Befuddled Texans awed by Browns star receiver Amari Cooper

The Texans know exactly what to expect in a wild-card playoff game in Houston on Jan. 13, and just in case they need a reminder, the Browns fans who make their way to NRG Stadium will let them hear about it with a drawn-out chorus of “Coooop!” the first time Amari Cooper catches a pass.

Cooper caught 11 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns on Dec. 24 when the Browns beat the Texans, 36-22. The Browns led, 36-7, until the backups gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The 265 yards were a Browns single-game franchise record, breaking the mark of 261 set by Josh Gordon in 2013.

“We gave up too many explosive passes and Amari had an outstanding game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters in Houston on Jan. 9. “Watching it again, he had some of the best catches I’ve seen all year. Even though guys were in coverage and in position, he still made unbelievable catches.

“He had an outstanding game, so we just have to be in position to cover him better. We have to make plays to get off the field on third-down as well.”

Some things are easier said than done.

Cooper suffered a heel injury during the game in Houston. He did not play against the Jets on Dec. 28 nor the Bengals on Jan. 7. He hasn’t practiced since being injured but he is primed to face the Texans again.

“It’s getting better every day,” he said Jan. 10 in the Browns’ locker room. “I’m running around now. So it’s just a typical injury that you have to work through.”

This will be Cooper’s fourth trip to the postseason. He made it with the Oakland Raiders in 2016 and lost to the Texans in a wild card game. He was 1-2 in the playoffs with the Cowboys over two seasons.

“I look at it like, well, it feels like you don’t have any room for error,” Cooper said. “Coach (Kevin Stefanski) was talking earlier in the week.

“It’s like throughout the course of the season, you make a mistake, you drop a ball, something happens, you get more plays. But this is win or go home. So the margin for error is much smaller.”

Cooper is not wasting any thought about whether the Texans will try a different way of neutralizing him. As it was, he was double-covered much of the day but came down with the ball anyway.

The Texans did not put a heavy rush on Joe Flacco in the Dec. 24 game. That could change this time.

“I would expect with the success that (Cooper)  had during that game that they would have to try something a little bit different,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “But who knows? That’s a defense that believes in who they are and what they do. So we’ll see. But we’re ready to adjust and we’re ready for anything that shows up Saturday.”

Kicker Dustin Hopkins (left hamstring) and wide receiver Cedric Tillman, along with Cooper, did not practice Jan. 10.

BROWNS AT TEXANS

What: AFC wild-card game

When: 4:30 p.m., Jan. 13

Where: NRG Stadium, Houston

Records: Browns 11-6, Texans 10-7

TV: WKYC (Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge announcing)

Radio: WKRK-FM 92.3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKKY-FM 104.7, WKNR-AM 850 (Jim Donovan and Nathan Zegura announcing)