On a day when quarterback Deshaun Watson made his Browns debut, Cleveland’s defense and special teams ruled the day to defeat the Texans, 27-14.
The Browns scored three non-offensive touchdowns in the contest, covering for their lack of offensive production. Donovan Peoples-Jones took a punt return 76 yards for a touchdown. Cornerback Denzel Ward had a 4-yard fumble return for a touchdown. And linebacker Tony Fields returned an interception 16 yards for a score.
Cleveland’s offense generated just six points — a 43-yard field goal from Cade York with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter and then a 42-yard field goal with 4:03 in the matchup.
The Texans scored a cosmetic touchdown with 1:57 left, a 6-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Allen to receiver Nico Collins.
They also had safety in the second quarter that gave the team a 5-0 lead after a 44-yard field goal got the team on the board.
Playing for the first time after his 11-game suspension, Watson looked as if he hadn’t been on the field for competitive football in 700 days. He was clearly rusty, finishing a lackluster 12-of-22 passing for 131 yards with an interception. He also had 21 yards on seven carries.
Nick Chubb had 80 yards on 17 carries and Kareem Hunt added 56 yards on nine carries.
On the other side, Allen finished 20-of-39 for 201 yards with one touchdown and two picks. Houston was just 1-of-12 on third down.
Now at 5-7, the Browns will be on the road to face the Bengals in Week 14.
The Texans 1-10-1 Texans will continue their season with a road matchup against the Cowboys next Sunday.
