The Houston Texans are on a major roll, but the team they are set to face this afternoon has seemingly turned things around, as well.
After starting the season with three straight losses, the Texans have won eight in a row to take first place in the AFC South. Their latest victory came on Monday night, when they trashed the Tennessee Titans 34 to 17 on Monday Night Football.
It’s a short turnaround, but the Texans are back in action Sunday to face the Cleveland Browns, who are 4-6 and have won two games in a row.
The Browns, who fired head coach Hue Jackson earlier this season, have been doing this with a rookie at quarterback in Baker Mayfield, the former Oklahoma Sooners star who was the top pick in the draft this spring. Mayfield is also a Texas native, so the game on Sunday is a homecoming of sorts. Texans head coach Bill O’Brien knows what Mayfield brings to the table.
“He’s a competitor. Very accurate. He’s got a great instinct for the game. We hold him in very high regard,” O’Brien said this week.
The Texans defense will be charged with the task of keeping Mayfield in check. Leading that effort will be J.J. Watt, who is coming off winning his first AFC Defensive Player of the Week award since 2015 and leads the AFC in sacks with 11.5. Watt says he’s more about the big picture than any personal numbers.
“I’m happy to be winning and happy to be contributing and helping the team win games.
Kickoff at NRG Stadium is set for Noon.