The Browns defeated the Texans 36-22 on Sunday to claim their 10th victory of the season. They improved their road record to 3-4 and remain in contention for the playoffs.
Let us celebrate three players who delivered crucial performances.
QB Joe Flacco
After the victory, HC Kevin Stefanski awarded Flacco a game ball once more for his outstanding effort on Sunday. Flacco has passed for more than 300 yards for the third straight game.
He finished 27 out of 42 passes on Sunday, accounting for 368 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Along with Josh McCown (2015), Flacco is one of the few Browns players to throw for 300 yards in three straight games and 350 yards in four straight.
With 10 touchdown passes and 1,307 passing yards, Flacco leads all Browns in their first four starts in terms of passing yards.
On the opening play of the game, Flacco demonstrated the strength of his arm by throwing a deep pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper, who caught it for 53 yards and helped the Browns score on their opening possession. Later, Flacco found Cooper for a 75-yard touchdown ball. Additionally, Flacco found TE David Njoku deep as he sprinted in for the score.
“DE Myles Garrett said it appeared to be a video game.” “Those guys appeared to be directly out of Madde.”
DE Za’Darius Smith
Za’Darius Smith led the way for the Browns, even though their defense played excellently for the majority of the contest. Smith recorded two sacks, two tackles (two of which were for loss), four quarterback hurries, and one pass defensed before the end of the game.
With 9:44 remaining in the second quarter, Smith made his first sack, taking quarterback Case Keenum downfield for a loss of 14 yards on a third down. On the play, though, a defensive penalty was called and it was called in.
However, on third-and-8, four plays later, Smith again sacked Keenum for a loss of 13 yards. The Texans were forced to punt on fourth down after the sack resulted in a three-and-out. Then, on a first-and-10 play in the third quarter, Smith located Keenum and sacked him for a loss of ten yards.
Garrett remarked, “He’s been waiting on these.” “He’s been really close, and he’s still outlasting his opponent with his dominating play. Those things will come to you if you keep rushing like he does, treat the game with respect, and show up to work every day. So, for him, everything is just fitting into place.”
WR Amari Cooper
Cooper’s praise increased during the game as he broke several Browns records from the first drive to the end of the fourth quarter.
Cooper received a 53-yard pass from Flacco on the Browns’ opening play of the game, marking his 1,000th receiving yard of the year. He became the first player in Browns history to record consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.
His achievements didn’t end there, though. Flacco threw a 75-yard touchdown throw to Cooper in the second quarter, then another 7-yard connection to Cooper for a touchdown in the third.
Cooper was dying to get back into the game after several of the starters were substituted out in the fourth. He believed that he was capable of more. He also had his chance. Flacco found Cooper for a ball on a fourth-and-7 with 3:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. Cooper grabbed the pass for the first down, going 13 yards. In addition, it was the reception that gave Brown the record for most receiving yards in a single game. In addition to setting a single-game record for the Browns and becoming the most by any NFL player this season, Cooper’s 265 receiving yards at the end of the game were a career high.
“He was very unique. He is a good man, according to HC Kevin Stefanski. “Amari is a true pro, so I’m thrilled for him. He really is among the greatest people I have ever encountered. He’s like a savant out there with what he knows about this game and how he views it. He’s a leader on this squad when you combine that with his ability to run routes. It’s fantastic to watch Amari succeed because these guys like him.”
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