In their playoff matchup against the Houston Texans, the Cleveland Browns' secondary struggled to contain the opposing offense, and cornerback Greg Newsome II was among those who openly admitted to their poor performance on the field. Newsome, who started the game, took to social media after the loss to express gratitude towards the city of Cleveland for their unwavering support throughout the season, despite facing criticism from certain fans during the game.

Posting on his social media account, Newsome stated, "To the city of Cleveland: Thank you for riding with us the whole season. We did not finish the job and there's a lot to learn from, but THANK YOU for the endless support 🙏." The cornerback also acknowledged the Browns' "missed opportunity" in his postgame interview, recognizing that this particular season fell short of their expectations.

Houston's offense had a dominant first half, amassing three touchdowns and 236 passing yards against the Browns' highly regarded defense. This performance set a Texans franchise record for touchdowns thrown in a playoff game. Additionally, it marked the worst half that Cleveland's typically resilient secondary had surrendered to any opponent during the entire season.

The Texans' quarterback, CJ Stroud, had an impressive game, completing 16-of-21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. The second half saw little action from Stroud, as Browns quarterback Joe Flacco threw consecutive pick-6s to the Texans' defense, effectively sealing their fate. Despite Flacco's costly interceptions, it was the defense that struggled to contain the Texans' offense and dug the Browns into a deep hole.

Newsome had a standout regular season, achieving career-highs in various statistical categories, including tackles, tackles for loss, pass breakups, and interceptions. He also allowed a personal best completion percentage of 56.7% on 67 targets and maintained a collective quarterback rating of 74.8, as reported by Pro Football Focus. However, his playoff debut did not go as planned, with the Browns' secondary collectively faltering on Saturday night.

Newsome was not alone in acknowledging the team's defensive shortcomings. Pro-Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, who battled a knee injury leading up to the game, credited Stroud's abilities while highlighting the defense's failure to cover open receivers. Ward stated, "Guy's a great quarterback. Went out there and made plays. We left some guys open deep, and he was able to find those guys and execute." He expressed disappointment in the team's performance, particularly given the significance of the game.

Martin Emerson Jr., who faced his share of struggles during the game, also admitted that the Browns fell short overall as a team. He praised their resilience and acknowledged the missed opportunity, stating, "Very proud of this team, the things we've been through. But I would say, yeah, missed opportunity. As a team, we fell short."

The Browns' loss serves as a learning experience for Newsome and the rest of the team's cornerbacks, who will undoubtedly use this setback to grow and improve in the future. Although they were unable to reach their desired outcome this season, Newsome remains grateful for the support received from the city of Cleveland, and the team will undoubtedly work to come back stronger in the seasons to come.