HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud calmly stood in the pocket Sunday afternoon, his eyes scanning through his progressions with his helmet on a swivel as he routinely located his targets.
In his first game back from a concussion, the Texans’ star rookie quarterback efficiently manufactured drives and took what the defense gave him. Stroud didn’t let his emotions override his judgment. As the Tennessee Titans were determined to take away deep passes, he made them pay with a series of sharp underneath throws.
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Mostly, though, Stroud led his team during a 26-3 victory Sunday at NRG Stadium. And the 9-7 Texans are now assured of a winning season for the first time in 2019 and can qualify for the playoffs for the first time since that year with a win Saturday night over the Indianapolis Colts. Behind the leadership of head coach DeMeco Ryans and the instrumental play of Stroud, an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner and Pro Bowl candidate, the Texans have turned around the franchise.
When Stroud joined the Texans with a second overall pick, the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State wanted to inject a winning mentality into a franchise that had gone a combined 11-38-1 over the previous three seasons, including a 3-13-1 record under former coach Lovie Smith that positioned them to draft the strong-armed quarterback from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
“As a man, your word is everything, and what you say should be what you do,” Stroud said. “Of course, this league isn’t easy. You can say it all you want, but if you don’t put in the work, then I feel you just talking for no reason. So, the work has been put in from this team, we know to this city, it means a little more. You can see the vibe.
“I definitely think that we’re going to keep this going. The time is now. It’s not next year. It’s not the year after that. It’s right now. We have the opportunity to control our own destiny. I’m excited to do that.”
#Texans quarterback C.J Stroud @CJ7STROUD on helping to build a winning team at 9-7 this season and positioning for potential playoff spot with one more win next week 'As a man, your word is everything. We control our own destiny' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/yzJPpUTF9g
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 31, 2023
Stroud delivered a smooth performance, completing 24 of 32 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown pass to tight end Brevin Jordan and had a 102.7 passer rating. He was only sacked once behind an offensive line determined to make sure that Stroud was safe after missing the previous two games with a concussion suffered against the New York Jets on an unpenalized late hit from defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
“I felt like I got back to my normal self, kind of fast,” Stroud said. “Our line did a great job protecting me. We ran really clean routes. We executed at a high level. It felt great to be back. Definitely want to keep building from there.”
Stroud’s longest completion was a 21-yard pass to wide receiver Nico Collins. He spread the football around, connecting with 10 different targets. Most of his passes were under 10 yards, which allowed Stroud to find a rhythm.
There was a good sync between Stroud and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Especially on Stroud’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Jordan.
“He was calm, he was confident in the moment,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Just the confidence factor, what he does to our entire team, he raises everyone’s level of confidence because everyone knows the type of player he is.
“He’s a big-time playmaker, and he continues to show it week after week. We’re all excited to have C.J. back because he’s a really great player and we’re happy to have him.”
The Texans had a long, methodical drive to open the game with a 28-yard Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal.
Stroud led the Texans on a 13-play, 58-yard drive that lasted six minutes and 47 seconds.l.
“I felt like I was seeing it really well,” Stroud said. “I was making the right reads, making the right decisions. I think Bobby had a great game plan. We kind of took what the defense gave us.”
The Texans had a balanced approach. Running back Devin ‘Motor’ Singletary rushed for 80 yards on 16 carries and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,026 total yards from scrimmage.
“At this point in the season, you want to b able to run the ball and pass the ball at a high level, and I think we did that,” Stroud said. “For me, I think it was kind of tough honestly because they kept backing up and didn’t give us anything deep. We were trying to stretch the field, but just being smart. I think where I’ve grown towards this part of the year, too, really taking what the defense gives you.”
Stroud has 21 touchdown passes for the season and just five interceptions.
“Having him back on the field, it’s a big difference, bro,” Collins said. “Just having him back out there, it means a lot. To have him back out there, picking up where he left off, it felt great.”
A longtime Los Angeles Lakers fan, Stroud wore a Kobe Bryant shirt after the game.
Stroud said there was no special meaning behind the shirt specifically, but it did hearken back to some of the late basketball legend’s words.
“Kobe is my favorite player of all-time in basketball,” Stroud said. “I remember watching Kobe’s interview, (the Lakers) were up 2-0 against the Celtics in the finals, and he goes ‘Job is not finished.’
“We’ve had a great season. It’s been a complete turnaround from last year, but, in my opinion, the job is not finished. We have a lot left in the tank and we need to empty that.”
From his time in high school, to dealing with adversity off the field with his family, to playing in a pressure cooker at Ohio State, Stroud has been preparing for these moments. It’s not too big for him.
“Just kind of how I was raised and the situation I played with in college of just a lot of pressure, like a lot of, ‘It’s on you, C.J. You’ve got to go make a play. You’ve got to lead us to victory,’” Stroud said. “Honestly, I used to ask, ‘Why? Why is it always on me? Why can’t I just get something easy?’ Around high school was the time I was like, man, God put something special in my heart, a special type of talent into me.
“Smile through all the pain, smile through all the adversity, smile through the great times. In this line of work, you can’t always kick yourself in the dirt. I’m the first to hold myself accountable for my mistakes, but I have to honestly remind myself to smile. My life isn’t as bad as I probably make it seem to myself. Even through hard times, I still smile. Pressure is a privilege, and I appreciate that. Alright, you guys. God bless.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.