The Houston Texans are at a crossroads entering Week 18 of the regular season.
Starters are expected to play against the Tennessee Titans, but the question is for how long? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans initially didn’t plan on playing starters, but after an abysmal outing against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, plans changed.
“For us right now, we’ve got to go play better,” Ryans said. “Our last outing on the field was not good enough. It was not representative of who we are. Defensively, offensively, just not a good representation of our team entirely. So we’ve got to go out and play better football.”
Among those who could miss the second half is quarterback C.J. Stroud. Last week, following what he described as the “worst performance of his NFL career,” Stroud revealed that he was playing “just a little banged up.”
Even in a year where Stroud has struggled, he provides the best chance for Houston to secure a 10-win season and a victory in the wild-card round next week at NRG Stadium.
Stroud also wants to end the season on a high note after failing to find the end zone against Baltimore on Christmas Day.
“I am excited and it is a blessing to be able to go out and play in this league whenever it is,” Stroud said Wednesday. “We are excited to play Tennessee and even more excited to play in the playoffs. I do think that this could help us.”
C.J. Stroud update
Stroud will play on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Should the Texans pull out to a significant lead, Ryans could elect to rest him for next week’s wild-card round.
The same goes for Houston’s struggles and trails entering the fourth quarter. While the second-year passer is dinged up, he didn’t appear on the team’s injury report.
“It’s the end of the season,” Stroud said. “Everybody is banged up.”
C.J. Stroud stats
In 16 starts, Stroud has thrown for 3,677 yards and 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He’s completed 62.7% of his throws while posting a passer rating of 86.0.
Texans QB depth chart
Davis Mills would start or replace Stroud should the Texans bench their starters on Sunday. He filled in for the final drive last week against the Ravens and completed one pass for five yards.
Mills also replaced Stroud in Week 3’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, going 7-of-12 for 79 yards.