3 critical matchups the Houston Texans face vs. the Cleveland Browns

Brandin Cooks vs Denzel Ward

After an absolutely masterful performance in week one vs the Jaguars, one would anticipate the  Browns sending their best corner to follow Brandin Cooks all game long. In week one it was evident when Tyrod Taylor was pressured his go-to target was Cooks. Expect Cooks to be targeted early and often against Cleveland as he quickly becomes Taylor’s go-to receiver.

Cooks recorded five catches for 132 yards, including a long catch that set up a Philip Lindsay touchdown. Cooks’ average depth of target (aDOT) was 18.9 yards, and this is one of the ways the Browns lost the game against the Chiefs last week.

The match-up of Cooks and Ward is extremely intriguing, both players are experts in their craft. It remains to be seen if Cooks gets the best of Ward early on how Ward responds or vice versa. Both players love to trash talk so don’t be surprised if they have to separated multiple times during the game.

Two absolute dogs at their positions going head to head In week two can’t ask for much more than that. With Cooks seeming to have a chip on his shoulder this year much like the entire Texans team does. Look for Cooks to be extremely aggressive early on in this game. This will be a fantastic matchup to keep an eye on.