On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns will take on the Houston Texans, and it’s a big game for both teams. The Browns, at 5-4, are hoping to avoid a third straight loss. The 3-5 Texans are trying to get their season on the right track.
Many people would assume this is a nightmare matchup for Cleveland, because the Browns have a struggling offense and Houston’s defense is supposed to be elite. However, the Texans haven't been living up to expectations this season.
Houston, specifically, has struggled against the pass. That’s an area the Browns should be able to take advantage of on Sunday, but their offensive line could struggle against the Texans’ talented defensive front.
Browns vs. Texans could be decided in the trenches
Houston enters Week 10 with the 27th-ranked passing defense, allowing 235.6 passing yards a game — falling extremely short of expectations. However, the Texans still have a hellacious pass rush. Houston currently leads the league with 29 sacks, led by Will Anderson Jr., who has the most sacks this season with 9.5.
That means Sunday’s game is a recipe for disaster, because the Browns are the most sacked team in the league this season. Cleveland has given up 38 sacks in nine games, and while the entire line has been struggling, both tackles have really struggled to consistently protect the quarterback.
In other words, Sunday could get really ugly for the Browns. While there will likely be opportunities downfield for Cleveland’s exciting playmakers to exploit Houston’s secondary, the offensive line probably won’t allow enough time for those plays to happen.
This would be a great game for the Browns to get their run game rolling. The Texans have been good against the run, though, allowing just 103 yards on the ground, ranking 13th in the league. The Browns, averaging just 97.3 rushing yards a game, have only been over 100 yards three times this season.
"You can’t control the game if you can’t run the football," head coach Todd Monken said on Friday. "So, we’re going to continue to work at it and continue to find ways that we can not only scheme it better, but put our players in the best position to be successful.”
If Cleveland can’t run the ball on Sunday, or protect the quarterback, the Browns’ only hope would be that their defense finds a way to limit C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense. If that doesn’t happen, Cleveland will be in danger of dropping a third straight game and falling back to .500 after a 5-2 start.
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