The Cleveland Browns are set to visit the Houston Texas for the Wild Card round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs. While their showdown is definitely intriguing considering that their season records are close, Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons believes the road team has an advantage in the meeting.
Speaking on his The Edge podcast, Parsons bared his thoughts why he thinks the Browns will come out on top against the Texans. Aside from Cleveland’s incredible defense, Parsons expressed belief that Houston’s lack of offensive weapons around CJ Stroud will cause their downfall.
“I think the Browns edge it out. They just have so much on that defense. CJ is very limited to the weapons he has right now because of the injuries. I have to go with the Browns in Week 1.
Micah Parsons makes his Wild Card Weekend picks 👀
(via The Edge with @MicahhParsons11) pic.twitter.com/TW44M0XmGW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 10, 2024
It’s not hard to see where Micah Parsons is coming from, though. For one, the Cleveland Browns have the best defensive rating in the NFL in the 2023 season, owning a 270.2 defensive yards average and allowing just 44 touchdowns overall (via FOX Sports).
As Parsons mentioned, the Houston Texans’ injury situation doesn’t help. They have several guys miss practice ahead of the playoff match, particularly at the wideout position with both Robert Woods and Noah Brown injured.
Considering how badly beaten the Texans are, it’s hard to expect them to be 100 percent healthy come Sunday. With that being said, the Browns might really have the advantage.
Cleveland Browns on a Roll Heading to Playoffs vs. Houston Texans
Aside from the points that Micah Parsons mentioned, it’s also important to note that the Cleveland Browns are simply playing better compared to the Houston Texans in recent weeks.
Sure the Browns lost in Week 18, but that’s only because they rested their starters. Prior to that, Cleveland has actually won four straight games. They finished with an 11-6 record, good for second in the AFC North and behind the 13-4 Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns have the same record as the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills who won their respective divisions, and a slightly better tally than the 10-7 Texans. They might be the road team, but they are more than capable of going against the other top-seeded teams.
As for the Texans, they actually lost to the Browns during their December meeting, though they weren’t with CJ Stroud at the time. But, they also bowed down to the New York Jets in Week 14, scoring just six points as Stroud was sacked six times.
Against the Browns’ defense, Texans might really have a ton of trouble.
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