(Photo: Clutchpoints)

Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 16 

Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans 

Browns: This is one of the teams where I never know what to expect from them. They are one of the three wild card teams right now in the AFC and would be in if the playoffs started today. I remember Kevin Stefanski’s rookie season as Head Coach back in 2020. For years, Cleveland was the place where Head Coaches went in and would be fired that same year because the success wasn’t brewing up. I get it. The front office wants a winner and the fan base wants to bring a championship to this city. Well, another one because LeBron James did that. I think this job that Kevin has done is much better than his 2020 campaign which is saying a lot because he was named Coach of the Year that season. He’s been able to keep this group together despite losing Nick Chubb to a knee injury back in week two and Deshaun Watson is also out for the year with a shoulder injury. They’ve done it with some ball control offensively and one of the elite defenses in the league anchored by the best defensive player in the league this year in Myles Garrett. “You better have game if you have two first names” and he’s been dominant this year. He has taken that next step this season and his mentality is simple. “I’m taking over this game and there is nothing you’re going to do about it” and he’s done just that. When I watch Myles, I’m somewhat reminded of two guys. First, I see some Bruce Smith and he also gives me J.J. Watt vibes. That’s big considering one is a Hall of Famer and one will be a Hall of Famer in a few years. To the other side of the ball I go. How about Joe Flacco? He makes me feel old because I remember when he was drafted by the Ravens in 2008 and all the success he had with them. He’s doing just enough for this Browns offense to be successful and this is why having an experienced backup Quarterback matters. The Browns will make a trip to Houston on Sunday afternoon.

Texans: I was so disappointed in them a few weeks back when they played the New York Jets at MetLife. That week, I saw a team overlook a struggling football team which is the worst thing you can do in this league. Their offense which has been pretty strong this year was held to six points and their defense gave up 30 points to one of the worst offenses in the league and they also made Zach Wilson look like the second coming of Joe Montana as he had the best game of his career. This was also the game where the Texans lost C.J. Stroud to a concussion. This past weekend in Nashville, it was a grind it out game, but the Texans did what they had to do to come away with a victory in overtime. Each time Houston plays the Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry has been known to have a magical game against them. I still remember when he became just the eighth member of the 2,000 yard rushing club and ran for a career high 250 yards. This past Sunday, that was far from the case as Derrick was held to 16 carries and only nine yards rushing. As expected, the gameplan changed with Case Keenum under center instead of Stroud as the Texans leaned more to running the ball with Devin Singletary who had 121 yards rushing on 26 carries. All they needed Case to do was not lose the football game. Here they are right now in a very competitive AFC playoff picture with many teams fighting for one of the three playoff spots and they’re in the mix. I wouldn’t even necessarily count them out for the division title just yet as Jacksonville has lost three in a row while the Colts continue to surge and Houston has one more game with the Colts on the schedule which could mean a lot in the grand scheme of things. They will return home on Sunday for a Christmas Eve showdown.

Browns X-Factor: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah– I used to rave about this young man during his college days at Notre Dame. I love the energy Jeremiah brings to the table. He can close in on the ball-carrier in the open field and make the tackle, he has the length to get his arms up and knock the ball down, then, he can rush the passer. Jeremiah is versatile and brings many things to this elite Cleveland defense. The crazy thing is he’s still young and has yet to reach the surface yet. I can’t wait to see him further develop.

Texans X-Factor: Derek Stingley Jr.– He was highly sought out coming out of college. There’s a reason why he was drafted third overall and he’s paid off in his young career so far. Derek has made so many comparisons to some all-time greats. I’ve seen a few people say he has some Charles Woodson in him and I can see some of that because just as Charles did, Derek doesn’t mind tackling in the open field. In today’s game, you must be able to do more than one thing on the football field. In coverage, he wants the number one target on the opposition and you don’t see that with many young corners today. He will have his hands full attempting to contain Amari Cooper.

Final Thoughts: I can’t believe three weeks remain in the regular season and by next month, we’ll all be in playoff mode. This was supposed to be a homecoming for Deshaun Watson, but he’s hurt unfortunately. We have two teams here fighting for playoff positioning in the Wild Card picture. The Browns needed a failed Hail Mary attempt to remain in the five seed in the AFC playoff picture while the Texans without Stroud were underdogs in Tennessee and the gritty group found a way to escape with a win. I like how the Browns have been able to develop a more consistent downfall passing attack with Flacco under center. Speaking of passers, will Stroud be ready to play? Even if he doesn’t, both Keenum and Singletary showed they can be a formidable 1-2 punch in the Houston offensive backfield. Both teams are cardiac kids as they’ve each have a flare of the theatrics and have won a combined 12 one-possession games. They each also have similarities as they’ve both looked great at times and have also shown signs they don’t belong. The Browns have found some magic with Flacco under center and I expect Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz to throw many looks at whoever will be playing Quarterback. I like the Browns on the road here.

Prediction: Browns 20, Texans 17