Kickoff Time For Texans vs. Browns Wild Card Matchup Revealed
Houston has its kickoff time for Wild Card weekend.
The Texans will take on the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.
The showdown at NRG will serve as a rematch from Week 16 between the two squads. Cleveland secured the 36-22 victory on Christmas Eve behind a 368-yard performance from Joe Flacco.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud
Denny Simmons / The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK
Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper made Browns’ history, becoming the single-game leader in receiving yards with his record-setting 265-yard outing. The Texans, who were without rookie sensation C.J. Stroud at quarterback, scored a pair of late touchdowns after turning from Case Keeum to Davis Mills.
Houston was also without rookie pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was dealing with an ankle injury suffered three weeks prior against the Denver Broncos.
Stroud, the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, is coming off one of his better performances in a 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts to help Houston clinch its first postseason bid in four seasons. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns.
When the Texans needed their rookie to act like a veteran, Stroud obliged. On the second-to-last drive, Stroud went 7-for-7 for 82 yards, setting up the eventual game-winning 3-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary.
Even with a healthy Stroud, the Browns present a myriad of problems for the Texans, especially defensively. Cleveland boasts the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL and the No. 1 pass defense (165.9 yards per game).
History surrounds the two clubs heading into Saturday’s matchup. In 2022, the Browns traded three first-round picks a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick for Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson and a sixth-round pick.
Watson immediately inked a new five-year, $230 million fully-guaranteed extension with the Browns once he arrived. Houston, meanwhile, used one of the three first-round picks, along with its own 2024 first-round pick to trade up with the Arizona Cardinals to select Anderson No. 3 overall last April.
While Watson is still viewed as the franchise quarterback moving forward, he’s out for the season with a shoulder injury and won’t play Saturday.
Since the Texans own the Browns pick, a win would actually better their draft odds for 2024, giving them the No. 23 or No. 24 selection.
Saturday will mark the first time Houston has hosted a playoff game since the 2019 postseason, when the franchise bested the Buffalo Bills in overtime of the Wild Card Round.
