NFL Super Wildcard Weekend Recap: Houston Texans 45, Cleveland Browns 14

The Houston Texans dominated the Cleveland Browns 45-14 to advance to the divisional round of the 2023 NFL playoffs.

The Texans opened the scoring with a 21-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn, but the Browns drove right down the field in response, Kareem Hunt finishing the drive with a one-yard touchdown.

Houston would answer straight back, though, scoring on a 1-minute and 58-second drive capped with a 15-yard pass from C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins, only for the Browns to keep the scoring going, with Joe Flacco hitting Kareem Hunt on a shovel pass for an 11-yard touchdown.

It took just one play for the Texans to hope back in front, C.J. Stroud finding Brevin Jordan for a 76-yard score. They kept the scoring going at the end of the first half, Stroud hitting Dalton Schultz for a 37-yard touchdown.

It was the defense’s turn to put points on the board midway through the third quarter, as Joe Flacco threw a pair of pick-sixes on consecutive drives, first to Steven Nelson and then to Christian Harris.

Devin Singletary made it 45-14 with a 19-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

Offensive spotlight: Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik put on a clinic. Stroud went 16-for-21 for 277 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. All three of his touchdowns came off play action, with two of them coming on big plays to tight ends Brevin Jordan and Dalton Schultz.

Defensive spotlight: There are plenty of players to highlight on the Texans defense, but linebacker Christian Harris personified the group's high energy on that side of the ball all game long. He finished with eight tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and that third-quarter interception return for a touchdown.

Rookie spotlight: The obvious rookie story of the day was Stroud, but fellow first-round draft pick Will Anderson Jr. had another impressive outing. The former Alabama edge defender racked up a sack and five hurries from 31 pass-rushing snaps, according to PFF's first-run analysis. 

Box Score

Passing

Rushing

Receiving