Coming off what Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans called “one of his best games,” C.J. Stroud received good news to start Week 9.
Injuries are unfortunate, and the Texans are no stranger to enduring their own losses. Still, the recent news coming from the Denver Broncos before their visit to face Stroud and the Texans bodes well for the third-year QB.
Stroud must still take advantage of the situation.
Broncos’ Loss Good News for C.J. Stroud, Texans
GettyPat Surtain II #2 of the Denver Broncos reacts after sustaining an injury against the Dallas Cowboys.
Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II – an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year – will miss facing Stroud and the Texans due to a pectoral strain incurred in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The exact severity of the injury is unclear, though he could land on injured reserve, and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported Surtain is “expected to miss 4–6 weeks.”
Week 9 is all that matters for Stroud and the Texans.
Stroud threw for a season-high 319 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception on 76.9% completion against the 49ers in Week 8. He has a 1,623-11-5 line on 66.8% completion this season, and his job in Week 9 presumably got much easier.
The Broncos are 6-2, have won five straight games, and boast the NFL’s top pass rush with 36 sacks and are fifth in scoring.
C.J. Stroud Will Have Opportunities Against Broncos Secondary
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans reacts after defeating the San Francisco 49ers.
Stroud made a point to cite spreading the ball around and getting it out of his hands as keys to his success against the San Francisco 49ers. On paper, the Broncos present a rather intimidating challenge.
They are allowing a league-low 56.8% completion in pass coverage.
Broncos cornerback Riley Moss is the most targeted defender in the league, and he has the lowest completion percentage allowed of any defender targeted at least 40 times in coverage at 45.3%, per Pro Football Focus.
However, nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian (69% on 20 targets) and second-year fifth-round selection Kris Abrams-Draine (100% on five targets) could prove vulnerable.
The Broncos do have Jahdae Barron, the 20th overall selection in the 2025 draft.
He has allowed six receptions on 12 targets this season and recorded his first career interception in Week 8 against the Cowboys. If Barron draws the start or plays more than Abrams-Draine, Stroud and the Texans could still have options elsewhere against the Broncos.
Moreover, Stroud and the Texans could do more than benefit from a subtraction by the Broncos.
Nico Collins ‘Trending Toward Return’ vs Broncos
GettyNico Collins #12 of the Houston Texans reacts against the Seattle Seahawks.
Stroud was without his top two wide receivers against the 49ers, with Christian Kirk sidelined with a hamstring injury and Nico Collins in concussion protocol.
Ryans offered little in his day-after media availability.
However, there was encouraging news, with KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reporting in a post on X on October 27 – after Ryans’ comments – that, “Collins, per source, is doing well and trending toward return at this point.”
That Stroud performed as he did without Collins should bode well for the Texans when the 2024 Pro Bowler returns to the field.
If that is Week 9, it is even more encouraging for Stroud and the Texans than Surtain’s absence.
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