((NFL>>PLAYOFFS!)) Houston Texans vs Cleveland Browns Live Free Online Broadcast 13 January 2024
Browns vs Texans live stream: How to watch NFL Wild Card Weekend online right now, start time and odds. The Cleveland Browns, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, meet the Houston Texans, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, in an NFL wild-card game on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
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The Browns vs Texans live stream, which kicks off in just a few hours, is a playoff showdown between two quarterbacks at very different points in their careers. Soon-to-be 39-year-old Joe Flacco leads his Browns (11-6) into Houston to take on 22-year-old rookie C.J. Stroud and the Texans (10-7) for this NFL live stream.
Browns vs Texans channel, start time
The Browns vs Texans live stream airs today, Saturday, Jan. 13.
Start time — 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. BST / 8:30 a.m. AEDT (Jan 14.).
U.S. and Channel — Watch on NBC via Fubo or Sling TV (select markets)
Watch anywhere
Quarterback Joe Flacco is a huge reason for the Browns making the playoffs this season. The 16-year veteran was signed to the Browns practice squad on November 20th after starter Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Flacco would go on to win four of his five starts while throwing for over 300 yards and at least two touchdown passes in all four wins. Now, Flacco is starting in the playoffs again after a nine-year hiatus.
Nine years ago, Texans quarterback C.J. Stoud was 13 years old. Now, he is likely your 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He will be tested this week against one of the best defenses in the league. Stroud posted a 100.8 passer rating for the season, the sixth highest overall, but now he faces a Browns’ defense that only allowed a passer rating of 74.7 this season, second best in the NFL. Cleveland’s secondary can take a lot of credit for that rating, but so can edge rusher Myles Garrett who came up with 14 sacks this season.
Stroud missed two games late in the season with a concussion, but when he came back in Week 17, he helped the Texans snap a three-year playoff drought by leading his team to back-to-back wins.
One of the matchups Stroud missed with his concussion was a Christmas Eve game against these very same Browns. Flacco led Cleveland to a 36-22 win in Houston, throwing 368 yards while the Texans were forced to start backup quarterback Case Keenum. Browns’ wideout Amari Cooper caught 11 passes from Flacco for 265 yards and two touchdowns in that game, and a repeat performance would almost certainly guarantee a Browns win.
The AFC Wild Card round against the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans is looking to be a real exciting one. The game officially kicks off at 4:30 PM EST on Saturday, January 13 at the NRG Stadium in Houston. The looming question is, who will win? It’s anyone’s game and both teams are looking strong. We don’t blame you for wanting to watch live so you can catch all the action in real-time. But if you want to know how you can watch the Texans vs Browns live stream, and where to tune in, we have the breakdown for you right here. We even have a lead on how you can watch the Texans vs Browns live stream for free.
C.J. Stroud and the rest of Houston’s rookies started a group chat soon after the draft to discuss their goals.
And it happened much quicker than most anyone predicted for the Texans (10-7), who will return to playoffs for the first time since 2019 when they host Cleveland (11-6) in the wild-card round Saturday.
Stroud, the second overall pick, is the only rookie starting quarterback to make the playoffs this season, and the 22-year-old will face off against the oldest QB in the postseason in Cleveland’s Joe Flacco, who turns 39 three days after the game.
Stroud will face the Browns for the first time. He missed Houston’s 36-22 loss to them on Dec. 24 while recovering from a concussion. The Texans were also missing rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr., the No. 3 pick in the draft, and linebacker Blake Cashman in that game.
Stroud’s emergence has transformed a team that had combined for just seven wins in the previous two seasons. The Texans’ run of futility included some drama with Deshaun Watson, who refused to play after requesting a trade. He was later traded to Cleveland.
Watson was under center for the Texans during their last playoff run in 2019 but played just six games for the Browns this season before having season-ending shoulder surgery. After the backups on the Browns’ roster didn’t work out, Cleveland signed Flacco off the street.
Flacco will never match Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl wins. And it’s unlikely Cleveland’s quarterback will still be playing at 45 like Brady did.
But Flacco can surpass Brady this week in one department.
Flacco has seven playoff road wins, tying him with Brady for the most in league history. Those victories include two against Brady and New England, one in the 2009 season and another three years later in the AFC championship game. Flacco and the Ravens went on to win the Super Bowl that year.
Though it’s been four years since the Texans were in the playoffs, there’s hardly anyone remaining on the roster from the 2019 team, which beat Buffalo before falling to Kansas City. The only holdovers are left tackle Laremy Tunsil, long snapper Jon Weeks and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
The Browns finished their recent win over the Texans without a kicker or punter. Things are slightly better for Cleveland now.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins is out with a hamstring injury he sustained on an ill-advised and fruitless chase of Houston’s Dameon Pierce on a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Cleveland’s special teams issues multiplied when punter Corey Boroquez, who also holds, hurt his quadriceps.
That forced Stefanski to go for 2-point conversions and try to convert every fourth down in the second half. Things got so desperate that safety D’Anthony Bell kicked off.
For just the second time in 20 years, the Browns are in the playoffs. Cleveland and Houston met back in Week 16 when the Browns won 36-22, but C.J. Stroud didn't play. The Texans' rookie sensation will be on the field at NRG Stadium this weekend and he'll be facing one of his biggest tests of the season in the Browns defense.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was David Bell, who picked up 68 receiving yards and two touchdowns. That's the first time this season that he hauled in two or more receiving touchdowns.
In Week 16, the Browns jumped out to a huge lead and took down the Texans, 36-22. However, Houston didn't have rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud in that contest, as he continued to recover from a concussion. He threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions this season.
Stroud's presence in this matchup will be a major boost for the the Texans, but he has a huge challenge in front of him. The Browns allow the fewest passing yards per game in the league, and they have a stable of strong defensive backs.
Cleveland's pass rush is also solid with Myles Garrett on the edge, and Stroud showed in a blowout loss to the Jets that he's susceptible to pressure. Houston offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil might be the best blocker against Garrett, though, as he's allowed the lowest pressure rate among tackles who've faced Garrett since 2018, per NextGen Stats.
The Browns' offense will once again be under the direction of 38-year-old veteran Joe Flacco, who has notably never lost a wild card game and could break Tom Brady's record of most road playoff victories. The ground game will go through Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt.