When the Browns' offensive line sets up against the Texans in Week 10, they will match up with one of the NFL's most productive pass rush units. Through their first eight games, the Texans are tied for a league leading 29 sacks and are coming off a season-high eight sack performance in Week 9. 

Offensive coordinator Travis Switzer noted how Houston's dynamic attack front impacts the Browns' offensive game plan, specifically through the air. 

"It affects everything you do in the pass game. That's what you have to think about first. And everybody's got a piece of that," Switzer said. "Anytime you play premier pass rushers, that's got to be at the front of your mind when it comes to any pass play, really." 

To limit the effectiveness of Houston's defensive front, the Browns will look to provide blocking help with their chipping plan, while also establishing their run game. Heading into the matchup, the Browns have made containing the Texans' pass rush as an offensive unit a priority. 

 "It starts up front," TE Harold Fannin Jr. said. "They're pretty good on every level, good backers, good back end. So, I think they all complement each other to help with the pass rush as well. We definitely have to handle their pass rush this week."

With DE Danielle Hunter out with a hamstring injury and DE Will Anderson Jr. — the NFL's leader with 9.5 sacks — listed as questionable for Week 10, the Texans could lean on DT Sheldon Rankins and veteran DE Jadeveon Clowney. Rankins is tied for sixth in the NFL amongst defensive tackles with four sacks this season, according to Pro Football Reference, while Clowney has recorded 3.5 sacks in just six games this season. 

Fannin could be used as a blocker to help mitigate the impact of Houston's pass rushers, chipping off the edge to support the Browns' pass blocking efforts. Head coach Todd Monken discussed how Cleveland's offense has to balance using Fannin, who is second on the Browns with 453 receiving yards this season, as both a blocker and a receiver in the pass game.

"That's what makes it hard, is protection beats coverage," Monken said. "And pass rush allows you to mask a lot of your coverage deficiencies. We all know that. That's a part of it. And that's why they're the highest paid guys on defense in the game. All you have to do is take that into consideration. The money tells you the most important players are, right? Quarterback and edge rushers. That ought to just tell you right there how important those guys are. Because it changes the game. It changes the way you scheme, how you can get guys out, right? Certain pass concepts that they don't have to defend nearly as often, because you can't just send five guys out and throw caution to the wind. It's just silly. It's not a winning formula. So that's the challenge that you have."

On the offensive line, RT Tytus Howard, who spent seven seasons with the Texans before being traded to the Browns in March, mentioned that he has provided Cleveland's offensive line with tips on how to block Houston's front. The tendencies that Howard has shared with the Browns' offensive line will be important heading into the game, according to RG Austin Barber. 

Nine games into his NFL career, Barber — who made the switch from tackle to guard — said that he is feeling prepared to face Houston's front. Barber has recorded a 66.7 overall grade this season, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranks 28^th out of 75 qualified guards. 

"They have a good inside core as well. I think they're really good players. It's going to be a challenge," Barber said. "I feel confident every single week, that's just kind of who I am. And, with more games under my belt, it gives me more and more confidence."

Howard explained that to disrupt the effectiveness of Houston's pass rush, the Browns can establish their rushing attack early in the game. By staying out of obvious passing down situations, while also avoiding third-and-long, the Browns can maintain a multi-dimensional offense to keep Houston's defensive front guessing. Third-down-and-long scenarios are also some of the hardest to block, Howard stated, because routes take longer to develop.

This season the Browns average 97.3 rushing yards per game, the eighth fewest in the NFL. On the other side, the Texans have allowed 103 rushing yards per game, the 12^th fewest in the league. 

"I think it's always good to run the ball against any team," Barber said. "That's something you want to live in. You want to live in those down and distances where you're not behind the sticks or deep in the sticks. So that's important."

As the Browns prepare to take the field against the Texans, slowing down Houston's defensive front is an emphasis for Cleveland's offense and will play an important role in its ability to move the ball consistently. The Browns will look to utilize chip blocks and establish the run game to accomplish that goal.

"Whether it's edge rushers, whether it's a defense playing against a great quarterback, it's what you go against every week," Monken said. "And then how do you minimize, as best you can, their ability to direct the game. And so that's what we're going to try to do as best we can."