In the Wild Card Round, how will Joe Flacco’s Browns attack the Texans?
Only a few weeks ago, Joe Flacco had a tremendous day against the Texans. In the postseason, how will the Cleveland Browns approach Houston’s defense conceptually?
Only a few weeks prior, quarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns was the journeyman who stole Christmas, sauntering into NRG Stadium and contributing to the 36-22 demolition of the Houston Texans.
Houston never had much of a chance against the outstanding Cleveland defense without star quarterback C.J. Stroud. However, considering the playoff implications, Houston’s defensive effort was unsatisfactory and among its poorest of the season.
In the end, both of these teams advanced to the postseason, and they will now meet again, this time with Stroud at the center. In an attempt to put out the fire Flacco has started, the Texans will host the Browns on Saturday.
His transformation from a stay-at-home father to a dart-throwing quarterback in the middle of the season has made him an obvious candidate for Comeback Player of the Year.
Flacco has made five appearances in the NFL and has passed for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. The Cleveland offense, which has started five quarterbacks in the last eighteen weeks, has been rejuvenated by him, and they are now a real danger in the AFC playoff scenario.
Flacco showed just how destructive he could be in Houston, where he torched the Texans for 363 yards and three touchdowns, setting a new mark for receiving yards with 265 yards.
Cleveland used play action on early downs to exploit Houston’s weaknesses in the back seven. Houston leaves less athleticism on the field to better stop the run because it plays in its base 4-3 formation more frequently than other teams do on early downs. In response, the Browns gave Flacco chances to fake a handoff, turn his back to the defense, and air it out.
It has been extraordinarily successful so far this year. On 68 play-action attempts, he has thrown for 871 yards (12.8 yards per attempt) and seven touchdowns. It’s where Flacco has performed the best, so Cleveland will probably try again there. He completed 10 of his 15 play-action attempts at Houston, gaining 209 yards and a touchdown.
It seems probable that Flacco will return with a similar offensive strategy after such success. Changes made by head coach DeMeco Ryans, such as adding a defensive back or altering the coverage plan, may have a significant impact on the outcome of Saturday’s game.
