(SportsRadio 610) - An embarrassing Christmas Eve performance for a team decimated by injuries, especially on defense.
The Texans needed to win in the worst way since they were in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South, but they were terrible from the start.
They couldn't move the ball on offense against the NFL's No. 1 defense. They couldn't disrupt the connection between Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper.
Flacco threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper caught 11 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
The Texans trailed 36-7 in the fourth quarter before Davis Mills relieved Case Keenum and threw two touchdown passes.
Grade: F-minus
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik began the game rotating quarterbacks Case Keenum and Davis Mills with disastrous results. They couldn't move the ball on offense against the NFL's No. 1 defense.
Keenum was under unrelenting pressure from the start and finished with 11-of-17 for 62 yards, two interceptions and a 31.6 rating.
Mills, who left the game early when the strategy backfired, returned for mop-up duty down 36-7. He threw two touchdown passes and a two-point conversion when it was too little, too late.
Grade: F-minus
It was hard to build a running game when the Texans were forced to play from so far behind so early in the game. The backs carried only 13 times for 56 yards.
Devin Singletary ran for 44 yards on nine carries and caught three passes for 19. Dameon Pierce had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Grade: C
The Browns shut down Nico Collins. He had four catches for 18 yards and a late touchdown and two-point conversion.
Noah Brown finished with three receptions for 38 yards. Cleveland's cornerbacks did a splendid job of containing the Texans' receivers while the pass rushers tormented Case Keenum.
Grade: D
Dalton Schultz took advantage of the Browns' focus on Nico Collins by catching eight passes for 61 yards, but his stats produced only a 7.6-yard average per carry, and most happened when the game was out of reach. Schultz had problems with pass protection.
Brevin Jordan added two catches for 27 yards. Andrew Beck, the fullback, had a touchdown catch.
Grade: C
The linemen struggled in pass protection against a talented, relentless defensive line. The pass protectors kept end Myles Garrett from recording a sack for a fifth consecutive game, but his counterpart, Za'Darius Smith had two sacks and knocked down Case Keenum and Davis Mills four times.
Keenum was under constant pressure.
Grade: F-minus
It's hard to pressure a quarterback without your two-best pass rushers. Will Anderson Jr. didn't play, and Jonathan Greenard left in the first quarter.
Derek Barnett, who replaced Anderson, had another terrific performance with two tackles for loss and knocked down Joe Flacco three times.
Jerry Hughes got the only sack, his first of the season. The Texans finished with eight tackles for loss and eight quarterback knockdowns.
Missing Anderson and Greenard didn't keep the linemen from playing outstanding run defense. They helped limit the Browns to 54 yards rushing, including 1.8 a carry.
Grade: B-minus
The linebackers excelled against the run. They helped corral Cleveland's leading rusher, Jacoby Ford, who finished with 25 yards on 15 carries. That's 1.7 yards a carry. Christian Harris was in on seven tackles and Denzel Perryman six.
Grade: C-plus
From the start, the defensive backs couldn't cover Amari Cooper. He caught a 53-yard pass on the first play to set up the Browns' first touchdown. Cooper and Joe Flacco put on an impressive performance.
The secondary lost safety Jimmie Ward in the first quarter. That's the second game in a row in which he's been lost with an injury. Derek Stingley Jr. and DeAndre Houston-Carson intercepted Flacco. Steven Nelson left with an injury but returned.
Grade: F
Special teams can't be blamed for this butt kicking. Dameon Pierce returned kickoffs for the first time and produced the most excitement for the Texans with a 98-yard kickoff return for their first touchdown.
Cam Johnston punted six times and put four of them inside the Browns' 20. He had a 44.3-yard gross average and a 41.3 net.
Grade: B
The Browns hammered the Texans from the start. Coach DeMeco Ryans, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, defensive coordinator Matt Burke and the position coaches took it on the chin early and often.
Too bad special teams couldn't have scored another couple of touchdowns. This was an embarrassing performance for a team coming off an inspirational victory at Tennessee and had a chance to gain control of the AFC South.
Grade: F-minus
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.
