C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans ride a one-game win streak into Cleveland, looking to push a reeling Browns team further toward trouble.
Game details
| When | Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET |
| Where | Huntington Bank Field |
| TV | Fox |
| Line | Houston Texans -4.5 | O/U 40.5 (market view) |
| Houston Texans record | 3-5 |
| Cleveland Browns record | 5-4 |
Overview
The Houston Texans sit at 3-5 this season, winners of one straight after a 44-22 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. Before that blowout, Houston dropped a 21-27 decision to the New York Giants at home in Week 7, then strung together wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars (34-31) and the Tennessee Titans (26-3), sandwiched around a 30-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. Houston has scored 209 points this season against 192 allowed, and C.J. Stroud is coming off one of the best games of his career, completing 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards and five touchdowns against the Chargers.
The Cleveland Browns enter at 5-4, losers of two straight. They fell 22-23 to the New Orleans Saints in Week 9, were blown out 6-27 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, but had won back-to-back games before that, 27-24 over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 and 13-10 over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, before an earlier 12-17 loss to the New York Jets in Week 5. Cleveland has scored 161 points while allowing 196.
Houston is a 4.5-point favorite on the road, with the total set at 40.5. The Texans have scored more points than they've allowed this season (209 to 192), while Cleveland's numbers run the other way (161 points for, 196 against), and Stroud's five-touchdown showing against the Chargers has Houston playing with confidence heading into Huntington Bank Field.
Key players
C.J. Stroud, QB: completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards and five touchdowns with a 125.5 rating in Week 9, becoming the fourth quarterback under age 26 with 350-plus pass yards and five-plus touchdown passes in two games in NFL history; he ranks fourth in the AFC in passing yards (2,251) and fifth in touchdown passes (16) this season, and is aiming for his fourth straight road game with 260-plus pass yards, a touchdown pass and a 105-plus rating.
Nico Collins, WR: caught a touchdown pass in Week 9 and is chasing his eighth straight road game with 55-plus scrimmage yards, plus a third straight game against Cleveland with a touchdown catch.
Tank Dell, WR: posted a season-high 105 receiving yards and his first touchdown catch of the season last week, and has gone for 95-plus yards with a score in two of his last three games.
Woody Marks, RB: led Houston with a season-high 70 rushing yards last week and is going for his fifth straight game with 70-plus scrimmage yards.
Will Anderson Jr., DE: had two sacks last week and leads the NFL this season with 9.5 sacks, ranking tied for third in tackles for loss (58) since 2023; he's got two-plus sacks in three of his last four road games.
Keys to the game
Houston has to keep C.J. Stroud upright behind a line missing OG Keylan Rutledge (out, neck) and dealing with OT Trent Brown as questionable (wrist), especially against a Cleveland defense anchored by linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who had a career-high two sacks last week.
The Texans need Nico Collins and Tank Dell finishing drives the way they have been — Collins is chasing a third straight game against Cleveland with a touchdown catch, and Dell has found the end zone with 95-plus yards in two of his last three games.
Houston's pass rush has to produce without Danielle Hunter (out, hamstring), which means Will Anderson Jr., who leads the NFL with 9.5 sacks, needs another big day to bother Cleveland's passing game.
Fantasy angles
Start C.J. Stroud with confidence — his 19.5 projection undersells a guy coming off a five-touchdown game, and in a matchup with a 40.5-point total he's got plenty of room to find the end zone again.
Nico Collins is locked into any lineup at his 12.0 projection — he's chasing a third straight game against Cleveland with a touchdown catch and remains Houston's clearest target near the goal line.
Tank Dell is a solid start at 10.0 projected points off his season-high 105-yard, one-touchdown showing, and he's hit 95-plus yards with a score in two of his last three outings.
Woody Marks works as a flex play at 9.0 projected points, looking to extend his streak of 70-plus scrimmage yards to a fifth straight game.
Ka'imi Fairbairn is a safe kicker play at 8.8 points in a game with a 40.5-point total and a Houston offense that just hung 44 on the Chargers.
Prediction
The market lists Houston as a 4.5-point favorite with a projected score of Texans 23, Browns 18, and that lines up with the form both teams have shown. A Texans offense getting big plays from Stroud, Collins and Dell should have enough to handle a Cleveland team that's lost two straight. Houston Texans 23, Cleveland Browns 18.
Injury report
| Player | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | Out |
| Brevin Jordan | TE | Out |
| David Montgomery | RB | Questionable |
| Jake Hummel | LB | Questionable |
| Jaylin Smith | CB | Questionable |
| Keylan Rutledge | OG | Out |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | Out |
| Wyatt Teller | OG | Questionable |
| Danielle Hunter | DE | Out |
| Trent Brown | OT | Questionable |
Depth chart
Offense
| Pos | Houston Texans |
|---|---|
| QB | C.J. Stroud |
| RB | Woody Marks |
| WR | Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell |
| TE | Dalton Schultz |
| LT | Aireontae Ersery |
| LG | Keylan Rutledge |
| C | Evan Brown |
| RG | Ed Ingram |
| RT | Trent Brown |
Defense
| Pos | Houston Texans |
|---|---|
| LDE | Will Anderson Jr. |
| LDT | Tommy Togiai |
| RDT | Sheldon Rankins |
| RDE | Danielle Hunter |
| WLB | Henry To'oTo'o |
| MLB | Azeez Al-Shaair |
| SLB | Jake Hansen |
| LCB | Derek Stingley Jr. |
| RCB | Kamari Lassiter |
| NB | Jalen Pitre |
| SS | Reed Blankenship |
| FS | Calen Bullock |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Houston Texans | Wk9 W 44-22 vs Los Angeles Chargers, Wk7 L 21-27 vs New York Giants, Wk6 W 34-31 vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.