Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards in the Houston Texans’ win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15, adding 3 touchdowns on 75.8% completion.
The passing yards are Stroud’s third-most in a game this season. The TDs were his second most, while he had his fourth-best completion percentage. However, his command of the game is what drew strong commentary from Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans postgame.
For Stroud, it was all a result of his process.
C.J. Stroud Gives Candid Take on Big Day in Texans’ Win
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans leaves the field after defeating the Indianapolis Colts.
“Our operation, something that Coach challenged us on this week, and that starts with me,” Stroud told reporters postgame. “I just got to be able to communicate in the huddle the right way and do the right things to get us in the right position. So, I’m really happy with how we did it today. Of course, got a couple penalties on it. So, we got to figure that out. But I thought overall we got better in that area.”
Stroud’s comments were in very close alignment with what Ryans said.
“Our operation was really, really great today, starting with C.J. I thought he did a great job of managing the operation pre-snap, in and out of the huddle. He did a outstanding job today. It starts with him,” Ryans said postgame, also noting offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s role in delivering the play calls.
“I thought the communication was seamless. I thought the guys did a great job communicating, breaking the huddle, getting lined up, and that’s low-hanging fruit for us, right? And we did a great better job of improving that.”
Ryans said that the Texans must “find a way to still finish” and “keep playing up to our standard,” pointing to missed opportunities on both sides of the ball and upcoming film study.
The praise for Stroud was strong, though, following a “very clean, efficient game.”
“What I’m most proud of him is, I think he did a great job of, just his decision making when it comes to the plays. It’s not that he’s just looking or staring at one person. He’s going through his progressions the right way. And you’ll see multiple guys catch the ball and make plays because he’s not just eyeing in on one single target. He’s going where the play dictates for him to go, what the coverage tells him. He’s making the right decisions,” Ryans said.
“That’s where he’s grown. He’s improved a lot. And I’m excited to see him–since he’s come back each week, he’s gotten better each week. And so, probably the best game he’s had this year, right?”
C.J. Stroud: Houston Playing Well in All 3 Phases
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ryans commended Stroud and the Texans’ offense for protecting the football, noting that, as well as getting takeaways on defense and special teams, is how they will win games.
Stroud was also very proud of how the Texans are playing right now.
“I think, just three phases of football. We’re playing together. I think offensively, we’re getting better every week, getting hot. So, we’re getting hot at the right time. We’re starting to – we’re trending up, towards December going into January. We got to just keep this going. It’s going to be a ‘one game at a time’ mentality, ‘one play at a time’ mentality. Then, we’ll look up at the end of the year, and see where we’re at.”
The Texans are the No. 7 seed in the AFC after their win over the Cardinals, with a matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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