HOUSTON — It can be argued that the 23-7 victory at Cleveland on Sunday was the second-most important regular-season win in franchise history.

The only regular-season victory more important was the AFC South-clinching conquest at Cincinnati in 2011.

The win over the Browns was particularly significant for a number of reasons:

–The Texans had lost four of five games to drop to 4-5. Another defeat, and they could kiss goodbye any hopes of being in playoff contention.

–Quarterback Ryan Mallett was starting for the first time in his four-year career. With only one completion in four attempts at New England on his resume, nobody knew what to expect from him.

–Rookie running back Alfred Blue was replacing the injured Arian Foster, making the odds of beating the Browns even more insurmountable.

–Cleveland had a three-game winning streak and owned sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

–The Texans were playing in a hostile environment with a game-time temperature of 34 degrees.

Mallett (211 yards, two touchdowns) and Blue (36 carries for 156 yards) turned in surprising performances considering their lack of starting experience, but the Texans were exceptional in other areas, too.

The offensive line played its best game. Mallett wasn’t sacked, and just about the only time he was touched was when he shook hands with Cleveland players after the game.

The linemen dominated on run blocking. The Texans ran 54 times for 213 yards — without Foster.

With a 5-5 record, coupled with the Indianapolis loss to New England, the Texans trail the first-place Colts by one game.

And the Texans have an excellent opportunity. They host Cincinnati and Tennessee before traveling to Jacksonville. If the Texans defeat the Bengals, they’ll have a good chance to be 8-5 entering their game at Indianapolis.

“Any time it’s around Thanksgiving and you’re still in the hunt, it’s big,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “There’s a lot to play for. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

The three biggest victories in team history have come against Cincinnati. The Texans clinched the division at Paul Brown Stadium in 2011 and defeated the Bengals in wild-card games after the 2011 and 2012 seasons at NRG Stadium.

Now, here come the Bengals again in a game with a lot of purpose for a Texans team that just about everyone outside their locker room had counted out.

NOTES: RB Alfred Blue had a team-record 36 carries for 156 yards against the Browns. That’s more than half as many carries as he had at LSU last season. As a junior, he carried 71 times for 343 yards before entering the draft as an underclassman. … ILB Brian Cushing returned to the lineup after missing two games to rest a sore knee. He led the front seven with six tackles, including a forced fumble. He also drilled quarterback Brian Hoyer two times. Cushing said after the game and again Monday that his knee felt a lot better. … WR Andre Johnson had seven catches for 68 yards against the Browns, giving him 55 for 631 this season. Johnson has 982 career receptions, tying Randy Moss on the NFL’s all-time list.

REPORT CARD VS. BROWNS

–PASSING OFFENSE: A — In the first start of his four-year career, Ryan Mallett threw two touchdown passes and suffered one interception on a terrific play by cornerback Joe Haden on a deflected pass in the end zone. Mallett wasn’t sacked. He was confident under center and in the pocket. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 211 yards. His rating was 95.3. Before Sunday, he was 1-of-4 for 17 yards and an interception in his three seasons with New England. Mallett knew the system, didn’t make mental mistakes and got rid of the ball fast. He showed his rocket arm on sideline routes. His touchdown passes covered 2 yards to defensive end J.J. Watt and 20 yards to tight end Garrett Graham.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: A-plus — With Arian Foster missing his second game because of an injury, rookie Alfred Blue put on an amazing performance behind outstanding blocking from his offensive line. Blue set a franchise record with 36 carries, and he generated 156 yards to help the Texans control the ball for 33:53. The Texans ran 54 times — the most in the league this season — for 213 yards. Jonathan Grimes, ordinarily the third back, moved up a spot and carried 13 times for 54 yards.

–PASS DEFENSE: B — The front seven got good pressure on Brian Hoyer, including sacks by J.J. Watt and linebacker Akeem Dent. Hoyer completed just 20 of 50 passes for 330 yards, but 145 came in the fourth quarter after the Browns trailed 20-7. The defensive backs made some good plays on the ball. Inside linebacker Mike Mohamed had the only interception. The touchdown came on a blown coverage on Hoyer’s 32-yard pass to Andrew Hawkins. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph had one of his best games. Cornerback A.J. Bouye, starting in place of the injured Kareem Jackson, played the best game of his two-year career.

–RUSH DEFENSE: A-plus — The Browns were averaging a league-high 33 runs a game and were coming off a 32-rush performance in their impressive victory at Cincinnati. But the Texans limited them to 58 yards on 24 carries, 2.4 a carry. Subtract a 35-yard run by Isaiah Crowell, and the Browns averaged 1 yard on their 23 other carries. Nose tackles Ryan Pickett and Jerrell Powe clogged the middle and tied up two blockers. With Brian Cushing returning at inside linebacker after a two-game absence, the front seven was more physical. The defensive backs played the run well, too.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus — Randy Bullock kicked second-half field goals of 46, 37 and 50 yards. Kickoff and punt coverage was good. Returns were average, as usual. Shane Lechler had his worst game of the season, with a 39.4-yard gross and a 38.0 net.

–COACHING: A-plus — Ryan Mallett made Bill O’Brien look like a genius. O’Brien benched Ryan Fitzpatrick after four losses in five games and went with Mallett, who’d thrown only four passes in four seasons. The pass protection and run blocking were exceptional after they got extra attention during the bye week. The coaches had rookie running back Alfred Blue ready for his second start in place of the injured Arian Foster. It added up to the Texans’ best performance of the season.