STADIUM: NRG Stadium
REFEREE: Clay Martin
DATE: Saturday, January 13, 2024
GAME TIME: 4:30 PM ET
NBC: Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Kathryn Tappen
Westwood One: Ian Eagle, Jason McCourty, A.J. Ross
SiriusXM (also available on the SXM App) CLE: 82 or 226 HOU: 209 or 225 National: 88
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER: Series tied, 7-7
LAST GAME: 12/24/23: CLE 36 at HOU 22
LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/24/23
POSTSEASON SERIES HISTORY First postseason meeting
Cleveland Browns
Playoff Record: 12-21
Championships: 8 (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964)
Last Postseason Game: AFC-DIV 1/17/21: CLE 17 at KC 22
Houston Texans
Playoff Record: 4-6
Championships: 0
Last Postseason Game: AFC-DIV 1/12/20: HOU 31 at KC 51
HEAD COACHES NOTES: Kevin Stefanski vs. Opponent (incl. postseason): 4-0 Reg. Season: 37-30 (.552) Postseason: 1-1. DeMeco Ryans vs. Opponent (incl. postseason): 0-1 Reg. Season: 10-7 (.588) Postseason: 0-0.
CLEVELAND BROWNS NOTES:
• BROWNS clinched postseason for 2nd time in past 20 years (2020). Led NFL in total defense (270.2 yards allowed/game) in 2023, fewest yards per game allowed in a season since Seattle in 2014 (267.1).
• KEVIN STEFANSKI can become 1st Cle. HC to win multiple playoff games since Marty Schottenheimer (playoff wins in 1986-87).
• QB JOE FLACCO is 1st player in NFL history with 250+ pass yards & 2+ TD passes in each of 1st 5 games with a team & 2nd player ever with 300+ pass yards in 4 of 1st 5 games with a team. Since becoming Cle. starter in Week 13, ranks 2nd in NFL with 1,616 pass yards & tied-2nd with 13 TD passes. Is 10-5 in 15 career playoff starts, with 2+ TD passes in each of his past 8 playoff starts. Has 7 career road playoff wins, tied with Tom Brady for most in NFL history by starting QB.
• RB JEROME FORD set career highs with 1,132 scrimmage yards & 9 TDs (5 rec., 4 rush) in 2023. Finished season with TD in 2 of past 3, incl. rush TD in Week 16 meeting.
• RB KAREEM HUNT led team with career-best 9 rush TDs in 2023. Had rush TD in Week 16 meeting. Can become 4th player ever with rush TD in each of 1st 4 career playoff games.
• WR AMARI COOPER made 5th-career Pro Bowl in 2023 after leading team with 1,250 rec. yards in 2023 & had 5 rec. TDs, becoming 4th player ever with 5+ rec. TDs in each of 1st 9 seasons. Had 11 catches for career-high 265 yards & 2 TDs in Week 16 meeting. Had TD catch in each of his past 2 playoff games.
• TE DAVID NJOKU made 1st-career Pro Bowl in 2023 after setting career highs in catches (81), rec. yards (882) & rec. TDs (6). Finished season with TD catch in 3 of past 4.
• G JOEL BITONIO made 6th-career Pro Bowl this season.
• DE MYLES GARRETT made 5th-career Pro Bowl in 2023 after 3rd-straight season with 14+ sacks (14). Has TFL in 5 of 6 career games vs. Hou., incl. 2 in Week 16 meeting.
• LB JEREMIAH OWUSU-KORAMOAH led the team with career-high 98 tackles & ranked 4th in NFL with career-high 20 TFL this season. Had 2 PD & INT in Week 16 meeting. Owusu-Koramoah & Garrett (17) only pair of teammates each with 15+ TFL in 2023.
• CB DENZEL WARD made 3rd-career Pro Bowl with 11 PD in 2023 & is 1 of 2 in NFL (James Bradberry) with 10+ PD in each of past 6 seasons.
HOUSTON TEXANS NOTES:
• TEXANS won 1st division title since 2019. Became 1st team in SB era to win division with rookie HC & rookie QB.
• DEMECO RYANS is 1st Hou. HC to make playoffs in 1st season.
• QB C.J. STROUD totaled 4,108 pass yards & 23 TD passes this season, 3rd-most pass yards by rookie in NFL history. Became 4th qualifying rookie QB ever with 100+ passer rating (100.8). Had 6 games with 300+ pass yards in 2023, tied-most in NFL & tied 2nd-most ever by rookie. Had 18 TDs (17 pass, 1 rush) vs. 4 INTs with 108.3 rating in 8 home starts this season.
• RB DEVIN SINGLETARY totaled 1,091 scrimmage yards (career-high 898 rush, 193 rec.) in 1st season with Hou. & is 1 of 6 RBs with 950+ scrimmage yards in each of past 5 seasons. Has 3 rush TDs in his past 4 playoff games.
• WR NICO COLLINS became 3rd Hou. player ever (DeAndre Hopkins & Andre Johnson) with 1,200+ rec. yec. yards (1,297) in a season. Had 9 catches for career-high 195 yards & TD last week. Had TD catch in Week 16 meeting. Had 906 rec. yards (100.7 per game) & 7 rec. TDs in 9 home games this season.
• WR NOAH BROWN had career-best 567 rec. yards in 2023.
• WR ROBERT WOODS has 38 catches (6.3 per game) in 6 career playoff games, with 5+ catches in 5 of 6 games.
• TE DALTON SCHULTZ is 1 of 3 TEs (Travis Kelce & George Kittle) with 50+ catches, 500+ rec. yards & 5+ rec. TDs in each of the past 3 seasons. Had 8 catches for 61 yards in Week 16 meeting. Has TD catch in each of his past 2 playoff games.
• T LAREMY TUNSIL was named to 4th-career Pro Bowl this season.
• DE JONATHAN GREENARD led team with career-high 12.5 sacks in 2023 & finished season with sack in 3 of his last 4.
• DE WILL ANDERSON (rookie) has 6 sacks in his past 5 at home, with 2 sacks in each of his past 2 at home.
• LB BLAKE CASHMAN led team with career-high 104 tackles this season & had career-best 9 TFL. Aims for his 7th in row at home with 6+ tackles.
• LB CHRISTIAN HARRIS had career-high 100 tackles & 7 TFL in 2023. Has 5+ tackles in each of past 10 & TFL in 3 of past 4.
• CB DEREK STINGLEY led team with career-best 13 PD & 5 INTs this season. Has PD in 3 of past 4, incl. 2 in Week 16 meeting.
