Cincinnati: Jordan Akins, a tight end for the Browns, spent his previous season as a member of the Texans. As such, he has some insider knowledge that will help him handicap both teams in this weekend’s wild card game in Houston.
According to Akins, “they’re a good team,” Cleveland.com The Browns finished 11-6 on Sunday after losing 31-14 to the Bengals while using backup quarterbacks. “But our team is superior.”
Akins is aware that the Browns, who defeated the Texans 36–22 in Houston on Christmas Eve, will face the AFC South champions (10–7) next weekend in a much tougher game. Because of Jacksonville’s 28-20 loss against the Titans on Sunday, Houston was able to win the division.
First off, former Brown Case Keenum began in place of scorching rookie starting quarterback C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall selection out of Ohio State, who missed the Browns’ convincing victory in Houston due to a concussion. With no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 31.6 rating, the Browns limited Keenum to 11 completions on 17 attempts for 62 yards.
The Browns limited No. 1 receiver Nico Collins to four receptions for 18 yards while Stroud and his huge arm were out.
To put things in perspective, during Saturday’s 23-19 victory over the Colts, Stroud passed for 264 yards and two touchdowns while earning a 134.1 rating. Collins was hit with a 75-yard bomb during that. With 4,107 yards and 23 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions, Stroud had a stellar season.
With the huge touchdown in that triumph, Collins finished with nine catches on nine targets for 195 yards.
Without a doubt, Akins stated, “C.J. is very special.” “It’s definitely not going to be the same game because they have a lot of good pieces and we were missing a lot of players.”
However, the idea of such a major event taking place on his former home field made Akins’ eyes widen.
Of course, he replied. “But we play better the better the competition is.”
He is aware that next weekend will see a significant increase in intensity.
Indeed, but we’re prepared, he replied.
David Njoku, a tight end, had a fantastic day. He caught six passes on nine targets for 44 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown that made the score 22-7.
Despite suffering a heel injury early in the game, Amari Cooper set a club record with 265 receiving yards, while Joe Flacco completed his fourth straight 300-yard performance with a 368-yard passing performance.
Njoku predicted that the matchup would be fantastic. We are happy that their starting quarterback is back. It promises to be a great time. He has a lot of talent. It’s also his rookie year, so the possibilities are endless for him. We can’t wait to play them.
The Texans entered that game without both starting strongside linebacker Blake Cashman and starting defensive end Will Anderson Jr. That afternoon, Jonathan Greenard, who led the team in sacks with 12.5, suffered an ankle injury, and he hasn’t appeared on the field since. During the game, they also lost starting defensive backs Jimmie Ward and Steve Nelson. For the rematch, some or all will return.
Njoku declared, “We’re going to play our game.” We’re going to play football the way we know best. As usual, we take the challenge. It makes no difference who we play. We like this challenge since, to us, they are all anonymous faces.
When those five players return healthy, the Texans defense will look very different, according to Browns left tackle Geron Christian Sr. In addition, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans will surely increase the pressure after bemoaning the fact that they gave Flacco the entire day to throw on Christmas Eve.
“A significant disparity,” stated Christian. They really are excellent rushers. Since we arrived in Louisville together, Greenard, I have been at odds with him since 2015. Will is also a skilled player. It will undoubtedly present another challenge if they manage to get those two individuals back. All we have to do is perform our jobs.
Kareem Hunt, the running back for the Browns, is excited for another opportunity, especially in a game this big. He was only able to gain 11 yards on seven carries for an average of 1.6 yards, but he did score on a one-yard run.
Hunt remarked, “We know them.” “It’s going to be a dogfight; we’ll prepare because we have film against them.” Since they have their talented quarterback back, I anticipate a lengthy, physically demanding, and difficult game.
Having played in the playoffs with both the Chiefs and the Browns, Hunt is well-versed in elevating his game during the postseason. In his three playoff appearances, he has four touchdowns via rushes.
He remarked, “Our mindset is just one game at a time, one play at a time.” “We have business to attend to. We understand that we will not be given it; instead, we must enter and demonstrate our worth.
This time, Jerome Ford expected a more difficult out after being limited to just 25 yards on 15 carries for 1.7 yards. However, he did score on a run, a 4-yarder off a straight snap. With 30 carries for a 1.8-yard average, the Browns were only able to muster 54 yards of rushes.
“We have to accept that last game’s defense was tough.” We must be as prepared to be as physical as they are, and we must be on our toes.
Similar to Akins, Okoronkwo attended high school and played for the Texans in the previous season. He is eager for the game to happen, especially since he was unable to attend the Christmas Eve game due to a torn pec. The Browns are ready for a Super Bowl, and Okoronkwo has stated as much, and he is thrilled to see it come to his hometown.
“I’m heading home,” he declared. “Let’s acquire it. Come on, let’s get it. You know, nobody could write a greater tale than me about winning in my city.
To shake off the rust and get used to playing with a harness over his left ripped pec, Okoronkwo made his comeback to the field on Sunday.
“We’re very happy,” he remarked. It is for this that you labor. During camp, these are the days you dream about. It feels nice to have fought to put ourselves in a position to win the big one. We were striving to just be where we were, going 1-0 every week.
Like his colleagues, he is excited to take on Stroud, a strong contender for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and one of the league’s hottest quarterbacks this season.
He described C.J. as a dynamic player. “We will surely just watch the footage, even though he is a really talented quarterback. We’re going to treat him with respect, go ahead and investigate them thoroughly, and complete our homework.
With the No. 5 seed secured, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. missed Sunday’s game along with most of the other Browns starters. He is eager to try to assist in stopping Collins (80 catches, 1,297 yards, 8 touchdowns) like the Browns did in their first encounter.
“I’m prepared. I look forward to the task. “I don’t really mind who I go against or whoever I line up against,” Emerson stated. The game’s beauty lies in that. I’m a bigger corner than him, and I’m eager to play against him since he’s a huge receiver.
Emerson has faith that the Browns will handle themselves. They’ve always felt that this season will be their big break, and now is the moment to make it happen. The NFL’s top defense has taken a loud boombox and broadcast its dominance to the entire world.
Emerson declared, “It’s time for us to do what we need to do, what we’ve been planning and working on all along.”
Sione Takitaki thinks it will be beneficial that they faced Houston two weeks ago.
“But that’s just the nature of the game; they’ll adjust,” he remarked. They’re going to turn around, review the footage of us, and figure out how to make adjustments. C.J. is coming home. There’s a promising young quarterback, so the times are exciting. We can’t wait to begin preparing for that challenge and kind of have it.”
In his postgame press conference, Kevin Stefanski, who has gone 10-0 against the AFC South in his four seasons as head coach, including 4-0 this season, wasn’t quite ready to spin it forward to Stroud and the Texans.
He stated, “I believe we’ll have plenty of time to talk about them this week.” “It goes without saying that I greatly like their coaches and team. They perform admirably. I am aware of that team’s excellence.
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