HOUSTON – Standing at the podium Wednesday afternoon, C.J. Stroud didn’t quite have his game face on yet days before a Sunday kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There wasn’t any lack of intensity or sense of urgency, though, from the Texans’ Pro Bowl quarterback. Stroud is determined for the defending AFC South champions to compartmentalize an ugly road loss to the Minnesota Vikings, glean whatever knowledge and corrections need to be made and get back to winning football games starting Sunday at NRG Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Probably after that game, the next Monday watching the film, I am learning from it then I am moving on,” said Stroud, who was intercepted twice by the Vikings and sacked four times in a 34-7 setback. “The NFL has taught me that it is not something that you can just soak in your sorrows and feel bad for yourself. It is all about moving on and getting the next win. So, I am actually kind of tired talking about the game to be honest. It is what it is. They got us, they kicked our butts, kudos to those guys. Now, we are going to move on we are going to play against the Jaguars who are a good team and focus on that.”
Although it was a rough game during which Stroud was under heavy duress as he was sacked three times by former teammate Jonathan Greenard and had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage by former Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill and later on a deep pass intended for wide receiver Nico Collins by Vikings defensive back Camryn Bynum, the entire offense struggled.
11 penalties for 88 yards created far too many third-and-long situations with a ton of false starts and illegal formation calls, including six on Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil with one not enforced on an incomplete pass. The Texans went 4 for 14 on third downs, a 28.6 percent success rate. With starting running back Joe Mixon and backup Dameon Pierce out, there was little running game to speak of. Cam Akers rushed for 21 yards on nine carries, a 2.1 average per run as the Texans finished with 38 rushing yards on 14 carries overall.
Despite the problems as the Texans generated just 296 yards of total offense, Stroud remains convinced that it was simply a bad day at the office and that the defending AFC South champions remain a talented, viable contender. His primary success came on throwing to Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who caught 10 passes for 94 yards on a dozen targets and four completions for 86 yards to Collins. Collins, though, was targeted 10 times.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive schemes and disguised coverages took a toll on the Texans’ offense.
“The only thing for me is just keeping our confidence, keeping our swag,” Stroud said. “Don’t let one game define who we are. It is early in the year we are still a really, really good football team and we are going to go out there and prove that. We have to learn from our mistakes, but also we can’t hold our head down and not learn from it and just start soaking in our own sorrow. So, still keep the swag.”
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A holding penalty on rookie tight end Cade Stover while being overpowered by Greenard nullified a first down completion to Collins on the first play from scrimmage.
Overall, it was a rough start and a tough day for the Texans.
Stroud completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown for a 68.6 passer rating.
Being a one-dimensional offense with no running game impacted their competitiveness. Mixon is week to week due to a sprained ankle, and Pierce is nearing his return, according to league sources.
Since the season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts during which Mixon rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries, the offense has been stuck in neutral.
“We loved in week one, being able to run it,” Stroud said. “We have to get the run game rolling. I do believe that we have been putting in really good drives, we just have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot and be disciplined. Once we stop doing that we stay on the field, get more points, and just keep driving. I do think if we have to be methodical and move one play, one at a time, five here, four here, six here, whatever the case may be.
“We have to be able to do that and adjust. I got a lot of this in college as well, but also a little bit last year towards the back end. I definitely do think we have the guys to make anything work because we want to win and that is the main priority.”
The Jaguars run a lot of man-to-man coverage, which is something Stroud traditionally excels against.
The 0-3, winless Jaguars are coming off an embarrassing 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. There’s already speculation about coach Doug Pederson being on the proverbial hot seat with a perception of dwindling job security and quarterback Trevor Lawrence is struggling mightily. The defense allowed four touchdown passes to Bills star quarterback Josh Allen.
“I think a lot of teams are playing us different than they play other teams,” Stroud said. “We just have to be able to adjust and see what is out there and if we have to move on from certain things, move on or keep to our plan. Definitely, I am fully aware of what they did to us last year but also know that they are playing other teams different. They could play us different this year. We just have to be ready for everything.”
The Texans are averaging 18.3 points per game, ranking 21st in the NFL in scoring offense. They rank 11th in total offense, eighth in passing offense and 17th in rushing offense.
How are defenses attacking Stroud in his second season after being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season after being drafted second overall out of Ohio State?
“How teams approach C.J., it’s been different,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans siad. “We faced three different defenses this year, so each team has some different ideas and strategies for how they attack C.J.. It’s not so much C.J., it’s just the entire offense. What are we presenting a team, how teams are going to counter that and what type of attack do they have.
“So, it changes week-by-week. I think it’ll be the same this week. We’ll probably see some things that we haven’t seen. With the game, it’s all about adjusting to whatever is thrown at you. On gameday you prepare, but you have to be able to adjust and adapt on gameday and adapt quickly.”
This marked the first time that Stroud had been intercepted since Nov. 19, 2023, snapping a streak of 266 passes in a row without an interception in a span that lasted nine starters, including two playoff games
The Vikings used their traditional two-high safety coverage scheme and some Cover Zero blitzes. Greenard provided the majority of the pass rush as he recorded a career-high three sacks as Stroud was sacked four times overall and hit eight times.
“I mean, they kind of did exactly what we thought,” Stroud said. “Played a lot of two-high, a lot of taking away our passing game, and then they would either blitz the edge and try to stop the run on a certain down. They did a lot of things that we thought they were doing. We just weren’t moving quick enough. We weren’t executing, weren’t playing hard enough. It starts with me. Just got to be better. It’s something that I felt like can be fixed, so it’s nothing to hang our heads down about but definitely can and will be better.”
An offense headlined by Stroud, Diggs, Collins, Tank Dell, Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz isn’t generating a lot of points.
“I think that is right on the nail,” Stroud said when it was suggested that the Texans are close to becoming the type of offense they’re capable of being. “A lot of things didn’t go our way in that past game and a lot of people on our side were like, ‘What is going on?’
“It is all crazy, but I think, internally, we know who we are and we know what work we have put in and what foundation we set. We just have to get back rolling on what we know Texan football to be. I think once we start honing into all the little details, be more intentional, we will start rolling again.”
Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is taking some criticism for his play-calling and an inability to consistently beat defenses to the punch.
Stroud defended Slowik, who interviewed for multiple head-coaching vacancies last offseason.
“I was taught that two to three people who get the bullet when something doesn’t end right: head coach, coordinator, and a quarterback,” Stroud said. “That is the job we signed up for and Slowik has always done a good job of just keeping his head down, working. We all have faith in him, and we know that he is trying to put us in the best positions and we have to buy in to the system just as much as he has to call good plays.
“It is not a finished product just because you have good players on the team. It is a work in progress, and you don’t really get your set football team until like Week Five, Week Six. Time is of essence, and we have to get rolling, but I have the utmost faith in Slowik, and he has been great. But we have to buy into the system just as much as he has to call great plays. We know we are all grown men. We have to all do our job so. We all talk about how we have each other’s back and we are going to keep holding each other accountable and have each other’s back.”
Now, they are determined to get back to winning football games.
They have an opportunity to improve to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the AFC South division.
“I smile, realizing that we’re still very, very talented, we’re still a force to be reckoned with, and we’re still very dangerous,” Stroud said. “I always use this quote: ‘Never let a hard time humble you all the way to zero.’ You learn and you have some humility, but you don’t let it take it back to square one or square zero. We built a foundation solid on rock, so we’re not going to act like everything was perfect out there, but we’re not going to act like there wasn’t some positives. Once we fix the negatives, we’re going to be rolling. I’m excited, man, because the only way we can go now is up. So, I’m very grateful and blessed.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
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