Texans extend winning streak to seven with 30-22 win over Browns

Cleveland, OH - The Houston Texans built an advantage, absorbed Cleveland's push and extended their winning streak to seven games with a 30-22 victory over the Browns in Week 10.

Houston entered the game at 7-1 with six consecutive wins and emerged at 8-1 despite being outgained 413-363. C.J. Stroud threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, Woody Marks scored twice on the ground, and the Texans' defense finished with six sacks and two interceptions.

The Browns made the final margin competitive after Houston created separation, but their larger passing and offensive-yardage totals did not translate into the result they needed. Tua Tagovailoa produced a game-high 333 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Jerry Jeudy led all receivers with 159 yards.

Houston's passing game generated its production through two primary targets. Tank Dell caught five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown, and Nico Collins added five receptions for 118 yards and another score. Dell's 80-yard reception was the Texans' longest completion, while Collins had a long reception of 57 yards.

That gave Stroud two 100-yard receivers even though he completed fewer than half of his attempts. He finished 16 of 35 with a 90.4 passer rating and avoided an interception. The performance was uneven in stretches, but Houston continued to find enough offense to maintain its advantage as Cleveland tried to close the gap.

"We left some throws out there, so there's plenty we can clean up," Stroud said. "But Tank and Nico gave us opportunities down the field, and we stayed aggressive. Winning on the road against a team that was putting up yards means we did enough to finish the job."

Marks handled the game's largest rushing workload, carrying 26 times for 58 yards. The efficiency was modest, but he accounted for both of Houston's rushing touchdowns. The Texans finished with 101 rushing yards overall and became the only team in the game to surpass 100 on the ground.

"Twenty-six carries is a lot of work, and you have to stay patient with it," Marks said. "Not every run is going to be clean. My focus was to keep taking the opportunities and finish when we got close."

Houston reached the red zone three times, scoring one touchdown and one field goal on those possessions. Sustained offense was difficult for both teams. The Texans converted 4 of 16 third downs, while the Browns went 2 of 15. Each side finished with 11 first downs.

Cleveland's biggest numbers came through the air. Tagovailoa completed 19 of 40 passes, and his 88-yard completion was the longest of the game. Jeudy caught six passes and scored a touchdown, pairing his game-high yardage total with the game's longest reception. Denzel Boston added a 71-yard touchdown reception.

Quinshon Judkins led the Browns' rushing attack with 48 yards on 14 carries, including a 24-yard run. Tagovailoa added 32 yards on four attempts as Cleveland finished with 80 rushing yards.

The Browns' explosive gains gave their offense a path back into the game, but the overall passing line also included two interceptions and a 72.1 passer rating for Tagovailoa. Cleveland's defense recorded two sacks and no interceptions.

"The yardage tells you we moved the ball, but the turnovers are sitting right there too," Tagovailoa said. "You can't separate those things when you look at the result. We hit some big plays, but we needed to be more consistent and protect the football."

Houston's defense supplied a sharp counterpoint to Cleveland's 413 offensive yards. In addition to the six sacks and two interceptions, Will Anderson Jr. was credited with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The Texans did not need to erase Cleveland's production from the box score; they finished with the eight-point victory despite the Browns holding advantages in passing yards and total offensive output.

The loss extended Cleveland's skid to three games after the Browns entered Week 10 at 4-5 with consecutive defeats. Houston, meanwhile, continued in the opposite direction, turning its six-game run into a seven-game winning streak.

Up Next

The Browns will remain home to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 as they look to rebound. Houston returns home for a Week 11 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, carrying an 8-1 record and seven consecutive victories into its next game.