I know how this thing goes. Every week, we use the latest sampling to define the team. We’ve seen weeks where the Browns were the most unstoppable rushing team in the history of the NFL. We’ve seen weeks where the Browns had the best or worst quarterback, and multiple times where the team was embroiled in an impossible QB controversy. I know it’s frustrating to watch the Browns lose any game, especially against a Texans team at home 23-7, but it doesn’t have to have some overarching meaning other than the Browns got beat this particular week.

It does play into one trend that sticks out to me. The Browns struggle – and hard – against teams with excellent players on the defensive front. The Browns lost that game to Jacksonville, struggled to win against Tampa, and then struggled mightily this week against J.J. Watt and the Texans. It happens. There are some seriously bad matchups for the Browns whenever a defensive front takes away the rushing game. We knew this before the game started.

So, let’s talk about J.J. Watt for a minute, because he’s a major reason the Browns lost. I hate even saying it. J.J. Watt was annoying. The TV crew was fawning all over him to the point that I wanted to bite my own face off. I’m not saying J.J. Watt isn’t good, but when an entire three-plus hour game is seemingly described through a Watt-ian lens, it gets obnoxious. As annoying as that was, Watt was a major reason the Browns lost. There’s no denying it.

Brian Hoyer hardly looked comfortable all game long. Watt strip-sacked him and the Browns just couldn’t seem to consistently keep Hoyer on his feet, but it wasn’t just Watt. Jadeveon Clowney was back today for the Texans and Brian Cushing got the biggest lick of the game in on Hoyer and it was a serious one. Hoyer wasn’t good – going 16 for 41 is ugly – but this game wasn’t even close to being all on his shoulders.

Which brings me to another thing that bothers me. There’s this idea that the Browns are constantly embroiled in a QB controversy, but it’s even worse than that. There’s also a general undertone that Brian Hoyer is up against every other quarterback in the league every week. Aaron Goldhammer tweeted that Hoyer was outplayed by Ryan Mallett and I know that’s far from a definitive opinion in Cleveland, but it’s so silly. After watching this Browns game, if you found it to be a duel between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, I don’t know what to say to you.

@WFNYCraig since the Rams are gonna beat the broncos Shaun Hill>Peyton Manning — I480BRIDGE (@I480BRIDGE) November 16, 2014

The Cleveland Browns are an average to slightly above average team. They have a competent quarterback who understands the offense, can read the defense and thrives with the play-action. We know this about Brian Hoyer and the Browns. The Browns and their chances every Sunday are never about Brian Hoyer dueling with opposing quarterbacks. It wasn’t the case when the Browns beat Andy Dalton’s Bengals, and it wasn’t the case when the Browns lost to Ryan Mallett and the Houston Texans.

I know that this doesn’t help anyone feel better. I also know that it won’t stop all the chatter this week that looks to use it to define everything from Brian Hoyer to Mike Pettine. I know people will say things like, “The Browns don’t know how to deal with success!” They will say, “This is what the Browns do with ten days between games?!” I implore you to find the easiest answers though. The Cleveland Browns didn’t play a great game against a team that was a particularly bad matchup for them. It doesn’t mean anything definitive about whether the Browns can beat the Falcons or Bills over the next few weeks.

The bad news? The Cleveland Browns squandered an opportunity at home against the Texans before hitting the road for the next two. The good news? The Browns only lost for the second time in the last seven games. Oh yeah, and they get Josh Gordon back too. It wasn’t fun today, but this team could easily still win more than they lose this year. That doesn’t change simply with a loss to the Texans. The Browns might lose every game for the rest of this season, but that ending wasn’t written on November 16 and anyone who tells you it was, is not to be trusted.