Mark Duncan / Associated Press

Steve Slaton’s solid day on the ground helped the Texans to a road win.

It was over when ...
Texans LB Xavier Adibi recovered a Jamal Lewis fumble at Houston's 37-yard line with 6:22 remaining. The Browns had intercepted a Sage Rosenfels pass just two plays earlier, returned it to the Texans' 27 and were in position to cut into Houston's 16-6 lead, but Lewis' second fumble of the game ended the drive.

Game ball
Though he didn't lead the Texans in receptions or yards, WR Kevin Walter made the big plays for Houston. Of his seven receptions, five earned Houston either a touchdown or first down, allowing the Texans to keep drives alive and control the clock all game.

Key stat
Coming into the game, the Browns were 19-1 since 2006 when Jamal Lewis had at least 20 carries. Cleveland failed to control the clock, giving Lewis just 10 carries, allowing Houston to have a 37:25-22:35 time-of-possession advantage.

Noteworthy
Houston entered the game last in the NFL in giveaways/takeaways, at minus-13, but had a 5-2 advantage against the Browns. ... Former Browns starter Derek Anderson replaced Brady Quinn at QB with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter. ... Entering the game, the Texans were averaging 4.1 penalties per game, but were flagged 11 times for 84 yards against Cleveland. ... The teams combined to go 4-for-4 on fourth-down attempts, but just 6-for-25 on third-down attempts.