In his first game back, C.J. Stroud admittedly had to shake off the rust of his three-game concussion-related absence. However, Stroud was able to lead the Houston Texans to their fourth straight victory and a 7-5 record on the season.
He finished with 276 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception on 62.8% completion in the 20-16 victory over the Texans’ AFC South rivals, the Indianapolis Colts.
Stroud spoke candidly about his performance and the Texans’ offense as a whole.
C.J. Stroud Gets Honest About Rust
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans takes the field before facing the Denver Broncos.
Stroud missed Weeks 10 through 12 in concussion protocol, suffering his concussion in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos. But he missed just three games in that span for the Texans. He admitted needing to get his feet back under him on the field after one month of being sidelined.
He took accountability for his interception, saying it “sucked,” that he needed to “just take care of the ball” and deliver a better pass to wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson.
He thought he played well “other than that.”
“I would say early on, I was a little rusty. I thought they really didn’t give me big plays. They were taking a lot of that stuff away. So, just, I thought I was very disciplined. Checkdowns and getting the ball to where it had to go,” Stroud told reporters on November 30.
“I thought every opportunity I had with the ball, I thought I made the right decision. A couple plays I want back. But I thought I did a really good job of taking what the defense is giving me. I think the type of team we have, I don’t have to be Superman all the time, and I got to just do my job each and every play. And I’m not going to be perfect. I’m never going to be perfect. And I trust myself. I know my teammates trust me, and that’s all that really matters.”
C.J. Stroud Touts Texans’ Offensive Improvement
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans adjusts a play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After averaging 304.3 yards per game on offense over their first six games, the Texans have averaged 349.2 YPG in their past six outings, and Stroud made note of their progress so far.
“I definitely think the offense as a whole, we’ve gotten better. We found our identity, I feel, and I think we’re starting to play well together. It’s a lot of new guys playing together this year,” Stroud said.
“We’re starting to get that chemistry down, and that connection, and you can see it play in and play out. Route detail and play calls, and me getting the play in, organization of the formations, and everything like that. So, I think we’re doing a better job at that. And then, the execution has picked up.”
Stroud tipped his cap to his teammates and Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
“I think the way Cale’s called it with play-action with us being able to run the ball early downs previous drives, and I think that just opens up the floodgates for that last drive. And then, the toughness we have up front with Jake [Andrews], Ed [Ingram], big Trent [Brown], Ty [Tytus Howard], and Tae [Aireontae Ersery]. Our tight ends, putting their hats in there,” Stroud said.
“And then, Woody [Marks], taking care of what he has to do. Taking care of the ball, pushing forward, and our receivers as well. So, just all 11 guys, doing their job at the best of their ability and trying to just ice a game, and it’s always fun to do that.”
C.J. Stroud Puts Texans on Notice
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers.
Stroud was clear about what it will take for the Texans to continue with the momentum, praising backup Davis Mills for putting it on display in his absence.
“I think winning on third down, being better on first and second down, and then scoring touchdowns in the red zone is, that’s really just the key to victory every week. If we want to win games, that’s what we got to do,” Stroud said. “That’s something that we just had to change, and I thought we’ve been able to do that last couple weeks. I thought when Davis came in, he did a really good job at that.”
If Stroud can operate the offense with Mills’ decisiveness, it will be a boon for the Texans.
“Backup Davis Mills did a nice job filling in for three weeks, but he doesn’t have near the ceiling as Stroud,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote on December 1. “Now Stroud has added experience in Caley’s offense, and got the chance to look back and self-correct a bit while he was shelved with the concussion.”
Up next, Stroud and the Texans will travel to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. The Chiefs are not their usual high-flying selves, but they also eliminated Houston from the postseason last year in a 23-14 affair in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
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