'Nothing Good Enough!' Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans Reflects on Previous Matchup vs. Browns

The Houston Texans will need to play better across the board when they meet the Cleveland Browns again this weekend.

The last time the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns met at NRG Stadium, things were bad for head coach DeMeco Ryans' team.

Sure, quarterback C.J. Stroud was still in concussion protocol, but a 36-22 loss at home was not what the Texans had in mind as they were pushing toward the playoffs.

Now, Houston is preparing to host Cleveland again in the first round of the postseason, and even after an embarrassing loss, was there any positive to glean from the Week 16 performance?

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In Ryans' mind, no, not really.

“Nothing was good enough," Ryans said. "We’ve got to play much better. Our last outing, that was not good enough all the way across the board.”

It helps that the Texans are healthier now than they were in Week 16. Stroud is back under center and is coming off an electric performance in Week 18 that gave Houston a playoff berth and eventually the AFC South title in a 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

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Still, the Browns are certainly not a team to be taken lightly this season. Quarterback Joe Flacco has revived the offense in Cleveland, and if not for the insane season from the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, the Browns would have been good enough to win the AFC North.

Kickoff between Houston and Cleveland is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be televised on NBC.