TEXANS NEWS
Browns hire former Houston Texans defensive line coach
Jan 29, 2024, 12:07 pm
Jacques Cesaire is heading to Cleveland. Photo by Bob Levey/ Getty Images.
Myles Garrett has got another new coach.
The Cleveland Browns have hired Jacques Cesaire as their defensive line coach to work with Garrett, the favorite to win AP Defensive Player of the Year, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Cesaire, who spent the past two seasons in Houston, will replace Ben Bloom. It's possible Bloom will stay with Cleveland in another role, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team is not announcing any changes until coach Kevin Stefanski completes interviews.
NFL Network was first to report the 43-year-old Cesaire's hiring.
Stefanski has filled several vacancies already and could be closing in on a new offensive coordinator.
The Browns have interviewed five candidates, including Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson.
Stefanski shook up his staff days after the Browns were routed 45-14 by the Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs. He fired coordinator Alex Van Pelt along with running backs coach Stump Mitchell and chose not to bring back tight ends coach T.C. McCartney.
Cesaire had a hand in Houston's blowout of the Browns as the Texans' defensive front pressured Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco throughout the game. Flacco threw a pair of pick-6s in the second half.
The Texans chose not to renew Cesaire's contract after the season. In Cleveland, he'll inherit Garrett, the All-Pro who had 14 sacks and his most dominant season since being drafted first overall in 2017. The Browns also will bring back ends Ogbo Okoronkwo and Alex Wright and tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on the league's top-rated defense.
Cesaire played in 125 games from 2003-11 with the San Diego Chargers. He was an assistant line coach with Buffalo in 2020-21.
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Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.