Texans at Browns: Six Keys For a Week 10 Win in Cleveland

It's been three seasons since the Texans last faced the Cleveland Browns. That game took place in Houston in the 2023 Wild Card playoff round. The Texans avenged a late regular-season loss with a dominating 45-14 win to advance in the playoffs and send the Browns back to Berea, Ohio, with another playoff loss.

Three years later, it's the Browns that have the winning record at 5-4, but the Texans are looking, and hoping, to make a run. But that means the Texans have to go to Cleveland, in mid-November, in low-40-degree temperatures with potential precipitation, and beat their former star QB in a must-win game. So, yeah, this one is quite important, and the Texans are as banged up as they've been all year long. Not surprisingly, they're not shedding tears in Cleveland for the Texans at all.

QB Deshaun Watson will go back under center this week after missing last week with a concussion. There was some discourse over whether he would be the starter after how QB Shedeur Sanders performed against the Saints in a gut-punch OT loss. Neither Watson nor Sanders has lit the world on fire, in large part because they've been sacked more than any QB in the NFL. This Browns OL has been completely rebuilt, and it hasn't become a stellar unit just yet.

But the Browns defense has some serious juice, especially on the defensive front. Said defensive front is talented and deep, but it's struggled to stop the run the last month or so, in particular. However, the Texans have really found their way through the air, not on the ground. Regardless, it's time to rock in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As such, let's get to Know the Texans' Foe for Week 10 in the 2026 season, the Cleveland Browns, in the most important game that the Texans have played to this point this year.

2026 Cleveland Browns Schedule (5-4)

• Week 1 – L @ Jacksonville Jaguars 34-10
• Week 2 – W @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19
• Week 3 – W Carolina Panthers 21-18
• Week 4 – W Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24
• Week 5 – L @ New York Jets 17-12
• Week 6 – W Baltimore Ravens 13-10
• Week 7 – W @ Tennessee Titans 27-24
• Week 8 – L @ Pittsburgh Steelers 27-6
• Week 9 – L @ New Orleans Saints 23-22 (OT)
• Week 10 – Houston Texans
• Week 11 – BYE WEEK
• Week 12 – Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 13 – Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 14 – Atlanta Falcons
• Week 15 – @ New York Giants
• Week 16 – @ Baltimore Ravens
• Week 17 – Indianapolis Colts
• Week 18 – @ Cincinnati Bengals

Browns Offense in the 2026 Regular Season

• Rushing yards per game: 97.3 ypg (25th in the NFL)
• Passing yards per game: 210.4 ypg (20th)
• Total offense per game: 307.8 ypg (24th)
• Turnovers lost: 11 (8 fumbles lost, 3 INTs thrown)

Expected Browns Starting Offense for Week 10

Italics = Rookie | ALL CAPS = New to team in 2026

• QB – Deshaun Watson
• RB – Quinshon Judkins
• FB – MICHAEL BURTON
• WR – DENZEL BOSTON
• WR – KC CONCEPCION
• WR – Jerry Jeudy
• TE – Harold Fannin Jr.
• LT – SPENCER FANO
• LG – ZION JOHNSON
• C – ELGTON JENKINS
• RG – AUSTIN BARBER
• RT – TYTUS HOWARD

Key Offensive Non-Starters

• QB – Shedeur Sanders
• RB – Dylan Sampson
• WR – Isaiah Bond
• TE – Blake Whiteheart
• OG – Zak Zinter
• C – Luke Wypler

Keys to Winning vs. the Browns Offense

1. The Decision – Two weeks ago, Watson suffered a concussion that put him into the protocol as the Browns prepared for the New Orleans Saints. As such, backup Shedeur Sanders stepped up into the starting role for the first time in 2026. Sanders had some brilliant moments against the Saints, but couldn't pull a rabbit from his magician's hat in a 23-22 overtime loss to the Saints. When the Browns returned to Cleveland, the confusion began. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Watson would start against his former team. But, in his Monday press conference, Browns head coach Todd Monken said he hadn't made a final call yet. So, over the course of the next 36 hours, there was plenty of conjecture on both sides, but finally Monken announced Watson would start against the Texans. Now, he's not the 2017 Watson nor the 2020 Watson, but he's still been clutch, made plays out of structure and buoyed the confidence of a young football team. He may not ultimately be the future starting QB for this team, but in the here and now, he's capable of drumming up visions of the old Watson that should scare the Texans defense in a big way.

2. The Duo on Fannin Street – What Watson also has is one of the best young pass-catching trios in the NFL. It starts with second-year TE Harold Fannin Jr., who is equal parts H-back/F-TE/RB. He had a catch-and-run TD against the Saints that defied description. What he does is turn three yards into thirty. He turns a short catch into a sprint to the end zone. He's tough to tackle, has soft hands and is tough as all get out. Then, there are the two rookies at wide receiver, Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. Boston has some of Texans WR Nico Collins' traits: size, body composition, hands and body control. Concepcion is lightning in a bottle. He gets separation on his routes in a blink, has strong hands and runs like a fast running back after the catch. Put all three of those guys together and it's going to be a long day for the Texans linebackers, safeties and nickels.

3. Bringing the Pressure – But, for the Browns' QB-TE-WR quartet to put a ton of pressure on the Texans defense, it's going to take a yeoman's effort from an offensive line that has struggled mightily to protect the Browns' QBs. The front five is all new in 2026, completely reset from left to right, and features two, and perhaps three, rookies. The Browns have given up 38 sacks in nine games, 33 on Watson and five on Sanders last week. Those two QBs do hold the ball longer than most QBs, but this is a Texans DL that had eight sacks last week…and it wasn't all because Chargers QB Justin Herbert held the ball too long. The Browns are also second in the NFL in pressure rate allowed, a whopping 40.5%. Now, the Texans defensive line is banged up, so that could be the saving grace for the Browns OL. However, that's the charge for this Texans front: make the Browns QBs pay for dropping back to pass against them.

Browns Defense in the 2026 Regular Season

• Rushing yards allowed per game: 130.6 ypg (27th in the NFL)
• Passing yards allowed per game: 201.0 ypg (6th)
• Total offense allowed per game: 331.6 ypg (17th)
• Turnovers generated: 12 (6 INTs, 6 fumble recoveries; the Browns are +1 in turnover margin)

Expected Browns Starting Defense for Week 10

Italics = Rookie | ALL CAPS = New to team in 2026

• DE – JARED VERSE
• DT – Maliek Collins
• DT – Mason Graham
• DE – Isaiah McGuire
• LB – Carson Schwesinger
• LB – QUINCY WILLIAMS
• Nickel – Myles Harden
• CB – Denzel Ward
• S – Grant Delpit
• S – Ronnie Hickman Jr. or EMMANUEL MCNEIL-WARREN
• CB – Tyson Campbell

Key Defensive Non-Starters

• DE – DEREK BARNETT
• DE – SAM WILLIAMS
• DT – Mike Hall Jr.
• DT – Adin Huntington

Keys to Winning vs. the Browns Defense

1. Run This Way – Prior to the 2026 season, the Texans were thought to be an offense that wanted to pound the rock in the run game and take over physically at the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. Eight games into the season, things haven't quite turned out the way everyone thought. The Texans have become a dominant passing unit that opens things up for the run game. However, there have been moments in the past few weeks in which RB Woody Marks and company have gashed opposing defenses in key moments. That said, I don't honestly expect the Texans to turn into "Ground and Pound Inc." against the Browns because of how well they throw the ball, but the Browns have really struggled to slow down opposing offenses' run games. In the last three games, the Browns have given up 501 yards on the ground, including 160 yards to the Saints last week. Now, the question becomes WHO will be the Texans' lead ball carrier to put pressure on the Browns, given the health, or lack thereof, in the Texans running back room.

2. Breakthrough? – The Texans passing game, as noted above, has thrived since Nico Collins returned to the offense in Week 4 against Dallas. QB C.J. Stroud has taken his game to a completely different level. One of the things he's done well is make throws under pressure. Even though the Chargers didn't register a ton of sacks, their edge rushers had a ton of success in pass rush win rate, forcing Stroud to throw into pressure throughout the day. Now, the Browns enter the chat with DE Jared Verse, a physical edge setter, DT Maliek Collins, one of the best interior pass rushers in the league, and DT Mason Graham, one of the best young DTs in the NFL. But Verse, in particular, is looking to break through and get his first sack of the season, to go with the pressure he's already provided alongside Collins and Graham. Suffice it to say, it's another massive challenge for the Texans OL, one that could see some changes due to injuries in that unit.

3. The One Guy Who COULD – Browns CB Tyson Campbell is a long corner who has seen Nico Collins before as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's a better option to stay with Nico than CB Denzel Ward because of his size and length. I could see the Browns putting Ward one-on-one on receivers not named Nico Collins, and Campbell on Nico with help over the top. The Browns safeties aren't a NO FLY ZONE, but if they're in a helping role, as opposed to being strictly one-on-one, it's a better fit for that group. But the Texans have one of the best and most diverse WR crews in the league, so Campbell, Ward and company will likewise have a challenge on their hands on Sunday.