On Christmas Eve, the 9-5 Browns travel to Houston in hopes of defeating the undermanned Texans, who might be without their quarterback C.J. Stroud, and securing a postseason trip.
There are eight distinct ways the Browns may guarantee themselves a postseason trip going into Week 16, and even though they’re all very complicated, they all begin with a Cleveland victory.
The Browns’ route to success this coming weekend might have gotten simpler after learning some information on Tuesday night. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will probably miss a second straight week due to a concussion.
The youngster failed to pass the league’s concussion protocol, thus he missed this past weekend’s game against the Titans.
Texans’ QB C.J. Stroud, who missed Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans and remains in the concussion protocol, is likely to miss a second straight game this coming Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, sources told @Djbienaime:https://t.co/VaDqtkavXa
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 20, 2023
Without him, Houston prevailed in overtime thanks to a strong performance from former Browns quarterback Case Keenum, who completed passes for 229 yards, a score, and an interception.
In a lopsided loss to the Jets two weeks prior, Stroud suffered a concussion. In his rookie season as a professional, the Ohio State product has swept the league off its feet. Stroud had passed for 3,631 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just five interceptions in his first 13 games.
Impact of C.J. Stroud on Texans
He’s been a major force behind the Texans team’s surprising early arrival as they rebuild. Houston’s record of 8–6 is tied with those of Jacksonville and Indianapolis.
If the playoffs began today, Houston would be on the outside looking in, thus they will need to win this game against the Browns in order to stay ahead of their division opponents.
Although the initial reports state that Stroud won’t play, the Texans will likely keep an eye on things during practice this week to see if he can clear the protocol in time for Sunday before formally ruling him out.
In the event that he is unable to play against the Browns, Keenum will start in his place.
