Cleveland vs. Houston: 5 2nd-Half Keys to Victory for Cleveland

An early Browns' turnover set up early points for the Texans and set the tone of the first half. What does Cleveland need to do to strum a different note in the final 30 minutes? 

Here are five suggestions:

1. Stop Houston's Secondary Options

Matt Schaub consistently had all day to throw in the first half. Despite shutting down Houston's depleted receiving corps, the Browns presented Schaub with too much time to spread the ball around to a variety of other options. Simply put, Dick Jauron needs to reconsider his defensive strategy.  

Joel Dreessen, Owen Daniels, and the dynamic backfield duo of Tate and Foster are sticking it to Cleveland right now; a little more containment on these guys will go a long way.

2. Mix in the Blitz

As a corollary to the first point, the Browns must get some more pressure on Matt Schaub, who's having a field day back in the pocket with—I can't stress it enough—all day to throw. Part of the reason his life has been so easy is the amount of time he's had to wait for the check down options to develop. Mix in some more blitz packages, make Matt Schaub a little less comfortable back there.  

It should be a no-brainer.  

3. Watch the Trick Plays

Now of course, the Browns can't expect that watching the check downs and ramping up the blitzes will alone stop the Texans' creative offensive attack. No, Cleveland needs to think one step ahead because I guarantee that as soon as Schaub starts to feel the heat, the Texans will return to their arsenal of trick plays—mostly play actions and reverses—that have worked so well in recent weeks. Dick Jauron must keep his guys disciplined; whatever needs to happen to keep those guys on their toes without over-pursuing, the Browns have to put it into effect. 

4. Get the Ball in Josh Cribbs' Hands

Houston's special teams looked like it learned its lesson after giving up a long Cribbs return that helped set up the Browns' first points of the game; the next time the Texans' punted, they seemed satisfied with a touchback. Cleveland brought a decimated run attack and a struggling quarterback into this contest, and so far McCoy appears to want a safety blanket. Josh Cribbs could be that guy for the Cleveland offense, and represents the Browns' best chance of getting back in this game.  

5. Hold onto the Football

This may seem a little tongue-and-cheek, but the early turnover was devastating for this offense. Clearly, if the Browns want to get back into this game, they need to hold onto the pigskin.