Cooper Crushes Houston: Browns Star Receiver Breaks Record In Win Over Texans

Amari Cooper's 265-yard performance not only shattered Houston Texans fans' hearts but also records for the Cleveland Browns.

Amari Cooper had 11 catches, 265 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion on Sunday afternoon.

Why not add a partridge in a pear tree to his stat line at NRG Stadium against the Houston Texans in hopes of bringing in seasonal joy for the Cleveland Browns? 

Cooper broke Josh Gordon's 261-yard franchise receiving record set in 2013 en route to a 36-22 win over the Texans. It didn't matter who was in coverage or the distance to the football for No. 2 to become Joe Flacco's No. 1 target. 

He started the game with a 53-yard gain to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Jerome. He ended it with a gain of 13 on fourth-and-7 as the Browns coasted past Houston to inch closer toward a playoff berth. 

Cleveland Browns Amari Coooper drives past multiple Houston Texans defenders after a gain of 53 yards in the first quarter at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.  / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

"We had a good week of preparation," said Texas coach DeMeco Ryans. "We knew what we had to do to win the game, which was eliminate the explosive passes. For them to come out for the first play and for that to happen, it's not good enough." 

Four of Cooper's 11 receptions went for gains over 20 yards. His longest reception, a 75-yard snag in the second quarter, extended the Browns' lead by 14 as D'Angelo Ross was left lying on the turf watching Cooper waltz untouched into the end zone. 

The Texans often choose to play one side of the field rather than follow one player. Ryans never considered putting Derek Stingley Jr. or Steven Nelson directly on the Browns' No. 1 weapon, trusting both would hold their own when given the opportunity. 

"That's not what we do," said Ryans. "When we talk about following guys, it's not a matter of following him. It's a matter of guys playing the coverage well. We got a guy double-teamed and he's still catching the ball. That's a problem." 

Cooper surpassed 1,000 yards on the season, becoming the first Cleveland player to reach that mark in back-to-back years. He also became just the second player in league history to post a 200-yard game with three different franchises, joining Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (49ers, Cowboys, Bengals). 

Houston's offense finally found life once Ryans elected to make a switch from Case Keenum to Davis Mills, but the exponential damage was done. Cooper exited the game at the start of the fourth quarter and only played two snaps in the final 15 minutes. 

Against a mix of first and second-team defenders, Mills found Nico Collins for a 5-yard touchdown with 6:08 remaining. He then connected with Andrew Beck for the 1-yard score. 

Texans' Injuries Loom Large in Final Stretch of Regular Season

Kevin Stefanski turned back to his starters as Cleveland's lead dwindled from 29 to 14 points. Cooper came up one more time to send the remaining Texans fans left inside NRG Stadium home with a ba-humbug spirit on Christmas Eve. 

Cooper's 265-yard performance will be remembered as a gift as Cleveland heads home for the holidays. 

Houston, which totaled a combined 250 yards of offense, will look to hit the reset button before Tennessee arrives for the home finale. 

"We didn't get the job done today," said Ryans. "It's back to it next week. How are we going to show up next week ready to go? That's all that matters. You can't do anything about this game now."