WAKE-UP CALL
How Texans reality check provides last opportunity for major decisions
Dec 24, 2023, 5:12 pm
How Texans reality check provides last opportunity for major big decisions
Amari Cooper set a franchise record with 265 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion to move the Cleveland Browns closer to a playoff berth with a 36-22 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Cooper's performance moved him atop the Browns' record book ahead of Josh Gordon, who had 261 yards receiving against Jacksonville on Dec. 1, 2013. He has 1,250 yards receiving this season, making him the first receiver in team history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
The Browns can’t clinch a playoff spot this week, but at 10-5 they’re all but guaranteed to secure just their second postseason appearance since 2002. It’s the third time since 1999 that they’ve reached double-digit wins, doing so in 2007 and 2020.
Joe Flacco threw for 368 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in his fourth start for the Browns, who built a 22-7 halftime lead and cruised to their third straight victory.
Cooper had TD catches of 75 and 7 yards and set up Cleveland's first score with a 53-yard reception on the first play of the day.
Houston’s wild-card playoff hopes took a blow as the Texans fell to 8-7 on a day when Case Keenum threw for just 62 yards with two interceptions in his second start in place of star rookie C.J. Stroud, who remains out with a concussion. Keenum was replaced by Davis Mills late in the third quarter.
After squeaking out a 19-16 overtime win at Tennessee last week, Houston struggled from the start Sunday, and the team didn’t score on offense until the fourth quarter.
The Browns took an early lead when Jerome Ford took a direct snap and scored on a 4-yard run on the first possession. Cooper made it 14-0 when he grabbed a 75-yard reception for a TD early in the second quarter.
Dameon Pierce cut the lead to 7 when he returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Pierce, in his first action as a returner Sunday, got a couple of early blocks before simply outrunning the rest of the defense for Houston’s second kick return score of the season.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins, who attempted to chase down Pierce during the run, left after that with a hamstring injury, and the Browns didn’t attempt a PAT the rest of the game.
The Browns extended the lead on a 21-yard reception by David Njoku with about four minutes left in the first half. Backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson ran for the 2-point conversion to make it 22-7.
Flacco connected with Cooper again on a 7-yard TD with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, but the 2-point conversion failed, making it 28-7.
Duron Harmon picked Keenum off soon after Cooper’s second score. Cleveland’s defense celebrated the turnover by running to the end zone and pretending to make snow angels.
The offense got in the end zone again on the next drive when Kareem Hunt scored on a 1-yard run. Cooper caught the 2-point conversion to leave the Browns up 36-7 early in the fourth.
Mills, the starter for most of the last two seasons, cut the lead to 36-15 when he finally got the Texans into the end zone on a TD pass and 2-point conversion to Nico Collins.
Houston got an onside kick and added another touchdown after that to cut the lead to 36-22 with about four minutes left.
INJURIES
Browns LB Anthony Walker Jr. missed the game after undergoing knee surgery Thursday. … Browns CB Martin Emerson Jr. injured his shin in the third quarter. … Houston S Jimmie Ward (quadriceps) and DE Jonathan Greenard (ankle) were both injured in the first half and didn’t return.
UP NEXT
Browns: Host the New York Jets on Thursday night.
Texans: Host Tennessee next Sunday.
Be sure to watch the video above as we break it all down!
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How Astros enter exciting stretch with familiar names in unfamiliar spots
May 15, 2025, 5:52 pm
The Houston Astros took a step in the right direction this week, securing a hard-fought series win over the Kansas City Royals with a strong combination of pitching and timely hitting. While the offense still isn’t firing on all cylinders, recent signs suggest the bats may finally be waking up—albeit slower than hoped.
Over the past seven days, Houston ranks 6th in OPS, 7th in slugging, and 10th in runs scored across MLB—a noticeable jump from their underwhelming season-long ranks of 13th, 18th, and 19th in those categories, respectively. But perhaps the biggest concern remains their lack of home run power. The Astros are just 23rd in home runs over the past week and 24th on the season. That’s a major problem for a team that has historically relied on slugging to fuel its October pushes.
Only two Astros hitters currently boast an OPS over .800: Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes. Peña’s breakout season has been one of the few bright spots for Houston’s offensive staff, while Paredes continues to deliver consistent production that aligns with his career norms. But beyond those two, it’s been a struggle.
Christian Walker has emerged as the biggest red flag in the lineup. After a hitless series with 7 strikeouts against Kansas City’s tough rotation, Walker’s strikeout total climbed to fifth-most in the American League with 50. His offensive regression now spans over a quarter of the season, drawing troubling comparisons to José Abreu’s disastrous 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
And he’s not alone. José Altuve, a longtime engine for Houston’s offense, is in a prolonged slump of his own—slashing just .220/.268/.297 over his last 30 games. Combined with Walker’s woes, the middle of the order has become a black hole that may soon force a change.
With 10 of their next 13 games coming against division rivals, the Astros must decide quickly whether it’s time for a lineup shakeup. Dropping Walker in the order feels increasingly necessary. And unless Altuve finds his rhythm, manager Joe Espada may need to explore new options in the two-spot to spark the offense.
The potential return of Yordan Alvarez could help remedy the power problem. When healthy, Alvarez is one of baseball’s premier sluggers and could be the missing piece that lifts Houston’s home run totals and extra-base hit production.
But even with Alvarez’s return looming, broader questions about the team’s hitting development persist—especially when contrasted with the pitching staff’s continued excellence. Houston's pitching coaches have consistently gotten the most out of arms, while the hitting side has seen a pattern of stagnation.
A recent reminder of that contrast comes from an unexpected source: Alex Bregman. Now thriving with the Boston Red Sox, Bregman is putting up MVP-caliber numbers after working with Boston’s hitting coaches on timing and mechanical tweaks. He credits their staff with helping him get back to his 2019 form—raising eyebrows in Houston. It’s hard not to wonder why those same adjustments never materialized under the Astros' watch.
To be fair, Jeremy Peña’s breakout could be considered a win for the current hitting coaches, but even that comes with caveats. Meanwhile, Isaac Paredes’ production isn’t a surprise—he’s done this before. And for every Peña, there are several Walkers or Abreus who join the Astros and regress at the plate.
As the Astros look to gain more ground in the AL West race, their pitching remains a strength and their offense is showing signs of life. But if the bats can’t fully turn the corner—and if the team’s approach to hitting development doesn’t evolve—the gap between Houston and the elite teams in the league may continue to grow.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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