It was all Texans to begin this game, as their offense couldn’t be stopped and Cleveland was down 17-0 early. But then, the switch flipped, and the Browns scored 20 unanswered to lead 20-17. A little back-and-forth saw the Browns re-take the lead in the final minute, 27-24, with the Texans needing a field goal to tie. The defense held on, and Cleveland won to improve to 6-3!
Let’s get to the full game recap.
1st Quarter – Texans vs. Browns
The Cleveland Browns got the opening kickoff, with QB Deshaun Watson at the helm. After a quick
7-yard pass to TE Harold Fannin, a swing pass to RB Quinshon Judkins was dropped for a loss of 2 yards, and then Watson’s third-down pass sailed over WR KC Concepcion, leading to a punt.
Cleveland allowed a 22-yard return on their punt, allowing the Texans to start at the 39 yard line. Their offense went fast then: an 8-yard run by RB Woody Marks, a 29-yard pass to WR Xavier Hutchinson, and a 13-yard pass to WR Nico Collins to set up 1st-and-goal at the 8 yard line. An illegal formation penalty, followed by a run, put the Texans in 2nd-and-goal at the 12 yard line. It didn’t matter: QB C.J. Stroud tossed a perfect pass over the middle to Collins, just beyond the reach of CB Tyson Campbell, for the 12-yard touchdown, as the Browns gave up their league-leading sixth opening drive touchdown this season to put Houston up 7-0.
The Browns also went three-and-out on their next drive, as WR Jerry Jeudy couldn’t haul in an intermediate pass on 2nd-and-7. Then, on third down, Concepcion caught a pass short of the marker, and the defender made a good tackle to prevent a first down. P Corey Bojorquez angled his second punt to the boundary, going out of bounds at the 12 yard line.
Stroud hit Collins on a crossing pattern against CB Myles Harden for an immediate 22-yard gain. A few plays later, on 3rd-and-1, a simple playfake and quick toss to Marks gained 15 yards. Even on a broken play after that, Stroud just took off, wide open, over the middle for 7 yards. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-3, Stroud’s sideline pass for WR Tank Dell was incomplete, leading to a field goal try by K Ka’imi Fairbairn. He hit from 45 yards out to put the Texans up 10-0 with 4:25 to go in the first quarter.
On the Browns’ third drive, an 8-yard run by Judkins was followed by a 1-yard run by RB Dylan Sampson, and then a quarterback sneak by Watson picked up the team’s first first down of the game. A few plays later, Watson threw it behind Concepcion, leading to the defender knocking the ball away. On third down, Watson had to scramble, but only got 8.5 yards, leading to another punt. This time, Bojorquez’ angled punt was only 30 yards, going out of bounds at the 25 yard line.
In one play, the Texans got right back to where Cleveland just punted from. Stroud faced no pressure, then calmly rolled to the sideline, waited, and was able to hit Dell for 29 yards. Then, to close out the quarter, he again took off for 11 more yards to the Browns’ 35 yard line, with Cleveland being out-gained 159 to 34 yards.
2nd Quarter – Texans vs. Browns
The rather pathetic performance by the defense continued to start the second quarter, including a bizarre play when DT Maliek Collins had Stroud in his arms for a sack, then let him go to allow Stroud to throw the ball away. Several plays later, on a playaction rollout, Stroud threw the ball back to the inside for Hutchinson, who was wide open for an 8-yard touchdown to put the Texans up 17-0.
On the Browns’ fourth drive, Watson launched one deep to Concepcion, and he got both hands on it as he dove to the ground, but then lost it for an incompletion. After that, Watson hit Fannin for 17 yards, and then Watson scrambled for 20 yards on the next play. The drive went no further after that, but K Andre Szmyt gave the Browns their first points of the day with a 49-yard field goal to make it 17-3.
The Browns had CB Denzel Ward on Collins to start the next drive. Stroud targeted Collins all three plays, and it led to a pass breakup, a 5-yard gain, and then a tightly-contested 6-yard gain to move the chains. After that, the Browns finally forced a punt, in part thanks to LB Carson Schwesinger bringing down Dell for a loss of 4 yards on second down. WR Denzel Boston, in for the dinged up Concepcion, fielded the punt at the 13 yard line and returned it 16 yards to the Browns’ 29 yard line with 5:05 remaining in the half.
For the second drive in a row, Watson launched another bomb that was beautifully placed for Jeudy, and he hauled it in for a 65-yard gain.
One play later, Watson faked it to Judkins and then kept it himself, going around the right edge, for a 6-yard touchdown run to make it a 17-10 game with 4:12 left in the half.
On the Texans return, they were flagged 15 yards for a personal foul after the kickoff, pushing them back to the 19 yard line. Marks began with an 11-yard run to give them some more comfortable position. A 12-yard connection to Collins eventually set up 2nd-and-10 heading into the two-minute warning.
The Texans kept marching on, but then Stroud tried to hit Collins on a slant that he got jammed up in, allowing CB Tyson Campbell to come up with an interception with 39 seconds to go at their own 21 yard line.
With all three timeouts, the Browns got to their own 38 yard line on two plays, burning two timeouts, with 22 seconds left. A 16-yard strike to Boston, and the use of their final timeout, got the ball to the Texans’ 46 yard line with 16 seconds left. Cleveland needed a completion and spike to have a field goal chance. Stunningly, the Texans had a weird defense, and Watson overthrew an open Jeudy that could have gone for a touchdown.
Now, with 11 seconds left, the Texans were guarding the sideline. Cleveland ran a quarterback draw for some reason to take the game into the half.
3rd Quarter – Texans vs. Browns
The Browns’ defensive pressure was present to start the second half, forcing Stroud into three incompletions and a quick punt. An illegal block in the back penalty on Boston’s punt return forced the Browns to begin at the 21 yard line. Unfortunately, they also went three-and-out after Watson was sacked for the first time on the day on third down. After the punt, and a hold on the Texans, Houston took over at their own 22 yard line.
Houston began their next drive with two runs, setting up 3rd-and-5. After a false start by Houston, the Browns’ defense finally sacked Stroud as DE Isaiah McGuire got to him for a loss of 9 yards. Boston returned the punt 9 yards to the Texans’ 47 yard line.
Watson hit a returning Concepcion for 8 yards to set up 3rd-and-1. Cleveland ran a playfake, and hit WR Malachi Corley for his first reception of the season for 18 yards. Then, they ran a similar play the other way to Fannin for 8 yards, plus a facemask penalty tacked on to set up 1st-and-goal at the 6 yard line. Cleveland ran a fake pitch, then handoff to Concepcion going the other way, for a 6-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 17-17 with 8:35 remaining in the third quarter.
The Browns’ defensive pressure continued on the next drive, setting up a 3rd-and-12. Stroud got outside the pocket after more pressure, but was just run out of bounds to force another punt, an incredible change from the first half. Boston fair caught the punt at the 18 yard line, something he regretted because he had room for a normal return.
Cleveland ran the same play to Corley for another 8 yards, then a quick pass to Jeudy for 9 yards to move the chains. After that, Concepcion couldn’t pull in a contested catch. After an 8-yard run by Judkins, Cleveland hurried up, and Watson rolled to his right and found Corley on an improvised play for 11 yards to past midfield. After a drop by Fannin, a 5-yard pass to WR Tylan Wallace set up 3rd-and-5. Watson found Sampson on the wheel route for 18 yards and a first down to the Texans’ 23 yard line.
A 5 yard run by Watson, and 3-yard run by Sampson, made it 3rd-and-2. Judkins got another first down with a run on the left side, bringing up 1st-and-goal at the 10 yard line. A 2-yard run was followed by a tipped pass, setting up 3rd-and-goal at the 8 yard line. Watson faced a blitz up the middle right away, so he threw the ball away. Szmyt came on for a 26-yard field goal, and he connected to give the Browns their first lead of the day at 20-17 with 0:12 left in the third quarter.
Houston began at the 27 yard line. They ran the ball to end the quarter, and incredible, the Browns were now out-gaining the Texans 288 to 254 yards.
4th Quarter – Texans vs. Browns
Starting with a 2nd-and-7, LB Quincy Williams missed a pick six over the middle, as the ball hit him right between the numbers. On third down, the quick slant to Collins was knocked away by Campbell, forcing a fourth straight punt (and three-and-out).
Cleveland took over at their 34 yard line. After a Watson keeper for 6 yards, on 3rd-and-4, he hit Judkins on the swing pass for 21 yards to the Texans’ 39 yard line. A screen pass to Sampson then got 5 more yards, and then a run by him went for no gain. On 3rd-and-5, Watson tried scrambling, but was sacked on the pursuit to the edge for a loss of 2 yards. Then, it was decision time at the 37 yard line. Todd Monken sent Szmyt out for a 54-yard field goal try, and it was wide to the left, giving the Texans good field position at their own 44 yard line.
A false start by Houston made them start with a 1st-and-15. Stroud was incomplete for Collins, then faced an unblocked Schwesinger on a blitz and had to throw it away. On 3rd-and-15, Stroud lobbed a deep ball for Hutchinson that was picked by S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, but unfortunately, while Harden was locked up with Hutchinson, the officials flagged Harden for defensive pass interference on a questionable call. It was a 37-yard penalty, and that was Houston’s first first down of the half.
They got another one on the ensuing play with a 13-yard run to the Browns’ 11 yard line. Two plays later, Stroud hit TE Dalton Schultz up the seam for a touchdown to put the Texans back on top 23-20. An unsportsmanlike penalty was called on the touchdown celebration, enforced on the extra point from 48 yards. But Fairbairn still hit it to make it 24-20 with 9:17 left in the game.
On the Browns’ first play, Watson was sacked by DE Will Anderson for a loss of 9 yards. A quick out to Fannin got 8 yards back, making it 3rd-and-11. A 14-yard strike to Fannin got the first down. A few plays later, facing 3rd-and-3 at the Texans’ 48 yard line, Watson got Anderson to jump with the hard count for a first down.
Cleveland was starting to eat up clock, now with 6:08 to go, so they needed a touchdown on this drive. A late pass to the wideline for Judkins gained 15 yards. Off of playaction, Corley was an option but covered, so Watson threw back inside to TE Blake Whiteheart, but it was beyond and off his hands, popped in the air, and intercepted at the 26 yard line with 5:12 to go.
Now the defense needed another key stop. They got two stops to force a 3rd-and-11, with clock running. Stroud tried to get it to Collins on the rollout, but it was behind him and he couldn’t hang on. Houston’s punt only went 26 yards, out of bounds at the Browns’ 49 yard line with 3:35 to go.
Watson tried dumping it to Sampson to begin the drive, but it was short and incomplete. On second down, a quick pass to Wallace picked up 4 yards, making it 3rd-and-6 in what is four-down territory potentially. Watson was sacked for a loss of 11 yards, taking the fourth down option out of the equation. The Browns rushed the punt unit on to punt before the two-minute warning and 2:08 to go, and the ball at the 15 yard line.
Not to beat a dead horse, but this one was do-or-die for the defense in needing a stop. They ran for no gain heading into the two-minute warning, with it being 2nd-and-10. Houston ran another run play for no gain, as the Browns burned their first timeout. On 3rd-and-10, Stroud took hit shot for Schultz, but it was overthrown to force a punt and Cleveland keeping two timeouts in their pocket.
After the punt, the Browns got the ball at the Texans’ 49 yard line with 1:40 to go. Watson had all day to throw on first down, and hit Sampson for a loss of 1 yard. Watson then tried hitting Wallace to the corner, but there was a flag for a hit on a defenseless receiver, a 15 yard penalty and a first down at the 35 yard line with 1:11 to go. Watson then drilled Fannin for a 30-yard connection to the 5-yard line, as now Houston took their first timeout with 0:56 to go.
One play later, Judkins punched it in to put the Browns back on top 26-24.
The all-important extra point by Szymt was good to make it 27-24 with 0:53 left and Houston having two timeouts, needing a field goal. They began at the 15 yard line. Stroud threw the ball away on first down after immediate pressure. On second down, Stroud had to dodge pressure, and right before going out of bounds, found a target for 13 yards with 0:34 left.
Browns defenders made two straight great defensive pass breakups, forcing a third down. Stroud overthrew Collins on the sideline, making it fourth down with 0:17 left. Stroud dodged pressure and got a completion to Collins for 16 yards, but a hold brought it back for 4th-and-20 with 10 seconds left. Stroud launched one for Hutchinton, and it was incomplete with one second to go. Watson came back on to take a knee.
Quick Hitters
- QB Deshaun Watson: 25-of-40 for 312 yards, 1 INT. 8 rushes, 49 yards, 1 TD.
- WR KC Concepcion: 3 catches, 21 yards. 1 carry, 6 yards, 1 TD.
- WR Jerry Jeudy: 2 catches, 74 yards.
- This is a huge win for the Browns. Big credit to them for adjusting and rallying, and dominating the last three quarters of this game. It was another one-score win, but I started to see the formula I was looking for if this team is going to turn the corner for more dominant wins in the future.
Up next, the Browns have their bye week, and then host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12.
