Browns Dominate Texans and Elite Game Grades Follow Suit

Cleveland absolutely dominated the Houston Texans on Sunday with a 36-22 victory that wasn't even that close. From the first play of the game until the last, the Browns were in control and could do pretty much anything that they wanted to.

As you might imagine, the game grades agreed with the final score showing that there were some individually elite performances from this Cleveland team.

Pro Football Focus grades out each player each and every week and takes into account the context surrounding the game, not just a player's stats. It is a really great tool to get an idea to learn if a player actually played well, or if he just had good or bad stats.

The grading scale is as follows:

Above Average: 65-69
Good: 70-79
Great: 80-89
Elite: 90-plus

On Sunday, the Browns had four players grade out at an elite level at four of the most pivotal positions.

Amari Cooper: 94.6

Amari Cooper set the NFL on fire on Sunday with his record-setting day. He finished the day with 265 yards on 11 catches for two touchdowns. He had a long of 75 yards and was the most reliable catcher on the field in each and every money-down situation. Cooper's 94.6 was the highest wide receiver grade in the NFL on Sunday.

Za'Darius Smith: 92.2

Za'Darius Smith finally had the huge sack game that he has been so close to getting. He has been everything that the Browns have been looking for and more. He has been the rusher opposite of Myles and has been a QB pressure machine. The sacks just weren't coming until Sunday when he racked up two of them in his best game as a Cleveland Brown.

Joe Flacco: 91.5

Flacco has been amazing in his four starts as a Brown. He leads the league in yards and touchdowns since his first game in Week 13. Sunday's game against the Texans was his best one as a Brown. He finished the day 27-for-42, 368 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. On Sunday, he was elite.

Myles Garrett: 90.9

The narrative around Myles Garrett has gotten so out of hand. This guy is one of the two best pass rushers in all of football and arguably the best defender in the league. Sunday he proved it yet again. In a matchup against Laremy Tunsil, Myles finished with eight hurries and three tackles each of which were run stops. Sure he didnt get a sack but he was a massive reason why the Texans couldn't get anything going.

When the season gets to the home stretch, you need your stars to be stars and on Sunday, the Browns starts were elite.

Thursday night they can clinch a playoff birth in front of their home crowd, expect their stars to show up again.