb had trouble finding space to run against the Bengals last week, and he may have an even harder time in Houston.

After playing against three defenses that rank near the bottom in the league, Kitchens’ play-calling will face one of the best defenses in the league. For all of the hype his offense has received since being named the Browns offensive coordinator, Sunday will be the first true test for Kitchens as a play-caller.