A waiting nation finally caught a glimpse of Houston's defense operating at full power in Sunday's 23-7throttling of the Browns.
Top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney played in just his third game all season, lining up across from whirlwind J.J. Watt to help overwhelm a Cleveland attack that never got out of the gate.
"I felt great. I moved around like I wanted to," Clowney said, per the Houston Chronicle, after missing seven games with a knee injury and an illness. "I could have been better but I felt better than I did against Tennessee (in Week 8). I had a lot more confidence in my knee."
Clowney showed well against the run, recording a pair of tackles, including one for a loss. The first-rounder was held without out a sack over 40 snaps, but Clowney hurried Brian Hoyer twice and contributed to a front seven that kept the Browns to just 58 yards. Remove rookie Isaiah Crowell's 35-yard burst and Cleveland totaled just 23 yards on 24 attempts.
Forced into a handful of offside and holding calls, the Browns had their hands full with Watt, which helped Clowney jet into the backfield more than once. If the rookie can stay healthy, Houston's pick-your-poison defense is bound to cause trouble down the stretch.
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