In their 1st game after the bye, the Texans got the Ryan Mallett era off to a rousing start with a 23-7 road win over the Browns. Overcoming freezing temperatures & the rabid fans of Cleveland’s Dawg Pound, the Texans amassed 424 yards of total offense & the defense limited the Browns to just 7 points, getting a much needed victory to bring the team back to the .500 mark.
Even with Johnny Football watching from the sidelines, this was a big win over a much improved Browns team, who came into the game as the top team in the AFC North. The loss knocked the Browns behind the Bengals in the divisional standings, the next opponent on the schedule for the Texans.
As is standard after every Texans game, here are 6 takeaways we call the Pick 6…
Mallett went from backup to starring role in his 1st NFL start
In the battle of Tom Brady backups, Ryan Mallet made his debut as a starter for the Texans against Brian Hoyer & ended up stealing the show. He was 20 of 30 for 211 yards with 2 TDs & an interception, and engineered the offense in an up tempo mode. While it is only one game & is not time for Bob McNair to ink a multi-year deal just yet, the way Mallett carried himself & was able to move the chains gives optimism for the future.
Mallett is known for his big arm, and the Texans saw that with his 1st completion, a big 41 yard throw to DeAndre Hopkins that would eventually set up J.J. Watt’s TD. Not to knock Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was pretty much the average quarterback he has been his whole career in his 9 Texans starts, but Mallett showed an ability to stretch the field & keep defenses honest from the QB position.
There are still 6 games to go (and we all remember Case Keenum’s promising 1st start last year in KC), but if Mallett can play like this the rest of the season, the Texans will have found their QB.
The Texans brought rhythm & Blue to the running game
Carrying a franchise record 36 times for 156 yards, the rookie Alfred Blue made everyone forget Arian Foster was out of the game with a groin injury. While his longest run was 21 yards, Blue was a workhorse pounding the ball against the 
Browns’ defense & bringing back memories of the old time running backs carrying more than 30 times a game like Earl Campbell & Walter Payton.
Foster has been the Texans’ offensive MVP this season, but it is good to see the draft pick from LSU picking up the slack in his absence. And it also shows that the Texans draft class may have found a late round gem with Blue in the 6th round.
The offensive line set the tone for the offensive output
The offensive line has had a very inconsistent season, but they were a big reason for the victory against the Browns. With Blue rushing for 156 yards & his backup Jonathan Grimes rushing for 54 yards, a lot of credit has to go to the line for 
their run blocking.
Additionally, the Texans were able to protect QB Ryan Mallett & keep him from getting sacked. The pass protection has come under fire of late & Mallett is not fleet of feet, so to give him the necessary time to throw was a huge factor in the win.
As head coach Bill O’Brien attested to after the game, “I thought the line played their best game of the year.”
The Texans defense came up big on 3rd & 4th downs
The Texans might have given up 375 yards of total offense to the Browns, but a closer look illustrates they got stops when they needed them most. The Browns were 3 of 15 on 3rd down attempts & 0 of 2 on 4th down attempts.
In the Texans’ previous game, a loss to Philadelphia, the Eagles were 9 of 16 on 3rd down & 2 of 2 on 4th down. Brian Hoyer was not pinpoint in his accuracy going 20 for 50 for 330 yards for a 61.2 passer rating, & a lot of that was due to the Texans getting a pass rush on him & pinning him back for 3rd & long.
The Texans front 7 re-asserted themselves in the win
In a game where linebackers Jadeveon Clowney & Brian Cushing both returned to the lineup, the Texans were able to make an impact with their front 7. Cushing looked more like the wrecking ball Cushing than the phantom Cushing from earlier this season, as he had 6 tackles & forced a fumble.
The contributions from linebackers did not stop there, as LB Akeem Dent had 5 tackles & a sack, and LB Mike Mohamed had a big interception that helped to seal the game. Clowney might not have had a sterling effort, but to see him play a full game & contribute to the pass rush was something to build on for the rest of the season.
The Texans also limited the Browns to 58 yards rushing, and a lot of that is due to the veteran Ryan Pickett, who has been a stalwart at nose tackle & helped to stuff the run.
And a drumroll for the ever-amazing J.J. Watt
It would not be a pick 6 without a mention of J.J. Watt, who continues to be Superman week in & week out. The stat line this week included a 2 yard TD on offense, making it the 4th TD he has scored this season (2 on offense & 2 on defense).
He also had 5 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble & a fumble recovery. His only blemishes on the day were his 2 roughing the punter penalties on special teams, one of which set up the only Browns TD of the day.
He even acknowledged as much in the postgame presser, saying, “There are 2 plays I wish I didn’t do, but I will never apologize for trying to make a play.” And that aggressive play is why he has become legendary – the motor never stops, because that is not how Superman operates.
