Texans Lose to Cleveland Browns 27-14 in Deshaun Watson's Return to Houston
In the highly-anticipated return of Deshaun Watson to Houston, the Texans lost to the Cleveland Browns 27-14 in front of a sparse crowd at NRG Stadium on Sunday.
Watson made his first start in the NFL since the Jan. 3, 2021 season-finale for the Texans against the division-rival Tennesse Titans where Watson threw three touchdowns in a 41-38 loss.
Neither team looked ready to play on Sunday, as the Texans began the game with the ball, but on the first play of the game, Kyle Allen's pass was intercepted by John Johnson. On its next possession, Cleveland got into the turnover column with an Anthony Schwartz fumble recovered by Houston.
Houston got a 44-yard Fairbairn field goal in the first quarter and a safety in the second for the rare 5-0 lead. But the Browns got on the board with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown by Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 7-5 Browns lead that carried into the half.
The Browns' offense didn't get the kick with Watson under center that some Cleveland fans might've expected.
Through two quarters, Watson was just 8-of-14 for 96 yards with one interception. It's noteworthy that the interception was in the endzone when the Browns were threatening early in the first quarter. Allen, who got the start over Davis Mills, was 12-of-23 for 101 yards and one interception.
Cleveland added another non-offensive touchdown early in the second quarter when Allen fumbled on a quarterback sneak up the middle from the Texans' own four-yard line. It was picked up by Browns cornerback Denzel Ward who returned it for the "scoop-n-score" touchdown.
The Browns held a 14-5 lead midway through the third quarter without the benefit of an offensive score. Houston added three more in the third with another field goal by Fairbairn, this time from 35 yards out.
The fourth quarter went from bad to worse for the Texans, when Cleveland scored its first offensive points of the game with a 43-yard York field goal to extend the lead to 17-8.
On the very next play from scrimmage, Allen was intercepted by Browns linebacker Tony Fields, who ran it back for a 16-yard pick-six. That pushed the Cleveland lead to 24-8 with only three points scored on offense.
The Browns added three more with a York 42-yard field goal with just 4:03 remaining in the game, and with the inability of the Texans' offense to move the ball, the game was out of reach.
Houston added its first touchdown of the game with just 1:57 remaining with a six-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Nico Collins, before a failed two-point conversion.
Houston will continue searching for its replacement for Watson, even as he beats them on the field.
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