The last time the Cleveland Browns started a season 4-0 at home was 1963, one year before they captured their most recent NFL championship.
Deshaun Watson will attempt to maintain Cleveland’s perfect home record Sunday when he returns to the starting lineup for the Browns against his former team, the Houston Texans.
Cleveland (5-4) has a bye next week before hosting the Las Vegas Raiders (Week 12), Cincinnati Bengals (Week 13) and Atlanta Falcons (Week 14). The Browns’ next road game is Dec. 20 against the New York Giants.
Browns coach Todd Monken reminded his team “everything is there for us” in the second half of the season. He opted to return to Watson, who is 5-3 as a starter this season with five fourth-quarter comebacks, over Shedeur Sanders against Houston’s formidable pass rush.
Sanders started last week after Watson was cleared from concussion protocol only the day before the Browns lost to the Saints in overtime.
Monken held off on announcing his quarterback plans Monday but said Wednesday there was never a doubt about his decision.
“Well, I mean, ultimately, the full body of work, the previous eight games that we had played, ‘Shaun played pretty well,” Monken said. “And that was my intention. I just wanted to make sure we’d run it by the staff before I said it publicly.
“I don’t even know why I have to say it publicly because it’s really only our business in terms of who’s going to play and who’s not going to play. But he played well enough to … still be our starter.”
Cleveland trails the Steelers (6-2) and Bengals (6-2) by 1 1/2 games in the AFC North. Those teams face off Sunday night, giving Watson a chance to help the Browns gain ground in the division race.
“All the outside things, going against my former team, that stuff is in the past,” Watson said. “As far as four to five years ago, it was a big deal. Both sides have moved on. We’re both trying to find ways to win and put ourselves in position for later on down the road.”
Watson will be looking into the teeth of a Houston defense that is tied for the league lead with 29 sacks. Poor pass protection and Watson’s tendency to make plays when blocking breaks down has contributed to his league-leading 33 sacks.
The Texans (3-5) have far more ground to make up in the AFC South, where the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) hold a commanding lead. Houston is following a path similar to the one it took to reach the divisional playoffs last season. The Texans were 0-4 this year before notching their first victory of the season Oct. 11 at Tennessee, and they now have three wins away from home in the past four games.
Houston started 0-3 last season, won against the Titans and didn’t lose another regular-season road game.
There is no doubt the Texans are sticking with their quarterback.
C.J. Stroud passed for 384 yards and five touchdowns in a 44-22 road victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last week. The Texans’ point total tied for the most in franchise history in a road game.
Stroud leads the AFC in touchdown-to-interception ratio (8.0), is tied for first in completions of at least 20 yards (32) and ranks second in passing yards per game (281.4).
“The biggest factor is confidence. That’s the one thing that stands out to me,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said, crediting the chemistry with receivers Stroud helped create by hosting summertime workouts. “I think it says a lot about his leadership, says a lot about him and just how dialed in he is. Now you see that confidence, you see that chemistry, you see it really at the highest level that it’s been since we’ve been here.”
Not all of Stroud’s weapons were available to him this summer. Tank Dell didn’t make his season debut until Oct. 25 due to a knee injury. Kayshon Boutte was acquired in a trade from the New England Patriots in late August near the end of training camp. Marvin Harrison Jr., a former first-round pick and college teammate of Stroud at Ohio State, arrived in an October trade with the Arizona Cardinals.
For Monken, Stroud is the common denominator.
“Confidence is a powerful thing,” Monken said. “I’ve always thought the world of C.J. What a great player he is.”
Dell (hand/shoulder) and Harrison (hamstring) were limited in practice on Wednesday while Houston tight end Brevin Jordan (finger/foot), running back David Montgomery (groin) and guard Keylan Rutledge (neck/shoulder) sat out.
Cleveland wide receiver Denzel Boston (toe), fullback Michael Burton (calf), safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (concussion) and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (knee) didn’t practice on Wednesday.