By the Numbers: Texans host Browns on Christmas Eve

Dec 24, 2023 at 09:15 AM

John Harris

Texans Analyst

It's felt like a BIG one each and every week since the start of November.

Cincinnati? Oh man, got to get back over .500. BIG one.

Arizona? Coming back home against Kyler Murray. HUGE one.

Jacksonville? This one is for the division lead! MASSIVE one.

Tennessee? They're wearing the Oilers colors? SUCH A BIG one.

This week against Cleveland? Two teams with combined 17-11 records right in the middle of the playoff hunt? This is THE BIG ONE! So, let's dive into the numbers for this matchup with the Browns.

6 - The Texans and Browns are meeting for the third consecutive season and after this one is said and done, there will have been three different starting QB combinations with six different QBs.

2021 - Texans Tyrod Taylor v. Browns Baker Mayfield.

2022 - Texans Kyle Allen v. Browns Deshaun Watson

2023 - Texans either Case Keenum or Davis Mills v. Browns Joe Flacco.

6 - Six different starting QBs have won games this year for these two respective teams this season. No matchup in the NFL can match that this weekend.

Browns

Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Deshaun Watson

Joe Flacco

P.J. Walker

Texans

C.J. Stroud

Case Keenum

9 - It's been just over NINE years since Case Keenum and Joe Flacco met in Houston as starting QBs for the Texans and Baltimore Ravens. The Texans pulled Keenum out of a deer blind to help lead the Texans to a win over Flacco and the Ravens on December 21, 2014. That was the last time that Flacco started a game at NRG Stadium. If Keenum is to start as expected, he hasn't started a game at NRG Stadium since December 28, 2014.

9 - The Texans held Titans RB Derrick Henry to less than ten yards rushing on 16 carries in last week's win. Since his 48-yard touchdown run early in last year's meeting, the Texans have held Henry to 57 yards on his last 38 carries. The Texans run defense has done an about face from the middle of last year and it needs to have another stellar game against Browns RB Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt on Sunday

16 - Browns TE David Njoku has 16 catches in his last two games, three of those going for touchdowns.

91.2 - Texans DE Jon Greenard had one of the top PFF grades of the week after his performance against the Titans.

90.7 - Texans LB Denzel Perryman was not that far behind him in the grading category. Those two were two of the 28 players in the league in week 15 that finished with a 90+ PFF grade.

-39 - The Browns have been outscored by nearly 40 points in total on the road this season and have a 2-4 record as a result.

+59 - The Browns have outscored opponents by nearly 60 points in total at home this season and have a 7-1 record as a result.

Sunday's game is at NRG Stadium. Yes!

In fact, the Browns have outgained teams by nearly 1,000 yards at home vs. just six yards on the road. They've also had 11 more sacks than opponents at home but on the road, opponents have ten more sacks than they do.

I repeat, Sunday's game is at home where the Texans have a 5-2 record. Ironically, the only two losses at home have come against division opponents.

0-2 - the Texans are perfect, in a bad way, against division teams at home this season.

2-0 - the Texans are perfect, in a good way, against division teams on the road this season.

Thankfully, Cleveland is not a division opponent.

Alright, that's going to do it for this week's By the Numbers. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!! See y'all, bright and early on Sunday!!