Cleveland Browns defense picked the wrong day to play poorly in playoff loss to Texans
HOUSTON — The best summation of the day the Browns defense had in a 45-14 loss at the Houston Texans in Saturday's AFC wild card game was offered up by cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.
"We picked a f****** wrong day to play like we did, and we heard it," Emerson said.
The Browns defense spent much of the season boasting of itself as the "Best Defense in the World." It often played like that as well, which is how it ended the regular season No. 1 in the league in several category, including total yards per game (270.2), passing yards per game (164.7), first downs per game (14.9), third-down efficiency (29.1%) and fourth-down efficiency (40%).
Saturday, the Texans, a team that was 3-13-1 last season, obliterated any pretense of the "Best Defense in the World." Houston rolled up 356 yards, including 280 passing yards, while scoring on five of its first eight possessions.
They only thing that can't be put on the defense was the 14 points the Texans scored on interception returns. That's something the offense, specially quarterback Joe Flacco, had to own.
"We've been waiting on this opportunity, and we didn't take advantage of the opportunity," cornerback Denzel Ward said. "They came in here, they played a great game and, I mean, we've got to go back and be better next year. So that's all we've got to do now at this point.”
The statistics are only a small measure of how the Texans exploited the Browns defense. The truth is, as a defense alone, they gave up more points in a 39-38 Week 7 win at the Indianapolis Colts.
They also gave up more passing yards to the Colts, 288 yards, than what the Texans produced. Same with several other numbers.
How former Ohio State football quarterback C.J. Stroud dominated the Browns
However, it was how Houston, led by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, took the Browns apart that was impressive. It was by not allowing the two big defensive strengths — pass rush and secondary coverage — to be effective against them.
"He was just getting the ball out really fast," defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo said of Stroud. "He knew where he was going with the ball. Hats off to that young man. He's a heck of a player. Sure he'll continue to ascend in this league. Yeah, he had a day today."
Stroud, the former Ohio State Buckeye who was the No. 2 pick in last year's draft, didn't allow the former to get to him, not getting sacked at all. That allowed him to find the creases and breakdowns in the Browns coverages.
Five of the Texans' six plays of at least 21 yards were pass plays. That doesn't include what could've easily been another one when Stroud just overthrew receiver Nico Collins on what would've been a 59-yard scoring pass.
"We played poor, and that's something that we’ve been trying to get away from, trying to start fast and especially on the road, getting our feet underneath us as soon as the ball is snapped," defensive end Myles Garrett said. "But, I mean, they just played their game better than we played ours. They took advantage of our mistakes and it's just unfortunate that we had a bad day today."
Former Buckeyes teammate Ronnie Hickman often a target of C.J. Stroud
Multiple times in the first half, Stroud specifically seemed like he was picking on Browns safety Ronnie Hickman, his former Ohio State teammate. The first came when Hickman was out of position on the pass that just escaped the grasp of Collins.
The one that proved costly was when tight end Dalton Schultz ran completely across the field on a deep post pattern that left him all alone. The apparent blown coverage resulted in a 37-yard touchdown and a 24-14 Texans lead with 1:11 remaining.
"Honestly, I just feel like the little details," cornerback Greg Newsome II said of the issues. "Just keeping our eyes right, certain things like that. I feel like we didn't hone in on the little details today."
It wasn't just the undrafted rookie, though, who was culpable. Emerson picked the wrong (expletive deleted) time to have a missed tackle when he appeared to track tight end Brevin Jordan down after he picked up a first down, only to miss and allow him to run for a 76-yard touchdown and a 17-14 lead the Texans never relinquished.
That play came on a throwback screen pass, with the play action going to the left, then the throw coming back to the right. It was one of several misdirection plays Houston tried to use to with some significant impact.
"They did a lot of misdirection and roll boot," Emerson said. "I feel like today, knowing we was a man team, I feel like they wanted to test our eyes and make us be very disciplined. They made some great calls."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns defense produces worst showing in season's most important game
