Playing against their former quarterback, the Houston Texans managed to hold the Cleveland Browns to their lowest passing output of the season in Week 13. After 11 games with Jacoby Brissett under center, Cleveland started their new franchise quarterback in the matchup and found disastrous results against the Texans’ defense.
Held to just 131 yards and 12 completions, the Browns’ new starter was totally bottled up in this matchup. Houston’s rookie safety Jalen Pitre came up with an interception in the game, and if it weren’t for Cleveland’s outstanding ground game, the Texans could’ve tasted victory for the second time in their failed 2022 campaign.
All marks set by Cleveland’s new quarterback were season lows for the Browns and could indicate that the signal-caller has some rust to shake off if he intends to prove that he is a starting-caliber passer moving forward. Cleveland paid a king’s ransom to the Texans to secure his services, and for now, it would appear that Houston got the better end of the deal that sent him to Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
For Houston’s part, their defense kept the game from getting completely out of hand, and without the benefit of above-average quarterback play, the team was completely outmatched when their offense was on the field. The 13-point deficit they faced at the final whistle was far less than it could have been if their defenders hadn’t held up their end of the deal, and if it weren’t for the Browns’ ability to score on defense, the outcome of the tilt could’ve shifted into the Texans’ favor.
Oddsmakers had Houston as underdogs heading into the game, and the final score justified them in that position. However, if the Texans can put together more solid defensive game plans like the one they brought into this Week 13 matchup, they should have no problem surprising opponents with their effective play through the end of the season.
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