C.J. Stroud did not disappoint in his NFL playoff debut.
The Rookie of the Year favorite carried over his remarkable first NFL season into the postseason in leading the Houston Texans to a 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns. He threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns — all of them in the first half — against a Browns defense that was best against the pass in the regular season.
Houston’s defense, meanwhile, shut things down after halftime with two pick 6s of Joe Flacco on consecutive possessions to put the game out of reach. Houston advances to next weekend’s divisional round as Stroud gets his postseason career off to a 1-0 start.
Live37 updates
-
And that’s it. Houston wins, 45-14. The Texans advance to next weekend’s divisional round as C.J. Stroud gets his postseason career off to a 1-0 start.
-
Davis Mills is in at QB for Houston. We’re at that point now!
Take a bow, C.J. Stroud, who finishes his day 16-of-21 passing for 274 yards and 3 TDs.
Not bad for a rookie playoff debut 👏
-
Browns stall out again, turnover on downs. Texas take over with 9:22 left and it’s run out the clock time.
-
Devin Singletary breaks free for a 19-yard touchdown scamper! Texans are running this thing up, now a 45-14 lead.
-
Browns get to midfield but Flacco takes a big sack on 4th down by Christian Harris.
Texans take over late in the third with a huge lead.
-
Joe Flacco is the first to throw multiple Pick-6 in a playoff game since Todd Collins (WSH) in the 2007 Wild Card at Seattle, per @ESPNStatsInfo
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 13, 2024
-
Make it two pick sixes in two possessions. This time, Christian Harris picks off Joe Flacco and returns it 36 yards for a Browns touchdown. Houston leads 38-14, and the wheels have fallen completely off for Cleveland.
-
The Browns were threatening to score, but instead dug a 17-point hole.
-
Big trouble for the Browns. Cleveland’s first possession of the second half results in a Houston touchdown. Steven Nelson intercepts Joe Flacco on an errant deep ball thrown under pressure then returns it 82 yards for a Texans touchdown. 31-14, Texans midway through the third quarter. Houston is rolling.
-
In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes is trying to stay warm while watching Browns-Texans on the big board.
-
Cleveland gets a much-needed stop to force a Houston punt. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah comes up with a tackle of Nico Collins for a one-yard loss on third down. Cleveland’s defense has struggled overall, but JOK is making plays.
-
The second half is underway. Houston starts with the ball and a 24-14 lead.
-
Joe Flacco’s had a strong start as well, but is getting overshadowed by Stroud. 15 of 19 for 172 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. Has been perfect against the Texans’ zone.
-
It’s halftime, and Houston is making a statement with a 24-14 lead. C.J. Stroud is 11 for 16 with 236 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. The Browns allowed a league-low 164.7 passing yards per game in the regular season.
This dude’s a rookie making his postseason debut against an elite defense.
-
That’s three first-half touchdowns for Stroud on 236 passing yards. Again, this Browns defense was the NFL’s best in the regular season.
-
C.J. Stroud delivers again. Texans cap a 71-yard drive with a 37-yard touchdown from Stroud to Dalton Schultz on second-and-20. Texans lead, 24-14 with 1:11 remaining in the half.
-
Relevant stat here. Cleveland’s elite defense is not so elite on the road.
Now seems like a good time to point out the Browns home and road defensive splits:
HOME: 13.8 PPG allowed
ROAD: 29.6 PPG allowed— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) January 13, 2024
-
We’ve got a break in the offensive action. Browns and Texans trade punts, and Cleveland has the ball back with 8:42 left in the half. Houston leads, 17-14 and just missed taking a 10-point lead on a third-down deep ball from C.J. Stroud to a wide open Nico Collins that misses the mark.
-
And the Texans answer. This is officially a shootout. C.J. Stroud finds tight end Brevin Jordan on a screen pass for a 76-yard touchdown and a 17-14 lead. That’s now four straight possessions with a touchdown. Houston is torching Cleveland’s top-ranked pass defense.
-
Kareem Hunt finds the end zone. Flacco hits Hunt for an 11-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. That’s three straight touchdown drives between the Browns and Texans in what’s ramped up to a fast and furious first half. Cleveland leads, 14-10 early in the second quarter.
