For the Browns, the 2023 season has officially ended.
In their first playoff game since the 2020 season, Cleveland battled on both sides of the ball from the outset. The Browns conceded huge plays on defense and committed two critical offensive errors, which Houston took advantage of to win 45-14 and put the Texans ahead.
The Browns will now look back on the highlights and low points of the 2023 campaign as well as how they overcame hardship due to their many injuries sustained in the first week of the regular season as they enter the summer.
Important Times
After back-to-back offensive possessions in the third quarter, quarterback Joe Flacco made two crucial interceptions that almost knocked Cleveland out of the game. In the third quarter, while the Browns were driving down the field, Flacco’s ball was intercepted by CB Steven Nelson, who returned it 82 yards for a score. After regaining possession of the ball, the Browns went for it on a fourth-and-2 play. The Texans led 38–14 when Flacco attempted a throw to tight end Harrison Bryant, but Christian Harris, a linebacker, intercepted it and returned it for a score.
On their first offensive play of the fourth quarter, the Texans completed the victory. The Texans led 45-14 when quarterback C.J. Stroud found running back Devin Singletary, who took the ball and sprinted into the touchdown zone for 19 yards on the third play of the fourth quarter.
But the Browns defense was inept right away, giving up three touchdowns in the first half. They allowed the Texans to lead 24–14 when they allowed a long ball from Stroud to Collins for 37 yards and the game’s third score. The defense allowed the Texans to have huge plays and touchdown drives each times the Browns offense scored. After RB Kareem Hunt’s second touchdown in the first half, Houston scored on a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
In the first half, Hunt scored for the Browns. Hunt’s second score in the first half came after he snagged an 11-yard ball from Flacco into the end zone.
Flacco carried them downfield on the game’s second offensive drive when he connected on a long ball of 45 yards with tight end David Njoku. After a throw to Cooper, it finally put the Browns in the red zone. After a strong block by Wyatt Teller, Hunt went up the middle to score a touchdown.
Participants in the game:
Kareem Hunt, RB
With two touchdowns in the first half, Hunt got the Browns on the scoreboard. In addition to 9 receiving yards and 1 receiving score, he ended the game with 26 running yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
LB Owusu-Koramoah Jeremiah
Owusu-Koramoah provided the Browns a lift even though the collective defense of the team underperformed. In the game’s first half, he recorded seven tackles. Owusu-Koramoah had eight tackles, including four for loss, before the end of the game.
Game Stat:
The Texans gained 236 passing yards against the Browns in the first half. Rookie QB C.J. Stroud completed 11-of-16 throws for 236 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. In the end, Stroud completed 16 of 21 throws for 274 yards.
What does it signify?
The Browns 2023 season is over with this defeat. Considering all of the injuries the Browns have endured this season and the hardships they have suffered as a team, it’s a difficult pill to take. They had a great deal of confidence in their abilities as they concluded the regular season with an 11-6 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Browns did not play on Saturday like they have for the most of the season, particularly on the defensive end of the ball, so the defeat will hurt for a while. But as they enter the summer and get ready for the 2024 campaign, they will use this game as a teaching moment.
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