Cleveland's Offense Must Pick Up Where It Left Off In Houston

What does Cleveland need to do to find their rhythm against a struggling Houston defense

Cleveland's offense is one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. Just three games ago, they walked into NRG Stadium and from the opening snap just stomped the Texans.

Amari Cooper set a Browns' single-game receiving record with 265 yards and was killing the Texans every which way. 

After that record-setting game, they quickly turned the page and had another earth-shattering performance on Thursday Night Football against the New York Jets. Joe Flacco threw for 296 yards in the first half and everyone got a piece of the pie. David Njoku went off in the first half, Elijah Moore caught a touchdown and Jerome Ford caught two touchdowns, one of which sent shockwaves through Cleveland.

The Cleveland offense needs to show up on Saturday. 

Dec 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) celebrates his touchdown run with wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports  

© Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

This game has the makings of being a back-and-forth dogfight. Houston is going to hit some plays so it will be up to this offense to have one of those signature days.

If I were a betting man, I would guess that Houston is going to try and take away Amari Cooper. That immediately puts the onus on the rest of the Cleveland offense to be ready when their number is called.

The Texans' defense is going to look much different on Saturday as well. They are benefitting from the additions of Will Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Greenard who are back off of injury. They also get defensive back Kareem Jackson back off of his suspension for multiple illegal hits.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, these are three significant pieces. One area of major concern is that the Browns will not be able to just drop back and throw the football like they did on Christmas Eve.

It is a must that behind the offensive line they can establish a decent run game. If they are able to do that, they will open up the passing lanes even more against the 23rd ranked passing defense.

Cleveland will have a chance to win if they take care of the football, use everyone on offense, and are able to create a run game.

If they check these boxes, Cleveland will have a fun flight back home.