The Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans matchup in Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season in a meeting that will end up mostly about QB Deshaun Watson and less about what happens on the field.

The Browns have had an up-and-down year with multiple games that they should have one, a couple they could have won and a couple they had no shot at winning all becoming losses. At 4-7, Cleveland’s season is hanging by a thread with the hope that Watson and an improved defense can pull them up with it.

On the other hand, the Texans have struggled throughout the year with their lone win coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars after a Week 1 tie versus the Indianapolis Colts.

With the popularity of fantasy football and sports betting, along with easy access to more information through social media, sports fans are more knowledgeable than ever about teams other than the one they root for. Houston, however, doesn’t have much to be known for besides not being very good.

If fans know much about the Texans its that rookie RB Dameon Pierce is good, QB Davis Mills has a long neck and a former youth pastor had a lot of power in the organization before getting fired during this season.

So let's take a look at Houston’s team on paper and see what we can learn about them before this week’s matchup:

Texans Team Stats

• Texans are last in yards per game gained on offense
• Their passing offense has less than 200 yards per game
• The offensive strength, running the ball, still has them fourth to last in the NFL in yardage
• Houston is averaging a paltry 15.8 points per game
• Texans defense is fourth to last in yards per game given up
• Teams often have the lead on them leading to them giving up a league-high 168.6 per game on the ground
• Defense is giving up 23.6 points per game compared to Cleveland giving up 26 a game
• Defense is near the middle of the pack in causing turnovers (12 total) but near the bottom of the league in turning it over (16 total)

Texans Individual Stats

• Pierce IS good: 788 yards, 4.4 yards per carry, three touchdowns
• No other Texans rusher has more than 83 yards on the ground or more than 24 carries
• Mills is completing 62% of his passes with 11 TDs and 11 INTs
• The Houston offensive line and Mills holding the ball have led to 28 sacks in 10 games
• Mills has been replaced as the team’s starting quarterback by journeyman Kyle Allen
• Brandin Cooks has been their most productive receiver (44 catches, 520 yards) while Nico Collins (13.1 yards per catch) and TE Jordan Akins (14.3) have been their most explosive
• Veteran Jerry Hughes is the lone pass rush weapon on the team with eight sacks
• For Cleveland LB Christian Kirksey is still productive (2nd in tackles, 2 sacks, 3 passes defended, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery)
• Veteran DB Desmond King is highly active on defense with seven passes defended

Not a surprise that a 1-9-1 team is not very good statistically but interesting to see some of the areas where quality play exists. Later in the week, we will look at how the Browns matchup with some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Texans.

Any statistic above surprise you about Houston’s team?