Yeah. I can't wait for Clowney to find his

The 6-3 Browns are looking like a primetime contender. The Texans will have their hands full at Cleveland next Sunday.

ripbrowns

People said the Texans had an easy schedule before the season started.

They've played plenty of solid teams already: Cowboys, Colts, Steelers, Eagles and the Browns are next. All of those teams are likely going to make the playoffs. Possibly the Ravens or Bengals, who are coming up soon. The only easy games the Texans have played so far they won: Redskins, Raiders and Titans.

The Bills are probably a so-so team. They won that one as well. Maybe they should have beaten a struggling Giants team on the road but we lost that game. The Texans are 4-5. At least four of those losses were against playoff teams, IMO.

Add to that it was more or less a rebuilding year with a first-year head coach and a first overall pick who's been missing in action for all but two games. It's pretty remarkable we're 4-5 following a 2-14 season. The only main difference is Arian Foster has managed to stay healthy for the most part. Only missed one game. J.J. Watt deserves the defensive player of the year award. He nearly won us the Cowboys and Colts games.

If the Texans can beat a solid 6-3 Browns team on the road and reach 5-5 with Ryan Mallett making his first career NFL start I'll be pleased.

the bills have a top 10 defense. solid team.

Yeah, I am a little worried for the Browns game.

I'm starting to feel optimistic about the Texans chances of beating the Browns the closer we get to gameday. Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing both practiced yesterday and should be ready to play on Sunday. Ryan Mallett has a strong arm, seems to have a lot of Tom Brady intelligence inside of him, he knows the offensive system very well and I'm excited to see what he can do in his first career NFL start.

I think the Texans waited two or three games too long to make the switch at quarterback. I wish they had done it sooner when making the playoffs seemed more realistic. They have to win every game left just to have a chance. I think 11-5 would definitely clinch a wild-card spot in the AFC. We'll probably end up 10-6, 9-7 or 8-8 and miss the playoffs. I could see another two or three heartbreaking losses on the horizon.

I guess Bill O'Brien needed the bye week to give Ryan Mallett all the preparation time that he needed but he's been waiting four years for this opportunity. Talk about the lingering suspense, anxiousness and anxiety. I can't even call Ryan Mallett a young kid anymore. He's 26 years old and entering his prime already. Not sure how much more he can actually improve. He has to play before we can actually evaluate him.

But regardless of what happens in these final seven games our focus should be on building towards the 2015 season. I think we can become a very good football team next year if we find a reliable quarterback (hopefully it's Ryan Mallett) and Jadeveon Clowney stays healthy and lives up to the hype. We need Clowney to dominate and cause some destruction on the other side of J.J. Watt.

John McClain @McClain_on_NFL ·11 hours ago
O'Brien says Cushing and Clowney will play against Browns

Looks like Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing will both play tomorrow at Cleveland. Likely in a reduced capacity one has to imagine. Rookie linebacker out of Michigan State, Max Bullough, has been promoted and activated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster as well.

Arian Foster is not likely to play tomorrow with a groin injury despite him being listed as a game-time decision. The rookie Alfred Blue will start at running back with Ryan Mallett making his first career NFL start. Looks like Ryan Mallett will have to win this game with his arm. He's been waiting four long years for this opportunity. The Browns rank 26th in run defense (very bad) but without Arian Foster I doubt we'll have much success in the running game.

The Texans have to beat the Browns on the road tomorrow. A 5-5 record would save our season going into the final six games. If we lose tomorrow and drop to 4-6 there will be no hope of making the playoffs in 2014. We may as well start cheering for losses and a 5-11 record just to net a top 8 pick. We'll probably beat the Jaguars twice and the Titans again to finish 7-9 at worse though.

I'd feel a lot better about the 2014 season if the Texans are 5-5 so we'll see what happens tomorrow.
I also want my free 20 oz. slush drink at Sonic. You get them locally on Tuesdays following a Texans win.

Didn't get to watch it but happy we got the W.

Good game!

Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien, defensive end J.J. Watt, and quarterback Ryan Mallett react to the team's victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 11.



At 5-5 the Texans are still alive in the playoff race. Only one game back of the 6-4 Colts for first place in the AFC South. I like J.J. Watt's mentality. There is a lot of season left and anything can happen in these final six games.

Hindsight is 20-20 but I wish the Texans had started Ryan Mallett a lot sooner. But moving forward every game matters. That December 14 game at Indianapolis could be a much bigger game than anybody anticipated.