The Browns are in the thick of a playoff hunt, and Sunday’s matchup against the Texans had implications for the postseason.
And yet, the Browns cruised to a 36-22 victory over the Texans, with a dominate performance through the air from QB Joe Flacco and WR Amari Cooper, and a stout defensive presence for a majority of the game.
The Browns notched their 10th win of the season, which is tied for their best start to a season since 1999.
They also improved their road record to 3-4.
So, let’s look at three takeaways from Sunday’s critical win over the Texans.
From the opening offensive drive on Sunday, to the final minutes of the game, it was a special day for Cooper.
On the first play of the game, Flacco threw a deep ball to Cooper for a 53-yard reception and set the Browns up for a touchdown by RB Jerome Ford. That reception helped Cooper break 1,000 receiving yards this season. Cooper also became the first Browns player to record back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
“He was pretty special. He’s a good one,” HC Kevin Stefanski said.
“I’m happy for Amari because he’s a consummate pro.
I mean, he’s one of the best that I’ve ever been around.
What he knows about this game, the way he sees this game, he’s like a savant out there.
And combine that with the route-running ability, he’s one of this team’s leaders.
These guys love Amari and to see him come through is awesome.
But it didn’t stop there. Cooper caught a 75-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, which was the longest reception by a Browns player since Donovan Peoples-Jones had a 75-yard catch on Dec. 6, 2020. Cooper is also the first Brown to record two 50-yard receptions in a game since Travis Benjamin in 2015.
Then, on a fourth-and-7 with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter, Flacco found Cooper downfield and threw him the pass, which Cooper caught for the first down and a gain of 13 yards. However, it was also the reception that set another record in franchise history, as Cooper surpassed former WR Josh Gordon for the most receiving yards in a game by a Brown with 265 receiving yards. It was also the most by any NFL player this season.
“(OC Alex Van Pelt) told me that he needed 10 more yards for a Browns record,” Flacco said with a laugh. “I didn’t want to necessarily go out of my way to do it, but the situation kind of just made it.”
Cooper finished the game with 11 receptions for a career-high 265 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Cooper now has 1,250 receiving yards on the season, which is the third-most by a Browns player in a season, just behind Braylon Edwards at 1,289 in 2007 and Josh Gordon with 1,646 yards in 2013.
“He’s special,” Flacco said. “I mean, we were able to get him open downfield a little bit, but he was also able to go up for some balls and just be strong through the catch. He’s a special player.”
