Tag: C.J. Stroud 2024

Will Texans QB C.J. Stroud appear at the Pro Bowl games?

It’s best not to assume that C.J. Stroud will be headed down to Orlando with the rest of the Houston Texans this week.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is getting ready for 2025.

He’s leaving everything, including a trip to Orlando, in 2024.

Stroud, who guided Houston to its second AFC South division title in as many seasons, will not participate in the Pro Bowl games with five other Texans players later this week. According to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime, he was invited as an alternate but declined.

Stroud wants to be the reason why Houston competes for a Super Bowl title in 2025. While the offense should look different following the firing of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, he too must improve on his numbers.

Even with insufficient play designs under Slowik, Stroud struggled to regain his Offensive Rookie of the Year confidence. After becoming the fifth rookie in league history to throw for over 4,000 yards, Stroud regressed, tossing 20 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions for 3,727 yards.

The two-time Heisman finalist also completed a career-low 63.2% of his threw for 7.0 yards per attempt and posted an 87.0 passer rating.

During his end-of-the-year presser, Stroud said he would look back on the campaign and “self-scout” what needs to be corrected internally to help Houston get over the 10-win hump in 2025.

He also said he plans to relax for a bit to get his mind in the right space before attacking the offseason.

“It’s not a crime to take care of yourself and I’ll probably do that a little bit like take a week off or something and then hit it hard and get my body right,” Stroud said. “I don’t think it’s a secret anymore that I can run a little bit, so I have to get my body right to make sure I can take some of those hits and be ready for next year.”

Wide receiver Nico Collins, running back Joe Mixon, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive end Danielle Hunter and All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. will represent Houston during the Pro Bowl game this week at Camping World Stadium.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud breaks down emotions returning to Arrowhead Stadium

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud understands there’s an emotional return heading back to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

C.J. Stroud understands that his emotions could run high when the Houston Texans take the field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How could they not for the second-year quarterback? The last time he was here, Houston watched as wide receiver Tank Dell was carted off with a season-ending knee injury.

Not only is Dell Stroud’s best friend, but he’s a constant force in the passing game. And barring a speedy recovery, Dell isn’t expected back until potentially 2026.

But the Texans are more than Dell. They’re more than Stroud. They’re also more than a doormat or “final practice” for Kansas City en route to a sixth consecutive AFC championship appearance.

So Stroud knows that even with Dell in his heart, a victory is the top thing on his mind. That the motivation needed for Houston to strike.

“We’ve got to go do it for him away in the same stadium he got hurt. We’ve got to find a way to not get emotional and channel that,” Stroud said Tuesday. “I think we’ll be able to do that. It will be more inspiring than anything, and we’ll try to get it done for him.”

Looking back, Dell’s injury was the turning point in Week 16’s 27-19 loss. Houston pulled within a point after the 30-yard score with 11:40 left in the third quarter. Medical assistance slowed down the game, but the severity of the play slowed down Houston’s momentum.

Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the PAT to make it 17-16. Two drives later, Chiefs rookie receiver Xavier Worthy punched in an 8-yard touchdown as Kansas City coasted.

The offense struggled the rest of the afternoon, totaling 39 yards on three drives that resulted in a pair of three-and-outs.

Dell won’t make the trip with Houston to Arrowhead, but he did stop by to see the team before Saturday’s win over the Chargers. He was on crutches while wearing a large brace around his knee on the sidelines during pregame, but it seems like he was in high spirits.

That jolted life into the locker room, according to Stroud. Three hours later, Houston was moving on after a double-digit victory.

“Tank means a lot to our team. As you see with the guys, seeing him on the sideline, seeing the T-shirts, it’s real love,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.  “And everybody loves Tank. And I love Tank. We miss him”

With a win, the Texans would advance to their first conference championship appearance in franchise history. Even as an 8-point underdog, most fans believe beating the Chiefs is an easier path than traveling to take on the Buffalo Bills or Baltimore Ravens.

Stroud said the offense has to be on its “A-game” to secure a win. The margin of error is thin against the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

“This team is really motivated to go out there and play some good ball against a great Kansas City team that’s been in these moments forever,” Strous said. “We know it’s going to take all of us.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and ABC.

All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including C.J. Stroud) ranked by Total QBR

Here’s where C.J. Stroud stacks up in total QBR compared to all other quarterbacks entering the 2024 postseason.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud posted a Total QBR rating of 95.4 in the team’s 23-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 18, bringing his season-long Total QBR average to 50.2.

With the regular season wrapped up, Stroud’s 2024 Total QBR rating (50.2) has remained idle since last week’s 31-2 loss against the Baltimore Ravens, but his overall rank among primary starters (No. 24) in 2024 is up two from his rank among last week’s starters (No. 26).

Stroud’s traditional passer rating this season was 87.0 which ranked 24th during the 2024 season.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric takes into account scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

With that context in mind, here’s a look at how Stroud stacked up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks this season.

Note: This list only includes each team’s primary 2024 quarterback, so some QBs are listed despite not finishing the year as a starter (or with a different team).

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR in 2024

  1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 77.5
  2. Josh Allen, Bills: 77.2
  3. Joe Burrow, Bengals: 75.0
  4. Jayden Daniels, Commanders: 70.6
  5. Jordan Love, Packers: 69.2
  6. Jared Goff, Lions: 68.5
  7. Brock Purdy, 49ers: 68.0
  8. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: 67.9
  9. Kyler Murray, Cardinals: 66.5
  10. Jalen Hurts, Eagles: 65.6
  11. Justin Herbert, Chargers: 65.3
  12. Matthew Stafford, Rams: 64.9
  13. Derek Carr, Saints: 63.1
  14. Baker Mayfield, Bucs: 61.8
  15. Sam Darnold, Vikings: 60.6
  16. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: 60.3
  17. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: 59.2
  18. Drake Maye, Patriots: 58.4
  19. Bo Nix, Broncos: 57.2
  20. Jameis Winston, Browns: 56.4
  21. Bryce Young, Panthers: 54.5
  22. Geno Smith, Seahawks: 53.8
  23. Russell Wilson, Steelers: 51.3
  24. Kirk Cousins, Falcons: 51.0
  25. C.J. Stroud, Texans: 50.2
  26. Aaron Rodgers, Jets: 48.2
  27. Daniel Jones, Giants: 47.7
  28. Anthony Richardson, Colts: 46.5
  29. Caleb Williams, Bears: 46.7
  30. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: 45.8
  31. Gardner Minshew, Raiders: 38.3
  32. Will Levis, Titans: 27.6

Stroud is now set to face the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Is C.J. Stroud playing Sunday? Latest updates for Texans QB

C.J. Stroud will see action on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

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.

C.J. Stroud’s emotional reaction to Tank Dell’s injury breaks hearts

The Houston Texans quarterback was visibly upset following Tank Dell’s potential season-ending injury on Sunday

It was a somber scene at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was carried into the ambulance for what was ruled a severe knee injury.

Fans couldn’t stomach the play. Quarterback  C.J. Stroud, meanwhile, let his emotions finally peak through.

Dell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury last December, had just caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to put the Texans down by a point against the Kansas City Chiefs. As he hit the turf, the second-year receiver collided with teammate Jared Wayne and Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie on his descent.

Teammates knew immediately that Dell was hurt and needed medical assistance. The aftermath was difficult to watch, as visibly upset Texans players prayed over Dell while he was being attended to.

Stroud, in particular, looked quite distraught and began to cry. Cameras caught teammate Joe Mixon consoling the quarterback after the play as Dell was being placed in a brace to keep pressure on the knee.

On the field, Dell and Stroud are a dynamic duo. Off it, they’re close friends who consider each other “brothers.”

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said that Dell would stay overnight for further evaluation at a local hospital on what’s being ruled a “significant” knee injury. He was one of three players to leave Saturday’s 27-19 loss against Kansas City on a short week of practice.

Dell was having one of his best games of the regular season, hauling in six passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. He was on his way to a second 100-yard outing before leaving with a knee injury.

The Texans are already without wideout veteran Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL in October and will likely be without Dell for their run to the postseason. The gut-wrenching incident is a reminder of the humanity that resides in the game’s outcome.

Stroud is human. Anyone in that moment would act accordingly.

Houston returns to NRG Stadium Stadium to take on the Ravens on Christmas Day.

All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including C.J. Stroud) ranked by Total QBR entering Week 16

Here’s where Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud stacks up among other passers in QBR entering Week 16.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud saw his passer rating drop following a 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.  His Total QBR rating of 48.3 remained intact among all 32 passers.

Stroud’s season-long rating remains in good standing entering the final four games of the regular season, but he still ranks among the bottom half of passers at No. 23 overall.

Stroud’s traditional passer rating this season is 87.8, which ranks 22nd.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric takes into account scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

With that context in mind, here’s a look at how Stroud stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks this fall entering Christmas weekend.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR after Week 15

  1. Michael Penix: 95.3
  2. Josh Allen: 79.3
  3. Lamar Jackson: 76.0
  4. Joe Burrow: 74.0
  5. Kyler Murray: 68.3
  6. Jayden Daniels: 67.9
  7. Matthew Stafford: 66.4
  8. Jordan Love: 66.3
  9. Jared Goff: 65.6
  10. Jalen Hurts: 65.4
  11. Brock Purdy: 65.2
  12. Patrick Mahomes: 64.6
  13. Tua Tagovailoa: 61.2
  14. Sam Darnold: 60.2
  15. Drake Maye: 58.7
  16. Justin Herbert: 56.5
  17. Baker Mayfield: 56.1
  18. Russell Wilson: 55.3
  19. Aaron Rodgers: 53.9
  20. Mason Rudolph: 53.4
  21. Bo Nix: 52.2
  22. Geno Smith: 52.1
  23. C.J. Stroud: 49.8
  24. Caleb Williams: 48.1
  25. Anthony Richardson: 46.5
  26. Drew Lock: 45.3
  27. Bryce Young: 44.0
  28. Spencer Rattler: 42.0
  29. Aidan O’Connell: 40.7
  30. Cooper Rush: 36.3
  31. Mac Jones: 34.1
  32. Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 16.

Fresh off winning the AFC South division title for the second straight season, Stroud will look to improve his Total QBR rating when the Texans travel north to take the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud explains struggles following loss to Titans

C.J. Stroud made it clear that his performance on Sunday wasn’t up to par for the Houston Texans as they fell to 7-5.

C.J. Stroud made it clear that even though the defense gave up 32 points to the Tennessee Titans, he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain.

It’s why the Houston Texans are sitting at 7-5 after a 32-27 loss at home.

Stroud, who threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, also tossed two interceptions. He completed just over 60% of his passes and tossed a pair of interceptions, including one to Titans linebacker Kenneth Murray on a scoring drive in the third quarter. He sacked for a safety with 1:17 remaining and nearly ran out of the back of the end zone.

Dan Orlovsky would have been proud. Texans fans are frustrated and Stroud can understand why.

“It’s no secret I haven’t been playing well for my standard,” Stroud said following a second consecutive home loss.  “Everybody has to look in the mirror and try to get things fixed. So that’s gotta be the plan for this week. Practicing. Getting better. Personally, I got to get better. As a team, we have to get better.”

Week 12 epitomized the Texans’ season up to this point as Houston enters its final game before the bye. An 80-yard kickoff return by Dameon Pierce set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to rookie tight end and former Ohio State teammate Cade Stover.

Down by 10, Houston responded with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins, then a 56-yard gain to the Pro Bowl receiver to set up a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal.

Then, much like the second half of the season, everything went wrong.
Stroud and John Metchie III weren’t on the same page with just over a minute remaining in the first half, leading to an interception and Nick Folk’s field goal. The offense never reached the end zone and settled for two more attempts for Fairbairn while trusting the defense to deliver.

But the final blow came on the Texans’ second-to-last drive. Stroud connected with Collins for a 33-yard touchdown that would have given them a four-point lead, but the play was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on Joe Mixon and Tank Dell.

Stroud said it was on him not having his teammates prepared for the snap.

“I got to give the play better and make sure guys are on the same page, and even when we break the huddle, still communicate a little bit and make sure everybody’s doing what they’re doing,” Stroud said. “But it was my fault.”
Stroud will take ownership of the offensive woes, but it’s not all on him.

Houston’s offensive line gave him a clean pocket in the first half and allowed four sacks in the second. That factored into a passing yards and completion percentage between the first and final 30 minutes.

Houston also couldn’t run the football to save face. Mixon, fresh off a three-touchdown outing against the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football,” averaged 1.6 yards per attempt on 14 carries.

“They’re a really good front. Really good front,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We knew that going into the game. But it doesn’t matter. Every front is good. You have to own the line of scrimmage.”

Houston has seven days to recoup before it travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. It can’t afford a loss, but it also can’t waste a strong defensive performance.

The Texans tied their franchise record for sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (15) in a game. Safety Jimmie Ward intercepted Titans second-year quarterback Will Levis and returned it for a 67-yard touchdown. Kris Boyd recovered a muffed punt to set up Houston inside Tennessee’s 40.

Outings like that won’t always be promised, so Stroud’s already getting prepped for film study on Monday and an aggressive week of practice.

“Everybody has to look at themselves in the mirror and try to get things fixed,” Stroud said. “That will be the plan this week. Practicing and getting better.”

All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including C.J. Stroud) ranked by Total QBR

Here’s where C.J. Stroud stacks up in terms of QBR entering Week 11’s showdown with the Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud needs a rebounding performance following Sunday’s 26-23 loss against the Detroit Lions. 

Stroud, a once favorite to win the league’s MVP honors, completed 57.6% of his passes for  233 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions. After guiding Houston to a 23-7 lead at halftime, Stroud completed 39% of his throws for 68 yards and had two interceptions in the third quarter, with one occurring in the end zone on a touchdown pass intended for Tank Dell. 

Stroud posted a Total QBR rating of 32.9 in the loss, bringing his season-long Total QBR average to 54.8.

That’s a slight undergrade from last week’s rating (57.6), but Stroud has dropped from being ranked No. 18 last week up to No. 19 this week.

Nix’s traditional passer rating this season is 89.1, which ranks 19th overall.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric takes into account scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

With that context in mind, here’s how Stroud stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks this fall.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR after Week 10

  1. Lamar Jackson: 76.9
  2. Kyler Murray: 75.7
  3. Joe Burrow: 74.3
  4. Jayden Daniels: 71.2
  5. Josh Allen: 70.3
  6. Patrick Mahomes: 67.7
  7. Brock Purdy: 66.6
  8. Jalen Hurts: 64.3
  9. Derek Carr: 61.3
  10. Jameis Winston: 61.0
  11. Justin Herbert: 59.6
  12. Matthew Stafford: 59.5
  13. Russell Wilson: 59.5
  14. Kirk Cousins: 57.9
  15. Baker Mayfield: 55.9
  16. Jordan Love: 55.5
  17. Drake Maye: 55.2
  18. Sam Darnold: 54.7
  19. C.J. Stroud: 54.6
  20. Bo Nix: 54.4
  21. Jared Goff: 54.2
  22. Geno Smith: 52.3
  23. Aaron Rodgers: 52.0
  24. Tua Tagovailoa: 50.3
  25. Daniel Jones: 46.3
  26. Caleb Williams: 38.4
  27. Gardner Minshew: 37.8
  28. Anthony Richardson: 37.6
  29. Bryce Young: 32.7
  30. Will Levis: 31.8
  31. Cooper Rush: 24.8
  32. Mac Jones: 11.4

Stroud and the Texans will hit the road to take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 on ‘Monday Night Football’ at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

The game will be nationall televised on ABC and ESPN.