The Texans’ much-maligned defense hung in there for three-plus quarters Sunday, giving the team a chance to pull out consecutive wins for the first time this season.
Unfortunately for them, the dam eventually broke.
The Browns' two-headed rushing attack wore down the Texans during the fourth quarter to take a 10-7 victory at First Energy Stadium in Cleveland.
The loss dropped the Texans to 2-7, ostensibly ending their postseason hopes barring a miracle finish to the season. The Browns moved to 6-3 to stay in AFC playoff contention.
The Texans’ woebegone run defense was gashed by the Browns’ duo of Nick Chubb (19 carries, 126 yards) and Kareem Hunt (19, 104). Per ESPN, it was the first time the Browns had two 100-yard rushers in a game since 1966. Chubb and Hunt did most of their damage during the fourth quarter.
Down 10-7, the Texans had a chance to get a stop and the ball back on third and 1 at the Cleveland 12 with 3:29 left. But Hunt ran for 2 yards and a first down.
He followed that with a 19-yard run. Three plays later with the Texans out of timeouts, Chubb ran around left end and up the sideline for 59 yards. Instead of scoring, he stepped out of bounds at the 1 so the Browns could run out the clock.
Early in the fourth quarter, Chubb – in his return to the Browns’ lineup after missing four games, scored on a 9-yard run with 13:36 to go.
That capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive that saw the Texans give up a conversion on third and 18 and four plays later, get flagged for pass interference on third and 8.
The Texans finally got on the board with 5:04 to go, when Deshaun Watson found tight end Pharaoh Brown for a 16-yard touchdown pass up the left seam. The drive was sparked by Watson finding Randall Cobb for 29 yards despite falling down as he threw.
However, that would be the last time the Texans had the ball.
The Browns scored the only points of the first half, Cody Parkey’s 41-yard field goal with 8:31 left in the first quarter.
The Texans got to the Cleveland 2 on their second possession, and opted to go for it on fourth and goal but Watson was stuffed for a 2-yard loss on a delayed draw, rendering a 14-play, 67-yard drive fruitless.
Houston’s next drive got to the Cleveland 30 but the Texans opted to pooch-punt out of field-goal formation.
The Texans had a chance to tie the score with 3:37 left in the third quarter but Ka’imi Fairbairn pushed a 46-yard field goal attempt wide left after they opted to kick on fourth and 2 at the Browns’ 27.
There would be no shootout in the second meeting of young franchise QBs Watson and Baker Mayfield.
Watson finished 20-of-30 for 163 yards — the fifth-worst total of his young career — with a 91.4 passer rating while Mayfield was 12-of-20 for 132 yards and a 79.6 rating.
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November 16, 2020 at 04:13AM
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Browns wear down Texans behind rushing attack - Houston Chronicle
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