The Houston Texans beat the Cleveland Browns in the first playoff game of the 2023 season. While C.J. Stroud excelled, Joe Flacco had two pick sixes and threw away a potential win.

The Houston Texans prevailed 45-14 against the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card Round. The outstanding man on the field was Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who completed 16 of his 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

Offensive fireworks until halftime

The Texans got as far as the opposing 2-yard line on their second drive, but only managed a field goal. After that, things went from strength to strength: Kareem Hunt ran in the first touchdown for the Browns. Stroud threw a touchdown pass to Nico Collins on the very next drive. The 1st quarter ended with a 10:7 lead for Houston.

The following offensive drives continued unchanged: Browns quarterback Joe Flacco threw a touchdown pass to Hunt. The Texans were even able to convert their first play into points on the ensuing drive. And in the most spectacular fashion: Stroud shone with a 76-yard touchdown pass to Brevin Jordan – 17:14 for the Texans.

In general, Stroud, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 draft, impressed again and again with big plays. About a minute before halftime, the Texans passer extended the lead with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz, giving Houston a 24-14 lead going into the break.

Remarkable: Up to this point, Stroud had already thrown for a strong 236 yards.

Flacco throws two pick sixes within two minutes

Flacco also had a good game for long stretches (307 YDS, 1 TD) before making two crucial mistakes midway through the 3rd quarter. Under pressure, he threw a high ball that was intercepted by Steven Nelson and carried 84 yards back to the end zone. This gave Houston a solid 31-14 lead.

The Browns took a rash risk and went for it on fourth down at their own 32-yard line. Flacco made the next mistake and threw the ball into the arms of opposing linebacker Christian Harris, who also returned the ball for a touchdown. With the score at 38:14, this was the preliminary decision.

Incredible: The two pick sixes happened within just two minutes of each other.

At the start of the final quarter, Devin Singletary also ran in a touchdown to make it 45:14 and complete the debacle for the Browns.