Recap: Cleveland vs. Houston
Sports Network | November 23, 2008
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Sage Rosenfels threw for 275 yards and a touchdown, leading the Houston Texans to a 16-6 road victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Rosenfels completed 24-of-32 passes and threw two interceptions for the Texans (4-7), who won on the road for the first time since November 4, 2007 at Oakland. The win snaps an eight-game road losing streak for Houston. Andre Johnson had 10 catches for 116 yards, while Kevin Walter made seven receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. Kris Brown hit on 3-of-4 field goals in the victory.
"We made plenty of mistakes as a football team. We talked about (how) we get hung up on our mistakes as a team. We forget to just keep playing, and to make the next play," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. "That can be the difference, that is what happened today, (and) our defense was spectacular."
Houston completely dominated the football game, holding Cleveland to 240 total yards of offense and 15 first downs. The Texans produced 383 yards of offense and converted 3-of-3 fourth-down plays in the contest.
"The Browns turned the ball over, our defense did a heck of a job and we got the win," Walter said.
Brady Quinn struggled in his third outing for the Browns (4-7), hitting on only 8-of-18 passes for 94 yards and two interceptions before being replaced by Derek Anderson at the end of the third quarter. Braylon Edwards caught five passes for 85 yards, while Jamal Lewis had 68 total yards in Cleveland's third loss in four games.
"We didn't play very well, we were inconsistent," Browns head coach Romeo Crennel said. "We could not operate on either side of the ball. Turnovers were huge in the game. When you turn the ball over five times in a game, it's hard to get things done."
Anderson didn't fare much better, completing just 5-of-14 passes for 51 yards, with an interception in the defeat.
"It's frustrating. I was hoping I could come in and give a spark, but it wasn't pretty," Anderson said. "Obviously I wasn't in the whole game, but I expected a lot more of myself."
The Texans started by taking their opening possession for a score. Rosenfels drove the Texans 79 yards in 14 plays, finishing off the trek with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Walter. Houston converted all three third downs they faced in the set.
Houston quickly regained possession on Lewis' first fumble in almost 400 touches and, starting from the Browns' 40. The Texans eventually settled for a 31-yard field goal from Brown to make it 10-0 early in the second.
The Browns put together their first productive drive midway through the second with Phil Dawson connecting on a 32-yard field goal with eight minutes left in the half.
Cleveland blocked Brown's next field goal attempt and took over at its own 39 with 3 1/2 minutes left before the half, A 42-yard completion to Edwards put the Browns at the Texans' 19 and Dawson's second 32-yard boot made it a 10-6 contest.
Andre Davis looked to have returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a score but the play was wiped out by a holding call -- and after Houston used the final 2:07 to move 73 yards, Brown kicked a 31-yard field goal to account for the 13-6 halftime margin.
Rosenfels was picked off the Texans' first possession of the second half but Quinn gave it right back with a pick, giving Houston good field position at Cleveland's 43. Brown's third field goal of the game -- a 36-yarder -- increased Houston's lead to 10 with nearly nine minutes to play in the third.
The Browns drove down to the Houston 12 on their next series but Quinn tossed his second pick of the game on 3rd-and-2. Cleveland again moved the ball deep into Houston territory early in the fourth but Dawson missed wide left on a 39-yard field goal.
"(Quinn) has not lost his job," Crennel said about a looming quarterback controversy. "He is still the quarterback, and we are going to go to the week and prepare him, and he is going to play."
Rosenfels threw a pick on the next series, though, giving Cleveland another chance from the Houston 27, but Anderson fumbled a snap two plays later and Houston recovered.
The Texans ran the clock down to almost three minutes remaining before punting back to Cleveland, but it took only three plays before Anderson was intercepted, and the Browns never got the ball back.
Walter leads the Texans with seven touchdowns on the season...Houston has won three of the past four meetings with the Browns...The Texans won the time of possession battle, 37:25-22:35...Houston's Steve Slaton had 73 yards rushing on 21 carries.
