3 bold predictions: Browns defense has explosive night in Week 17

1. Browns defense scores 2 touchdowns

Cleveland's defense has been elite all season but there's no denying they've been better at home. They've been able to shut down some impressive offenses, including the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers. This past week, however, they put on a show on the road.

Facing off against Case Keenum and the Houston Texans, Cleveland surrendered 22 points in a 36-22 victory. However, those points came against their special teams unit and backup defenders. When the starters were in, they were locking down Houston as detailed by Doc Louallen on their official website.

"When the Browns and Texans starters were in, Cleveland's defense dominated Houston's offense. The Texans were held to 101 receiving yards and 63 rushing yards. The longest pass completed was 12 yards, and the longest run was 17 yards." - Louallen, ClevelandBrowns.com

This week, they once again face a backup quarterback which means the defense should continue to thrive. We also saw how upset Jim Schwartz was when the backups gave up a late touchdown to Houston, which should lead to even more fire from that side of the ball. That's why this prediction is that the defense scores two touchdowns on Thursday Night Football.

Entering this game, they have two on the season with Greg Newsome running back an interception against Baltimore and Tony Fields recovering a fumble in the end zone. It might sound crazy to double the total in one game but a backup quarterback on a short week is the recipe for such a night.

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