Predicting the Cleveland Browns final 5 games of the season

Week 16: Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans

Earlier in the year, this one felt like a win. The Houston Texans weren't very good in 2022 and they were going to be starting a rookie quarterback while also being led by a rookie coach. On top of that, it appeared as though they didn't have very many playmakers on offense to help C.J. Stroud.

Now heading into Week 14, they're one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Houston is 7-5 and has won four of their past five games. They even just defeated the Denver Broncos, the same team Cleveland was unable to outlast in Week 12.

Stroud has been everything they hoped for and he's also been elevating the players around him. Through 12 games, he has 3,540 yards with an impressive 20-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He's been throwing the ball to everyone as well with Nico Collins leading the way with 991 yards and six touchdowns, followed by Tank Dell with 709 yards and seven touchdowns, and Dalton Schultz with 455 yards and five scores.

Going forward, they won't have Dell who suffered a fractured fibula against the Broncos but they've been able to get others involved as well. Noah Brown has had a few huge outings and has 439 yards on 21 receptions. Plus Robert Woods is there as well with 326 yards on 30 catches. With all those weapons, this offense proves to be too much for Cleveland, who is nowhere near as good on the road in recent weeks.

Final Score: Texans 34, Browns 20
Browns Record: 9-6