In Week 16, the Browns’ secondary will face a difficult test. They will travel to Houston to face one of the best passing offenses in the NFL, as the Texans rank fifth in the league. This will be the toughest matchup for the Browns’ defensive backs since they faced the 49ers offense in Week 6.
At the moment, the Browns are 7-1 at home and 2-4 away from Cleveland Browns Stadium. On December 24, they will face a Texans offense that averages 253.4 passing yards per game and 8.0 yards per carry. In addition, the Texans average 328.4 passing yards at home.
“Just starting with C.J. (Stroud), I mean, unbelievable,” said CB Greg Newsome II. “He’s not just the best rookie quarterback, he’s one of the best quarterbacks already in his early NFL career.”
The Texans excel at not throwing interceptions. They have committed the fewest interceptions in the league this season, with six. C.J. Stroud has been their starting quarterback this season. He has 3,631 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 13 games this season.
The Texans’ quarterback situation is uncertain, however, because Stroud is in concussion protocol. On Wednesday, he did not practice. If he is forced to miss Sunday’s game, it will be his second consecutive game missed, following his absence in Week 15 against the Titans.
Even without Stroud, the Texans will present a challenge to any opposing team. In Week 15, veteran quarterback Case Keenum took over for Stroud and completed 23 of 36 passes for 229 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. This contributed to the Texans’ 19-16 overtime victory over the Titans.
Keenum is a seasoned quarterback who has had successful seasons both throwing the ball and leading teams. With the Broncos in 2018, he threw for 3,890 yards. He threw for 3,547 yards and led the Vikings to the NFC championship in 2017.
“We prepare for all of their quarterbacks,” the head coach said. According to Kevin Stefanski. “I believe you must do that in this league.” So, like everyone else, we’ll keep an eye on it. But you must prepare for all of their men. And the truth is that all of their guys are capable of defeating you. Case arrives last week, begins, and wins. That’s exactly what he does. He’s played a lot of football games, started a lot of football games, and won a lot of football games.”
The Texans’ playmakers are what make their passing offense so lethal. In only 12 games this season, WR Nico Collins has 1,004 receiving yards. They also have WR Noah Brown, who was promoted to WR2 after WR Tank Dell was ruled out for the season on Dec. 2 after breaking his left fibula.
In addition, they have veteran tight end Dalton Schultz, who can be dangerous in the passing game. He caught four passes for 58 yards last week. He has caught 44 passes for 513 yards this season.
Despite the Texans’ strong passing offense, the Browns’ defensive backs have never shied away from a challenge. Opponents have lost a league-low -157.0 EPA on pass plays against the Browns defense this season. This is the defense’s lowest point total in a season since 2016.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, three Browns players rank among the top five in coverage success. CB Martin Emerson Jr. leads the league in coverage success rate at 67.7 percent. Both Newsome and CB Denzel Ward have a success rate of 66.7 percent, tying them for second place.
The Browns defense has the lowest completion percentage over expected rate, which indicates how many passes a quarterback completes more or less than expected. The Browns defense has a CPOE of 6.0 percent this season, which is 1.6 percent lower than the next closest defense.
“Seeing all three of us on the list Next Gen put out felt good,” he said. “I don’t believe we get the recognition we deserve.” We’ve been the top defense since Week 1. But, with only 2-4 days on the road this week, we have extra motivation. We want to correct that and demonstrate our ability to play on the road.”
