HOUSTON – The Cleveland Browns now have two things to celebrate: the end of their nine-game losing streak, and mercifully, the end of their miserable season.

Kelly Holcomb’s return to the lineup provided a lift to the punchless Browns’ offense, and Cleveland surprised the Houston Texans with a thoroughly dominating effort in a 22-14 victory on Sunday in the season finale for both teams.

Lee Suggs had his third straight 100-yard rushing day and Phil Dawson kicked five field goals, giving Browns interim coach Terry Robiskie his only win in five games since replacing Butch Davis on Nov. 30.

Since Davis resigned following a wacky loss to Cincinnati, Robiskie and many of the players unabashedly campaigned for turning his gig into a full-time job. The Browns’ inspired performance spoke volumes about the team’s belief in the wildly popular former offensive coordinator.

At the end, several Cleveland (4-12) players doused the ecstatic Robiskie with a Gatorade cooler and many more embraced him. In the raucous locker room after the game, players teased Robiskie into doing a silly dance on a table.

The Browns will probably start another franchise makeover Monday, starting with a search for a third personnel chief and, most likely, fourth coach since their inaugural season in 1999.

Their performance Sunday might indicate the Browns aren’t as bad as many think.

Cleveland looked much better with Holcomb than rookie Luke McCown at the helm of its offense.

After missing more than a month with cracked ribs, Holcomb led the Browns to their best offensive performance since that 58-48 loss to the Bengals. Holcomb started that game, throwing a franchise-record tying five TDs.

Against the Texans, Holcomb finished 20-of-29 for 228 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Suggs had 131 yards on 26 carries, and most importantly, no fumbles a week after coughing up the ball three times in a loss at Miami.

Meanwhile, the Texans (7-9) did almost nothing right in their failed attempt to reach .500.

The lowlights started when Texans cornerback DeMarcus Faggins intercepted Holcomb at the Cleveland 37 to give Houston excellent field position and 42 seconds left in the half. But after a quick first down, David Carr was sacked for a 10-yard loss, threw incomplete and was harassed into a 1-yard scramble.

The sellout crowd of 70, 724 roundly booed the team, which trailed 9-7, but things only got worse for the Texans after the break.

Holcomb threw an interception on the Browns’ first play after halftime, but Houston went three-and-out. Then Holcomb capped an 80-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Steve Heiden to end Houston’s 13-quarter streak of not allowing a touchdown, an NFL high this season.

Domanick Davis scored on a 1-yard run and finished with 103 yards on 17 carries for Houston.

Carr went 15-of-25 for 114 yards with a touchdown, but was sacked six times, often because of his indecisiveness in the pocket.

AP-ES-01-02-05 1645EST