A slow start from C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans’ offense threatened to undo the historic efforts from the team’s defense in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.
They turned it around in the second half, notching a win to advance to the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots.
Stroud knows they–and specifically, he–must be much sharper.
C.J. Stroud Places Blame for Turnovers
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans exits the field after facing the Seattle Seahawks.
Stroud completed 21 of 32 passes (65.6%) for 250 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in the Texans’ 30-6 win over the Steelers. He was also sacked 3 times and fumbled 5 times, turning the ball over three times on the latter.
Stroud did not mince words about what the issue was with some of the exchanges between himself and center Jake Andrews.
Stroud also commended the Steelers for making plays on the ball.
“We had some problems with the snaps; me catching them. Got to find a way just to catch them and then take care of the ball. We knew on tape that they did a good job of punching at the ball or … while you’re throwing, get your throwing arm. So, I try to work on that throughout the week. But they made plays,” Stroud told reporters on January 12.
“I think these games, the playoff games, from my experience, they’re going to make plays, we’re going to make plays. It’s all about moving forward and, you know, trying your best to flush it and keep going. So, I thought every time we had to bounce back, we made more plays. So, I’m proud of our guys for having a little bit of resilience in those moments, and to finish a game like that was really dope.”
Stroud called that faith, even when he is not playing his best, “amazing,” noting that he holds that same level of belief in himself.
He said it is “really helpful” that they keep him “uplifted,” but he also holds himself accountable.
“I think guys come up to me and give me encouragement. But … the one thing I like about our team is [that] everybody holds themselves accountable. It’s not just on C.J., not just on me,” Stroud said after the game.
“I’ve been on teams like that, where that’s a lot of pressure. But everybody is “I could have did this better. I could have did that better. But, I think it’s–it does start with me. I got to take care of the football. But I thought I other than that, I thought I played a good game, and those guys did as well.”
DeMeco Ryans Praises C.J. Stroud
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans warms up before a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Stroud had the support of his head coach, DeMeco Ryans, who noted that “bad plays happen” during games, but that how a team responds is the key. He noted that the team “finished” and that Stroud is a key reason Christian Kirk had a big game.
Ryans mentioned the Texans’ defense and their running game–including the Woody Marks and Nick Chubb protecting the ball–as the team’s “blueprint” for winning in the postseason.
However, Ryans was clearly satisfied with the way Stroud overcame his self-inflicted miscues.
“I love that. We had some bad plays that happened for C.J., right? And he didn’t waver. You can easily go in the tank, right? But he didn’t waver,” Ryans told reporters during his postgame press conference on January 12.
“That’s who he is. He’s a resilient young man who was able to bounce back. Anybody could go in the tank. You drop the ball a few times, throw a [interception], you keep battling. The game isn’t over if it’s a 60-minute football game. You keep battling until the end, and that’s what he did. He made some big, big throws for us, right? Some huge passes that allowed us to get in striking distance and go score.”
C.J. Stroud Gets Honest as Texans Advance to Divisional Round