Houston Texans: Three must win games to secure a first round playoff bye
By T.A. Mock
Week 13: Texans vs. Browns in Houston
I know what you’re probably thinking, how on earth could any matchup with the Browns be remotely important?! Well, my friends, these aren’t your mom and dad’s Cleveland Browns, especially since they finally got around to firing Hue Jackson as their head coach.
This is a very young and talented Browns team that has countless playmakers on either side of the ball. Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb highlight a talented rookie class that has pioneered a brand new, effective offense. Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward and a host of other talented individuals on defense.
They’re a team that is playing with a massive chip on their shoulder, led by a guy in Mayfield who constantly has a chip on his shoulder. Their past two games have been impressive as they dominated on both sides of the ball, especially playing against their former coach who is now with the Bengals.
It finally seems that the Browns know how good they can actually be. They’re playing great football and they’re having a ton of fun on the field. That’s what truly makes them a threat to the Houston Texans eight-game win streak and a potential shot at a playoff bye.
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The Texans will be tasked with slowing down Mayfield who has had his two best games of the year the past two weeks. Slowing down Chubb is also a tough task as he is a complete bowling ball of a running back. Then there is Antonio Callaway with his blazing speed and David Njoku with his tremendous mismatch ability.
The Texans offensive line is also going to have a hard time slowing down a stout defensive line. Garrett already has double-digit sacks, Larry Ogunjobi is a beast as well, and then there is Emmanuel Ogbah who has tremendous speed off of the edge.
The Houston Texans have their work cut out for them with this young, talented Browns squad. They are going to have to execute perfectly because Cleveland is built to maximize on other team’s mistakes. Taking them out is a must in order to secure their spot in the playoffs while aiming for a potential first-round bye.