The Cleveland Browns moved to 3-1 with Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback after defeating the Houston Texans 36-22. The final score is not indicative of how the game went, as Cleveland pulled starters up 36-7 in the fourth quarter. Davis Mills came in for the Texans and led two straight touchdown drives thanks to a successful onside kick, but ultimately it was too little too late.
This win was headlined by the Flacco-Amari Cooper connection as the two combined for two touchdowns, and looked unstoppable all day. Flacco completed 27 of 42 passes for 368 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Cooper caught 11 passes for a franchise-record 265 yards and two touchdowns, and became the second player in NFL history to record a 200-yard receiving game for three different teams (Raiders, Cowboys and Browns). He joins Terrell Owens, who had 200-yard outings with the 49ers, Cowboys and Bengals.
As for the Texans, they struggled on both sides of the ball in Week 16. Case Keenum completed 11 of 17 passes for 62 yards and two interceptions before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Mills came in and actually sparked the offense, completing 15 of 32 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Houston recorded 250 yards of total offense compared to Cleveland's 418, but most of that came in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
Let's take a look at what went down in Houston on Sunday.
Why the Browns won
Flacco looked elite again on Sunday, while Cooper looked like the best wide receiver in the NFL. Whether it was first down or fourth down, along the sideline or in the middle of the field, these two were on the same page all day.
Flacco is the second quarterback in Browns history to record three straight 300-yard passing games, and the first to throw for 300 yards in three straight wins. The former Super Bowl MVP also became the third-oldest player in NFL history to record three straight 300-yard games behind Tom Brady and Warren Moon.
Cooper broke Josh Gordon's single-game receiving record set in 2013, and joined Jerry Rice and Calvin Johnson as the only players with four or more 200-yard receiving games in the Super Bowl era.
Why the Texans lost
Houston's defense couldn't stop Cleveland's offense, and then Houston's offense couldn't move the ball against Cleveland's defense. Keenum threw for 62 yards, two interceptions and didn't reach the red zone before being benched, which leads to the question: Did DeMeco Ryans make the right decision at quarterback? Yes, Keenum helped lead a second-half comeback last week against the Tennessee Titans, but it was Mills who looked like the better quarterback in limited action Sunday. We may not have much time to mull this question, as C.J. Stroud could return to the lineup next week after missing time with a concussion.
Turning point
Late in the third quarter and into the fourth, Flacco put together two long touchdown drives to extend the lead to 29 points. He put together an 18-play, 94-yard drive that took up a whopping 9:39, and then a 10-play, 51-yard drive that took up 4:06.
Leading 36-7, the game felt over. Mills did a solid job of making the contest half interesting in the end, but that deficit was too tough to come back from.
Play of the game
As we mentioned, this Flacco-Cooper connection was incredible all day. Check out this fourth-and-8 completion, where Flacco somehow got rid of the ball despite being wrapped up by defenders in the pocket, and Cooper found a way to reel it in on the sideline while getting both feet inbounds.
Texans kickoff return magic
Directly after Cooper caught a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter, Dameon Pierce returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to the house. What's special about this is that the Texans now have twice as many kickoff return scores as the rest of the NFL in 2023. Remember, Texans fullback Andrew Beck had an 85-yard touchdown return against the Jacksonville Jaguars back in Week 3.
What's next
The Browns return home on a short week to host Flacco's former team, the New York Jets (6-9), on "Thursday Night Football." As for the Texans, they will host the rival Tennessee Titans (5-10).