The Browns are back home in Week 10, and the Texans arrive with a profile that’s been hard to pin down. Houston has had the kind of season that can make you squint at the standings: slow starts, then wins piling up later.
But this year, the issues have shown up in a different way, with opponents scoring more freely and C.J. Stroud throwing the ball all over the place.
Scott Barzilla of Battle Red Blog said that’s a fair read, but he also pointed to the Texans’ one-score record as part of the bigger picture.
“I’d say that’s pretty accurate. They are also 1-4 in one score games, so they probably should be 4-4 or 5-3 if they had even average luck.
Still, this is not the top five defense we were expecting but it also isn’t the Stroud we were expecting. I suppose that means it comes off in a wash.”
The real problem, according to Barzilla, has been Houston’s secondary. He described a defense that has repeatedly allowed explosive plays, the kind that swing games in a hurry.
“The secondary has performed poorly this year so every game has seen 3-5 explosive plays that seem to blow everything out of proportion. If they can get to Watson they could produce enough negative plays to offset that, but they will give up a handful of 20+ yard plays.”
Barzilla also singled out the middle of the field as an area Browns fans should keep an eye on, along with a cornerback who has taken a surprising step back.
“It’s the secondary and the middle of the field. Kamari Lassiter has gone from Pro Bowler to one of the shakiest corners in football. Plus, the Texans have had issues at safety this year.”
The exchange also touched on the Texans’ draft class and the Browns being listed as underdogs entering Sunday, but the clearest takeaway from Houston’s side is simple: this is a defense that has been vulnerable, especially when plays get loose downfield.
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Estime played one game for Cleveland before being waived and heading back to the Saints, and the timing of what happened next did not help the Browns case. In a later game against Cleveland, he led New Orleans backfield with 72 rushing yards and a touchdown, a reminder that the question of whether the Browns gave up on him too soon is going to linger as long as the ground game keeps sputtering. [Read more 🡒]