It was not a pretty start for the Cleveland Browns when they faced the Houston Texans. They were unable to stop them from marching twice in the first quarter of the NFL Playoffs. Joe Flacco and Kareem Hunt did give them a big offensive boost. But, they did not get much help from the defense with their star in Myles Garrett. Their defensive superstar unveiled why he and Jim Schwartz could not do anything against CJ Stroud, via Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland.

“He said from the beginning he's going to ride with what got us here and he's not going to change up, there's not going to be any magic calls that are gonna get us out of anything or get us through anything,” Myles Garrett said about the Browns defensive coordinator.

Myles Garrett and the Browns' underwhelming defense

Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett called Texans QB CJ Stroud exceptional after the game

Jim Schwartz could not generate any form of pressure to stop CJ Stroud. The Texans offensive line overpowered any defender that the Browns threw at them. This meant no forced sacks, interceptions, or fumbles. All of these were just what Stroud needed to thrive in this NFL Playoffs matchup.
The Texans rookie was able to lead his squad with an efficient 16 completions on just 21 passing attempts. This netted them 274 passing yards along with three trips to the end zone for six points. Stroud's scoring prowess and the Browns' lack of a pass rush or just any sort of proper coverage were just factors in this loss. The main reason for their downfall in the NFL Playoffs was Joe Flacco's two crucial turnovers in the third quarter.
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Steven Nelson was the first to pick off the veteran Browns offensive engine after halftime. No one could take him down for the length of 82 yards. This shut the door on any chances of a comeback. Then, to add more salt to the wound, another interception was committed exactly two minutes later. It was Christian Harris who returned the ball to the end zone with a 36-yard effort.
The Browns' defense could not generate any stops while Flacco's offense could not stop from turning the ball over. Hopefully, they can fix these before next season starts.