Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday, November 23, 2008, 1pm EST
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Records: Houston 3-7, Cleveland- 4-6
Series history: Cleveland leads 3-2. Last meeting Cleveland won 27-17 last year.
Cleveland offense 27th overall (27th passing, 22nd rushing); Scoring- 25th, 20.1 ppg. vs. Houston defense 22nd overall (17th passing, 24th rushing); Scoring- 30th – 28.7 ppg.
The Cleveland offense is now under the control of Brady Quinn, who hasn’t been making mistakes though his first two games. Quinn has completed 37 of his 71 pass attempts for 424 yards, two touchdowns and most importantly no interceptions.
Cleveland’s best threat on the ground is veteran running back Jamal Lewis, who is a solid workhorse with 658 yards rushing, but averages just 3.6 yards per carry. The Browns have a nice change of pace back in Jerome Harrison who has great speed and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Harrison is averaging 10.4 yards per carry.
Quinn’s best threat is wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who has had an off-year, as he’s caught just 35 passes for 576 yards and 3 TD’s. Edwards has dropped several passes this year, which many point to a lack of concentration. Troubled tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. has caught 39 passes while missing one game with a staph infection and another via a team suspension. Winslow has game breaking ability at tight end. Another disappointment early on has been free agent acquisition Donte Stallworth, who has been mired with a series of injuries. Stallworth is a legitimate deep threat when healthy, but has caught just four passes this year. Wide receiver Syndric Steptoe and tight end Steve Heiden are both under the radar players for Cleveland.
The Houston Texans defense starts and ends with defensive end Mario Williams. Williams is having another big year as he has 34 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles on the season. Amobi Okoye seems poised to take the next step toward being one of the elite DT’s in the game in just his second season, although he missed last week’s game.
The Texans group of linebackers is one of the best in the league featuring Pro Bowler DeMeco Ryans, but they’re missing surprising second-year star Zac Diles, who went down for the season with a broken leg. Morlon Greenwood is very underrated, and rookie Xavier Adibi must play well in Diles absence.
The Houston secondary has played much better now that they have Dunta Robinson back. Corner Fred Bennett is a physical player, but can be beat deep, same as free agent acquisition Jacques Reeves. Demarcus “Petey” Faggins is a solid nickel corner who has been getting more and more snaps.
Best offensive matchup for Cleveland: Kellen Winslow, Jr. vs. Xavier Adibi- The Houston rookie linebacker a fast and talented, but he’s in over his head this week with a premiere tight end like Winslow.
Best defensive matchup for Houston: Amobi Okoye vs. interior Browns line- Okoye is a dominant tackle and the Browns allowed a lot of interior rush on Monday night.
Houston offense 5th overall (5th passing, 15th rushing); Scoring- 11th – 23.6 ppg. vs. Cleveland defense 26th overall (19th passing, 28th rushing); Scoring- 15th- 22.1 ppg.
The Texans offense had been moving the ball fairly well on offense, but red zone difficulties and untimely turnovers have done them in. Sage Rosenfels rebounded from a four interception performance two weeks ago and played fairly well against Indianapolis, but ended his team’s last chance at winning with an interception on the final drive.
Rookie running back Steve Slaton had a career day against Indy last week as he gained 156 yards rushing. Cleveland is another team that has struggled stopping the run and Slaton is expected to get a heavy dose of the football.
The Browns front three looks better on paper than they do on the field, and it’s up to Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers to change that. Both are very talented players who have underachieved in 2008.
Cleveland has good athletes in their 3-4 scheme which is led by linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who leads the team in tackles. Andra Davis is very solid on the inside, and Kamerion Wimbley has star potential on the outside, but plays better with his hand on the ground. Veteran Willie McGinest is still playing solid football in his 15th year in the league.
The Browns secondary is led by big play cornerback Eric Wright, who has tons of talent but can be beat deep. On the opposite corner is Brandon McDonald, who is having a solid year, and the nickel is former Jaguar Terry Cousin, who has obvious limitations. Sean Jones and Brodney Pool have played well at safety when healthy for Cleveland.
Best offensive matchup for Houston: Andre Johnson vs. any Cleveland corner- Johnson is a legitimate star in the NFL, and few NFL receivers are playing better right now. The Browns secondary has struggled somewhat this year, and Johnson’s presence alone opens up the field for Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels.
Best defensive matchup for Cleveland: Shaun Rogers vs. interior Texans line- When healthy and motivated, there are few defensive tackles that are more dominant than Rogers. Houston will struggle to keep him out of the backfield.
Special Teams
Cleveland: PK Phil Dawson, P Dave Zastudil, LS Ryan Pontbriand, KOR/PR Josh Cribbs
Houston: PK Kris Brown, P Matt Turk, LS Brian Pittman, PR/KOR Jacoby Jones
Special teams advantage: Special teams is pretty dead even in this one, as both Josh Cribbs and Jacoby Jones are dynamic return men, and both field goal kickers are as solid as they come.
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