Texans vs. Browns: Breaking Down Cleveland's Game Plan

It is one thing to be the underdog chasing a seemingly impossible dream, but it is a completely different thing to be the hunted. That is where the Cleveland Browns find themselves entering Week 11. They are in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. So how will they react to hosting a 4-5 Houston Texans team that is giving a quarterback his first career start?

The game plan for the Browns this week has to be attacking Ryan Mallett. He has never started a NFL game and will be thrown into a very harsh environment in Cleveland. It won’t just be harsh because of the 30-degree weather with possible snow showers either. He will also have to combat a rejuvenated fanbase that has created one of the best home-field advantages in the league.

The Browns are 4-1 at home, and the fans will be an even bigger part of this game than they have in the past five. With all the injuries the Browns will have to overcome; the crowd can be that extra energy to get them over the hump.

“It’s a situation where we tell our guys, ‘We control the volume,’ head coach Mike Pettine told the media on Wednesday. “When we’re making plays and doing good things, that place will be rocking.”

Without tight end Jordan Cameron for a third straight game, defensive lineman Phil Taylor with yet another knee injury and possibly without one of the best free safeties in the NFL Tashaun Gipson; taking care of the football will be paramount.

The Browns have the fourth-best turnover ratio in the NFL at plus-nine, and that will need to continue on Sunday. They will also need to find a way to continue their recent success stopping the run. They held the Cincinnati Bengals to just 86 rushing yards last Thursday.

With the extra time to game-plan, the Browns need to be able to limit the Texans run game which averages 137 yards per game, fourth-best in the league. They may catch a break with Arian Foster questionable for Sunday after missing the entire week of practice.

Let’s take a look at the position groups that will decide this contest and see which team has an advantage.

The Competitive Edge

Quarterback

Ryan Mallett might be the next coming of Joe Montana, but odds are he is not. So in the meantime the edge goes to Brian Hoyer. He is coming off an efficient game against Cincy where he was 15-of-23 for 198 yards. He seems to be back to his early-season form which is good news for the Browns.

Edge: Cleveland

Running Back

This category really depends on whether or not Arian Foster is able to play with his groin injury. The Browns do not have anyone on their roster the caliber of the NFL’s second-leading rusher. Even if he does not play, Alfred Blue is no slouch. The Browns found life last week rushing for 170 yards and three touchdowns. They need to show more consistency behind a second-team line before I believe they are back.

Edge: Push

Receivers

They might not have a quarterback who can deliver them the football, but the Texans have a heck of a receiving corps. Even if Andre Johnson is not what he once was he is still an elite weapon. DeAndre Hopkins has 684 receiving yards and four touchdowns already this year as well. They would both be primary targets on the Browns in the absence of Josh Gordon.

Edge: Houston

Tight End

Garrett Graham and Jim Dray are not exactly a marquee matchup. They have had nearly identical seasons with Graham catching 12 balls for 122 yards and Dray catching 10 for 144. Gary Barnidge adds a nice complementary piece for the Browns, but neither team has an impact player in this department.

Edge: Push

Offensive Line

A running back cannot rush for 137 yards on his own. The Texans have a line which blows open holes for whoever is in the backfield. They have allowed 20 sacks this season, but a lot of that has to do with poor quarterback play and holding the ball too long. The Browns' backup center Nick McDonald is not 100 percent because of a calf injury which makes the gap between these two even bigger.

Edge: Houston

David Seelig/Associated Press

Defensive Line

J.J. Watt is in the conversation for the NFL’s most valuable player; that’s how good he has been this season. He has 8.5 sacks, seven passes deflected, one interception, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. He also gets some extra help this week with first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney most likely playing in just his third game of the season.

Edge: Houston

Linebackers

There could certainly be some debate on this one, but I am going to give the nod to the Browns. On the inside Karlos Dansby has been very good, and Craig Robertson has elevated his play above where he was last season. On the outside, according to Sporting Charts, Jabaal Sheard and Paul Kruger are third and 10th in the NFL in quarterback hurries, respectively.

Edge: Cleveland

Defensive Backs

Joe Haden is playing like the best cornerback in the NFL right now. Opposing quarterbacks rarely throw his way, and he still has 10 passes defensed. Buster Skrine also has 10 to go along with his four interceptions, which is fourth in the NFL. Safety Tashaun Gipson leads the NFL in picks but may not play due to a concussion.

Edge: Cleveland

Special Teams

The Browns have elevated their special teams play from abysmal to tolerable over the last few weeks and that is about where the Texans reside as well. Neither has a dominant piece anywhere on their unit. The Browns, however, have one of the best opponents’ average starting position numbers in the league which always helps.

Edge: Push

Browns Offense vs. Texans Defense

Can a backup center with a calf injury stop one of the most dominant defensive lineman in recent memory? Obviously he won’t see him one-on-one during this game, but the entire line needs to be ready. That will need to be answered in a positive way on Sunday if the Browns want to win their fourth straight game.

They can neutralize Watt by running the ball efficiently and using tight ends for extra protection behind the line of scrimmage. Brian Hoyer will need to choose his passing lanes wisely when throwing on Watt’s side of the field as he is the best in the NFL at getting a hand on passes from the defensive line position.

I do not expect the Browns to duplicate the dominant rushing performance they had in Cincy in Week 10. Houston is not necessarily great against the run, they rank 21st in the league, but they are good enough to slow down the Browns.

If Hoyer can take good care of the football and the Browns can limit Watt’s damage, they should be able to put up some points. The weather might hamper things some, but the Browns are still averaging 23 points per game.

Browns Defense vs. Texans Offense

This is the big wild card on Sunday. What can Ryan Mallett bring to the table for the Texans and are the Browns prepared to stop the run? Just two weeks ago they had the worst run defense in the NFL, but now they rank 28th after two solid weeks.

Don’t look now but the Browns have the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL when it comes to opponents' points per game, which is pretty incredible. If the Texans want to win they will need to grind out a victory in poor conditions.

Obviously a game like that starts with a rushing attack, which could be without Arian Foster, but it also takes a quarterback who can take care of the football. Often quarterbacks who have no tape in the NFL for other teams to study perform particularly well in their first few starts.

The Browns will need to pressure him early and make him uncomfortable. If they can get Mallett questioning what he sees and second-guessing his reads then they should be able to force him into a few turnovers.

The Browns are tied for second in the NFL with 13 interceptions behind only Arizona.

What They’re Saying

“We grew up not too far from each other. He's a little bit older than me, so obviously I've known him and respected him for a long time.”

—Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt on if he knows Joe Thomas

David Richard/Associated Press

“They’re alert. They’re attentive. To me, it just looks like any other week that we’ve had, and that’s the encouraging thing. It’s subtle, but to me, you look at it, you wouldn’t know whether we were coming off a loss or a win.”

—Browns head coach Mike Pettine on how his team is handling success

Browns’ Wednesday Injury Report

Out: Tight end Jordan Cameron (concussion) and safety Johnson Bademosi (concussion)

Questionable: Safety Tashaun Gipson (concussion)

Probable: Linebacker Barkevious Mingo (shoulder) defensive lineman Desmond Bryant (wrist) wide receiver Andrew Hawkins (thigh/knee) center Nick McDonald (calf) and defensive lineman Billy Winn (toe)

This Week’s Game Stats and Facts

The Browns are 6-3, their best record through nine games since 1994, when the club started 7-2.

The Browns have forced 12 turnovers in the past four games, the most in the NFL during that span.

The Browns are the only NFL team with three players with 250-plus rushing yards (Terrance West 396, Ben Tate 342, Isaiah Crowell 297).

The Browns are third in the NFL in red-zone defense. Teams have scored touchdowns on just 12 of 27 trips inside the red zone against Cleveland.

All quotes and observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Game stats and facts are courtesy of the Browns’ communications department.