Different Directions: The Houston Texans Have A Division Title, A Playoff Win, And Their Future Is Super Bright; Cleveland...Not So Much

Some games speak beyond the results and that's what we got from the Houston Texans' total whipping of the Cleveland Browns Saturday evening.

The Texans are advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend while the Browns are going home a battered team needing a reboot in the offseason.

And what does this game say beyond the 45-14 result?

"Our team is special," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.

HOUSTON - Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns looks on from the sidelines against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at NRG Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Dreams Turns Into A Nightmare For Joe Flacco

For the Browns, this one settles a debate that was actually making the rounds around the league at times late in the season about their quarterback situation.

The Browns found a spark with Joe Flacco as a last-minute replacement at quarterback when multiple starters -- most notably Deshaun Watson -- were knocked from the starting lineup because of injuries, or performance, or both.

And as Flacco led the Browns to an 11-6 record and the playoffs, the narrative was the Browns would have to consider how to make room for the 38 year-old veteran next year.

Yeah, um, that's not going to be a such a volatile issue now. The Browns have Watson as their starter for 2024. And Flacco may be lucky to be a backup in Cleveland or elsewhere.

Because this whipping in which Flacco threw two pick-sixes in the second half showed he's not a lead-a-team-to-playoff-glory guy anymore.

"Never seen back-to-back pick sixes like that," Ryans noted.

And while playoff glory remains the goal for Cleveland, the Browns obviously have to wait for another time.

Texans Rookie QB And Rookie Coach Put On Show

And then we have the Texans and their team-of-the-future vibe.

Whatever happens the rest of this postseason, we know this franchise's recent hard times are over. The memory of general manager firings, coach firings after only one season, and quarterback misfirings, are a memory now.

The Texans have very bright future, folks.

Anyone who saw 22-year-old quarterback C.J. Stroud play understands that. Anyone who witnessed how Ryans, their 39-year-old head coach, prepared that team understands this now.

Consider that in the NFL's post-merger era only two teams with a rookie quarterback and rookie coach had managed to win a playoff game before Saturday.

The 2008 Ravens did it with Flacco and John Harbaugh. The 2009 New York Jets did it with Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan.

And now the Texans have done it with Stroud and Ryans.

Texans Get Revenge On Browns For Previous Loss

The amazing thing is the Browns demolished the Texans in the regular season. Cleveland came away with a 36-22 win on Christmas Eve. And flipping that result is a testament to Ryans that he got enough improvement from his young team within a three-week span to change the result.

"I knew they were ready, on Tuesday, they were focused and locked in," Ryans said. "They went out and put the work in. Cleveland's a really good team. We had a tough matchup and our guys fought, fought, fought.

"We made plays they needed to make to win the game. What an outstanding performance by our guys."

It should be noted that Stroud did not play in that earlier meeting. He missed that and another start while in the concussion protocol.

HOUSTON - Dalton Schultz of the Houston Texans celebrates with Brevin Jordan after scoring a 37-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at NRG Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

C.J. Stroud Shreds Browns Defense

But on Saturday it was Stroud who gave the Browns a headache.

The Stroud show started fast as he completed 11-of-16 passes for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half.

He completed passes of 76 yards to Brevin Jordan, although that was mostly Jordan getting loose after a short pass. Stroud also had a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Shultz. And he had a 38-yard completion to Nico Collins.

Not bad for the youngest quarterback to ever win an NFL playoff game.

"It's cool," Stroud said of the distinction. "It's really cool. We put a lot of hard work in. My teammates do. And it's good to see the fruits of your labor come to be true."

Stroud's 274 passing yards is a rookie postseason record. And Houston's 24-14 halftime lead was only a modest suggestion of what was coming in the second half.

"The thing that was said in the locker room was we're here," Ryans said. "We talked about our moment, talked about opportunity. The biggest thing is what do you do with it? And it was all about finishing ... and that's what we did."

It worked and now the team of the future gets at least one more playoff game in the present.

"I'm really excited to be with my brothers again for another week," Stroud said. "We get another week to go and prove ourselves again."

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