What a day QB Joe Flacco had on Sunday in Houston! Once again, Flacco threw for over three hundred yards; on Christmas Eve, Flacco had 368 yards and three touchdowns. Three straight three hundred-yard games from Flacco, the first time in his career that he has done that.
Amari Cooper also had a huge day with 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Sadly, even in a big victory, the Browns had some injuries this time to the special teams as Dustin Hopkins pulled his hamstring while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff returned. Corey Bojorquez also seemed to be banged up as he massaged his leg during the game and did not make kickoffs for most of the second half.
According to ESPN FPI, the Browns have a 99.2% chance of making the playoffs after an incredible day from Flacco and Cooper, the defense was suffocating as well, never allowing the Texans to get into any groove until the game was out of reach.
Merry Christmas, the Browns are one win away from the playoffs!!
Amari Cooper made history for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, breaking the franchise record with an impressive 265 yards receiving. His standout performance included two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, propelling the Browns to a 36-22 victory over the Houston Texans.
Cooper’s record-setting day surpassed the previous mark held by Josh Gordon, who recorded 261 yards receiving in a game against Jacksonville on December 1, 2013. This accomplishment added to Cooper’s season total of 1,250 receiving yards, making him the first receiver in team history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Although the Browns cannot secure a playoff spot this week, their 10-5 record virtually guarantees them just their second postseason appearance since 2002. This marks the third time since 1999 that the team has reached double-digit wins, with previous instances in 2007 and 2020.
Quarterback Joe Flacco, making his fourth start for the Browns, contributed to the victory with 368 yards passing, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Browns built a comfortable 22-7 halftime lead and secured their third straight win.
Cooper’s impact was felt early in the game, as he not only had touchdown catches of 75 and 7 yards but also set up Cleveland’s first score with a 53-yard reception on the opening play.
On the other side, the Houston Texans’ wild-card playoff hopes took a hit as they fell to 8-7. Quarterback Case Keenum struggled, throwing for just 62 yards with two interceptions in his second start in place of the injured rookie C.J. Stroud. Keenum was eventually replaced by Davis Mills in the third quarter.
The Browns’ early lead included a 4-yard touchdown run by Jerome Ford and a 75-yard touchdown reception by Cooper. Despite Houston’s efforts, they didn’t score on offense until the fourth quarter.
The Browns continued to extend their lead, with David Njoku’s 21-yard reception and a 2-point conversion by backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson making it 22-7. Flacco connected with Cooper for a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter, although the 2-point conversion failed.
Cleveland’s defense played a pivotal role, with Duron Harmon intercepting Keenum and the team celebrating with a unique snow angel display. The offense added to the lead with Kareem Hunt’s 1-yard touchdown run and Cooper’s 2-point conversion, putting the Browns up 36-7 in the early fourth quarter.
Mills managed to bring the Texans into the end zone with a touchdown pass and 2-point conversion to Nico Collins, cutting the lead to 36-15. Houston recovered an onside kick and added another touchdown to make it 36-22 with about four minutes left in the game.
Vs Jets Thursday Night Football.
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