HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) - The decisiveness of the most lopsided victory in Texans history began with a four-point deficit in the second quarter and ended with a 35-point explosion that destroyed the Cleveland Browns in embarrassing fashion.
Saturday’s 45-14 domination of the Browns at NRG Stadium produced a multitude of stars on both sides of the ball who ignited the upset that eliminated Cleveland and catapulted the Texans to Baltimore in the divisional round.
“We talk about our moment, about opportunity, and what we’re going to do with it,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “That’s what I love about our team -- everybody was calm and focused (and) we executed the proper way. It was an outstanding performance by everybody.”
Saturday was a glorious day for Ryans and C.J. Stroud, the NFL’s first coach/quarterback duo to win a playoff game since 2009. There was an electric, rowdy, energized crowd at NRG Stadium, where Stroud threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and finished with a 157.2 rating against the league’s No. 1 defense.
Stroud threw touchdown passes to wide receiver Nico Collins (15 yards), tight end Brevin Jordan (76) and tight end Dalton Schultz (37). Devin Singletary had a 29-yard touchdown run.
“Our whole team is leaning on him, and he has the shoulders to carry that weight,” Ryans said. “C.J. is special, the reason we're in this position. He continues to shine no matter how big the moment is.”
Touchdowns by Collins, Jordan, Schultz and Singletary were courtesy of the offense. The defense scored the same number of touchdowns as Cleveland. Cornerback Steven Nelson intercepted Joe Flacco and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown. Outside linebacker Christian Harris followed that up with a 36-yard pick-6 that gave the Texans a 38-14 lead going into the fourth quarter.
“When we needed it most, our defense had their best performance of the year in the biggest game of the year,” Ryans said. “They stepped up (and) had an outstanding performance, and they’re the reason we won this game (and) why we were able to finish in the second half.”
The Texans limited the Browns to 56 yards rushing, including 2.8 a carry, and sacked Flacco four times. They also knocked him down seven times and had 11 tackles for loss. The defense was so good – four sacks by Will Anderson Jr., Derek Barnett, Harris and Kurt Hinish – that the Browns’ second-half possessions went like this: interception, interception, downs, downs, downs.
“Never seen back-to-back pick-6’s like that,” Ryans said. “Joe had a big day against us (first game), and we needed our defense to step up. Nellie and C-Harris made big-time plays. One of our focuses going into this game was to attack it and score. That changed the game for us.”
This is a good time to point out two exceptional performances that set a standard of excellence against the Browns, who defeated the Texans 36-22 on Christmas Eve. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil did an outstanding job blocking defensive end Myles Garrett, who’s expected to be voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett had no sacks and didn’t knock down Stroud one time when being blocked by Tunsil.
“Can't say enough about L.T. and his performance against arguably the top defensive player in the NFL right now,” Ryans said. “Time and time again, he's (Tunsil) done it. He looked forward to that matchup, and he pushed through, struggling and fighting through injury (knee), but he still battles. When you have a left tackle who can do that, it allows C.J. to shine. It all starts with protection, and that all starts with L.T. doing a tremendous job against Myles.”
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Cornerback Derek Stingley, voted AFC Defensive Player of the Month last week, did an incredible job covering receiver Amari Cooper, who toasted the secondary for 11 catches, 265 yards and two touchdowns in that Christmas Eve game. According to NextGenStats, Stingley covered Cooper on 83.3 percent (35-of-42) of the snaps, and Cooper caught one pass for minus-6 yards.
“Stingley did an unbelievable job on Cooper,” Ryans said. “He was up for the challenge. That’s what playoff football is all about. It's about your playmakers making plays. That's what Stingley did all day.”
Flacco, who roasted the Texans for 368 yards and three touchdowns in the first game, threw for 307 yards and one touchdown on a shovel pass on Saturday. His disappointing rating of 80.6 was the result of his interceptions.
The Browns found out how much Stroud means to the offense after he missed the first game with a concussion. Stroud threw for 236 yards in the first half before Ryans told offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to focus on the run after scoring on a pick-6 on back-to-back plays for a 38-14 advantage in the third quarter.
“We were confident coming in,” Ryans said. “You have to be confident in these moments. We're not shying away from that. We believe in each other. We know we have a special group of men in this locker room.”
And they proved it again Saturday and pulverized the Browns to end Flacco’s storybook comeback. As for Stroud, his storybook career is just beginning. In leading the Texans to the most playoff points in their history and the most points in a playoff game against a league-leading defense in NFL history, Stroud’s 157.2 rating is the highest in rookie history. He’s also the highest-drafted quarterback to win a playoff game as a rookie.
“No moment is too big for him,” Ryans said. “When you have a young player who can shoulder the load of your team and the way the team (gets) behind him, he gives confidence to our entire team.”
Now the Texans are headed to the divisional round for the fifth time in team history -- twice under Gary Kubiak and two times under Bill O’Brien. Can Ryans lead the Texans to another victory and become the first Houston team to reach the AFC Championship Game since the Oilers did it after the 1979 season?
It’s all about opportunity and having the right mindset, according to Ryans.
“No matter who you are, when you step on the field, who knows the opportunity that you'll get?” he said. “Just maximize your opportunity and be ready for that moment. Everybody has an important role on this team. You have to grind, play as fast as you can and execute. Everybody understands it’s about the team. You win games because it’s a team-first mindset.”
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.