The Houston Texans got the win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16, with C.J. Stroud leading the way. However, Stroud echoed Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans’ sentiments that the offense was not as sharp as they wanted, and he was clear about how to fix it.
Ryans had high praise for Stroud individually, even in light of the overall performance from the group, really, on both sides of the ball.
Stroud, for his part, remained confident in himself and the Texans to fix their issues.
C.J. Stroud Praises Texans After ‘Ugly Win’
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans leaves the field after beating the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stroud completed 23 of 35 passes for 187 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions in the Texans’ win over the Raiders. The completion percentage, 65.7%, is his fifth-lowest mark of the season.
The passing yards are his second-lowest output of the campaign, and the fewest in a game that he has finished on the slate. He has only passed for fewer yards seven times in his career.
Stroud shouldered responsibility for getting the offense in order.
“It was ugly, but the way you want to win in December is winning. Whatever it looks like, however it looks. So, I’m proud of the guys for finishing strong. We started off kind of bad in the first quarter. And then from there, kind of rolled,” Stroud told reporters on December 21.
“It starts with me. I just was missing some throws here and there. But I think all these things could be fixed. And just got to just keep rolling and keep continue to get better.”
He was blunt when asked why he was off to begin the game.
C.J. Stroud: Imperfection ‘Part of the Game’
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans calls a play against the Los Angeles Rams.
Stroud insisted that it was “part of the game,” and that “things are not going to go clean all the time,” while praising the Raiders’ defense as a “good challenge.” However, he said, “the things we were doing were on us.
“We got to flush those things, and the next play got to be the best play. I feel like, as the game went on, after the first quarter, I feel like we moved the ball really well. But yeah. We got to finish in the red zone, finish on third down, and get better on first and second down, on what we’re calling, and what we’re running–how we’re executing. And I think we can get all these things fixed.”
Asked to get specific about his issues, Stroud did, saying that he was “maybe just rushing my timing.”
He also cited his confidence in his arm talent.
“I think I can put it anywhere,” Stroud said. So, some of them I just should progress, shouldn’t just force the ball. But yeah. Any throw that I make, I think I can make the throw. I just missed a couple, and that’s part of the game.”
DeMeco Ryans ‘Proud’ of C.J. Stroud
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans on the field after facing the Carolina Panthers.
With the Texans’ victory, Stroud tied Joe Ferguson, Marc Bulger, and Peyton Manning for the eighth-most by a QB over their first three seasons in the NFL, per Stathead.
Ryans certainly believed Stroud played well, especially when they needed it most.
“I thought C.J. battled all day. Although it wasn’t the best performance offensively, when it mattered most, he made the plays we needed to make to close the game out. And that’s all you can ask for in your quarterback: Find a way for us to win the game,” Ryans told reporters on December 21.
“I thought he did a really nice job as well on third downs, when they sent a lot of pressure at us. He did a great job of controlling the line of scrimmage, redirecting, all right, our protections, and did an outstanding job there. So, I’m proud of C.J. for how he battled all day.”
Stroud and the Texans have now won at least 10 games in three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history, an encouraging reality, given their ample room for improvement.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post C.J. Stroud Sets Record Straight After Texans Notch Historic Win appeared first on Heavy Sports.