After deciding to change quarterbacks in Week 12, Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith is well aware of the challenge he faces in the Cleveland Browns’ stacked defense in his team’s next matchup. Much of the talk around Sunday’s game has centered around the Browns’ new starting quarterback, but to Smith, the cornerbacks and safeties on their defense will make-or-break Houston’s chance at earning their second win of the season on Sunday.
He spoke to reporters about one cornerback in particular, Greg Newsome, on Wednesday during his address to the media. He has ties to Newsome from his time spent in the college ranks and went out of his way to point out the talent that makes him a threat to any team’s air attack.
“First, I’ve known Greg [Newsome] for a long period of time,” Smith said. “[I] recruited him, know his family well, know him. He’s an excellent football player as you mentioned. There’s a reason why he was a first-round draft pick. He’s got the skill set. Both of their corners are excellent football players. Their safeties are too. That’s why we see the challenge that we have as far as that is concerned. We have good players, too. We’ve got to be able to pass the football, and sometimes you need to pass the ball more than others. If that’s the case, we like some of the matchups that we have.”
Smith’s ground-and-pound offense hasn’t been able to get off the ground in recent weeks with the decline of Dameon Pierce’s production, so the Texans’ ability to throw the ball effectively will be crucial to their chances of success in this game. Quarterback Kyle Allen managed to look competent in the second half of Houston’s last game against the Miami Dolphins, but only after a pitiful first two quarters saw the team take a 30-point deficit into halftime.
They’ll need to find more effective strategies on both sides of the ball to ensure that they don’t meet the same fate against their challenging opponent in Week 13.
