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Browns' defense looks to contain Texans' explosive pass game

The Texans rank third in the NFL in passing yards per game this season

Nov 12, 2026 at 05:23 PM

Brian D'Aguanno

Staff Writer Intern

After recording their 54^th consecutive game without allowing a 300-yard passer, the longest active streak in the NFL, the Browns' defense is preparing to face a Texans' offense that boasts a prolific passing attack.

QB C.J. Stroud has recorded four games with 300 passing yards this season and ranks sixth in the NFL with eight yards per attempt, according to ESPN. He threw for a season-high 384 yards and five touchdowns against the Chargers in Week 9.

"I've always thought the world of C.J. all the way back to when we played him in the playoffs in 2022, and what a great player he is," head coach Todd Monken said. "And so, I believe any human being, confidence is a powerful thing. And what's our job? Try as best we can to take that away. And the things that they do well."

The Browns will look to contain Stroud and the Texans' explosive passing attack in Week 10 with their pass coverage and pressure. The Texans are tied for fourth in the NFL with 32 completions of 20 or more yards and rank third in the NFL averaging 269.4 passing yards per game. But Cleveland has allowed only 201 passing yards per game this season, the sixth fewest in the NFL.

When dissecting how the Texans have established their explosive passing attack this season, CB Denzel Ward attributed the results to a well-rounded effort. Through eight games this season, four different players on the Texans have recorded at least 300 receiving yards as Stroud has worked the ball around.

"I think it's all of them," Ward said. "C.J. (Stroud), he's a really good quarterback and a Pro Bowl quarterback, and he has a really good receiving corps as well. He gets those playmakers the ball and they're able to put points on the board and get a lot of yards."

The Texans' wide receivers also boast diverse skillsets, Ward noted. Houston's receiving corps is led by WR Nico Collins, who has tallied a team-high 384 receiving yards this season. In addition to Collins, the Texans have WR Tank Dell, who has posted 148 receiving yards in two games since his return from an injury that sidelined him for nearly two years.

"A lot of different guys," Ward said. "A lot of good playmakers, bigger body type guys. (They) have some smaller guys in the slot and just playmakers with the ball in their hands and able to run good routes and get open for their quarterback."

A big emphasis for the Browns, Ward explained, is eliminating the big plays that Houston has stacked at a high-level this season. The Texans are tied for fourth in the NFL with seven completions of 40 or more yards, while Stroud has recorded 7.7 completed air yards per completion, per Pro Football Reference, the second highest mark in the league. The Browns' execution in pass coverage and focus on their keys, according to LB Carson Schwesinger, will be critical to preventing those explosive passes the Texans have found success with this season.

Schwesinger also noted that Stroud has been effective with his deep passes in clean pockets this season. Stroud has been pressured on just 19.7 percent of his drop backs this season, per Pro Football Reference, tied for the sixth lowest rate amongst 31 qualified quarterbacks in the NFL this season. The Browns have been effective at bringing down opposing quarterbacks this season, though, notching 26 sacks through nine games, tied for the fourth most in the league.

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"Their offensive line is very good, and they've gone up against some very good rush groups," DE Jared Verse said. "We just have to focus on us. I think we do a very good job of getting after the quarterback and I think we'll do our thing."

As the Browns aim to contain the Texans' explosive pass game and limit Stroud through the execution of their coverage and pressure, Ward is confident in Cleveland's defense.

"We're definitely going to have our work cut out for us this week and I think we're up for the challenge though," Ward said.

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Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice on November 11, 2026 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.