Tag: C.J. Stroud

C.J. Stroud takes ownership for Texans loss vs. Lions on Sunday Night Football

C.J. Stroud takes ownership of the Houston Texans’ second-half collapse against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.

C.J. Stroud isn’t the only person at fault for the Houston Texans’ 26-23 loss against the Detroit Lions on ‘Sunday Night Football’ at NRG Stadium.

Despite forcing five interceptions, the Texans’ defense allowed Lions quarterback Jared Goff to mount a pair of touchdown drives in the second half.

They gave the Lions ample room to mount a 16-point comeback behind the leg of kicker and former Texans player Jake Bates.

Even with an 8-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter, Houston’s inability to emphasize the run game with Joe Mixon, who averaged less than 2.0 yards per attempt.

But Stroud, who threw two interceptions, admitted he could have done more and took ownership of the heartbreaker at home.

“I got to be better in those moments,” Stroud said Sunday evening. “It’s really just got to go down and score in the red zone and defense is getting the turnovers like they were, so got to be able to reward them with points.

“I’m the one to blame when it comes to that. Turn the ball over in the red zone.”

The first half of hope led to a second half of sorrow. Stroud, who connected with John Metchie III for a 15-yard touchdown with 12 seconds remaining in the first half, was in his element.

He had only missed three passes and notched up over 175 passing yards.

But games aren’t won in the first half. As the Texans headed out for the third quarter, momentum shifted from the east over to the west.

Stroud tossed two interceptions, both forced by Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III, to begin the second half. His second interception came on a play to the end zone on a pass intended for wide receiver Tank Dell.

“If you take those plays away, and I throw Tank a good ball on that one play, the game is flipped over,” Stroud said.

Goff, who lost ground in the MVP race, kept the offense afloat enough in the second half to win a gusty road game. Detroit improved to 8-1 and kept its lead in the NFC standings as the conference’s top contender.

The Texans, who now fall to 6-4, find themselves on the wrong side of history, becoming the second team since 1933 to lose a game in which they caught five interceptions and led by at least 15. Previously, teams were 373-1-1 when leading by at least 15 and snagging five interceptions.

“Definitely should have won this game,” Stroud said. “My job is to lead the offense to score points, and I didn’t do that today.

“We really should have put them away after the first half. It’s really on the offense.”

Stroud finished 19-of-33 for 232 yards, one touchdown and those two interceptions.

“It’s not good enough. Turning the football over there, especially in the red zone, or coming out,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We talked about getting started in the second half, and we talked about being better in the second half.”

The Texans will have eight days to regroup before traveling to AT&T Stadium to take on a struggling Dallas Cowboys squad on Monday Night Football.

Analysis: Texans allow double-digit comeback in home loss against Lions

The Houston Texans were on the wrong side of history following Sunday’s loss against the Detroit Lions.

Stunned.

Shocked.

Sadly, not surprised.

Even after forcing five interceptions against Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, the Houston Texans couldn’t get out of their way in the second half.

They allowed a 19-0 swing capped off with a 52-yard field goal from Jake Bates to help Detroit secure a 26-23 walk-off comeback.

The Texans, which ended their undefeated streak at home, have lost three of their last five and haven’t scored in the second half since Week 6’s win over the New England Patriots.

Goff, who likely lost his claim in the MVP race, won the game. That’s all that matters in the end since Detroit remains a game ahead of Minnesota, Washington and Philadelphia in the NFC standings.

The former No. 1 overall pick struggled from the get-go, as his opening drive resulted in a Jimmie Ward interception. Three drives later, another pass was batted at the line of scrimmage, only this one leading to a Henry To’oTo’o interception.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t miss for the first 30 minutes. After connecting with Tank Dell and John Metchie III for first-down gains, Joe Mixon secured the 7-0 lead with an 8-yard touchdown run.

Stroud later found Metchie for a 15-yard score, the first of the former second-round pick’s career. Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled three kicks, helping Houston secure a 23-7 halftime lead.

That was the final positive of the night from Houston’s offense, but Detroit was getting started. It took two more interceptions from Goff to finally get on the same page, but the Lions’ defense returned the favor.

Stroud was picked off on the opening play of the third quarter. After Goff returned the favor, he eventually led the Lions downfield on a three-play drive capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery.

Stroud, who finished with 232 passing yards and a touchdown, tossed his second interception to Carlton Davis III on an intended touchdown pass to Tank Dell.

The Lions responded two drives later with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Bates, who previously played for the Texans, drilled a 58-yard field goal with 5:01 remaining.

Fairbairn could have sealed the game with a 59-yard attempt, but the kick went wide left, giving the Lions the ball at midfield. Goff found St. Brown for an 11-yard gain, forcing the Texans to burn their final timeout while setting up Bates’ field goal.

Goff’s five picks were the most by an NFL player since fellow former No.1 overall pick Jameis Winston, who threw five on Oct. 13, 2019, against Carolina while with Tampa Bay.

He finished with 240 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Stroud’s two interceptions mark the second multi-turnover game of the season and third in his career.

Rookie cornerback Kamari Laisster, who left with a concussion in the third quarter, recorded two interceptions. Fellow rookie defensive back Calen Bullock extended his team-leading turnover total to four with a pick in the third quarter.

Metchie led the Texans with five catches for 74 yards. Mixon finished with 46 yards on 25 carries.

Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 71 yards, while tight end Sam LaPorta led Detroit with three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

The Texans, who had 10 days to prepare for Week 10’s matchup at home, will have eight days to reassess and regroup before traveling to AT&T Stadium to take on the Dallas Cowboys.

Texans receive best news possible on WR Nico Collins’ status vs. Lions

Nico Collins is officially off the injured reserve and could be in line to start on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Nico Collins is back.

The Houston Texans officially activated the fourth-year pass-catcher injured reserve to the active roster, the team announced Saturday.  As a result, the Texans have waived former cornerback D’Angelo Ross.

While Collins might be on the active roster, the Texans are listing him as questionable for Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Detroit Lions. Should he pass all the tests during pregame drills, Collins is expected to play as the team debuts their new “Battle Red” jerseys.

Collins, who’s missed the past four games, would be a welcomed addition to the passing game now with Stefon Diggs on the injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL in Week 8.

Before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5’s win over the Buffalo Bills, Collins led the league with 567 receiving yards. He also ranked third with 32 catches and led the Texans with three touchdowns.

During the first quarter of Week 5’s outing, Collins came up pulling his leg after scoring on a 67-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud. He immediately headed to the locker room and did not return. On Wednesday, the Texans placed on the injured reserve, sidelining him through October.

While the Texans still have problems on the offensive line, adding a second target alongside Tank Dell could upgrade C.J. Stroud’s tempo when facing a potent Lions’ pass rush. Last week against the New York Jets, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year was sacked a career-high eight times.

Dell was the only consistent weapon, totaling six catches for 126 yards. John Metchie III, Cade Stover and Xavier Hutchinson didn’t record a reception on 11 targets.

The Texans are being cautious with Collins’ return. He returned to practice on Friday for the first time in nearly a month, but the final day of the week is more of a walk-through.

Even if Collins were to be active, it’s hard to imagine him as a focal point of the passing game in the same fashion as before the injury. Dell should remain the go-to weapon, but Collins’ impact on the field would take pressure away from the second-year target.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

Texans making offensive line switch before Week 10

The Houston Texans are quite literally having a changing of the guard before Week 10.

The Houston Texans are making a switch on the offensive line.

According to KPRC2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, the Texans plan on moving center Juice Scruggs over to left guard in place of Kenyon Green.

Jarrett Patterson, who replaced Green in Week 8, is expected to start at center on Sunday night when the Texans play host to the Detriot Lions on primetime.

Scruggs, who started eight of nine games this season at center, has experience playing left guard. The second-round pick out of Penn State played seven games at left guard as a rookie while helping the Texans secure their first divisional title in four years.

And Patterson, who cleared concussion protocol earlier this week, was a two-year starter at Notre Dame before switching over to guard his senior season.

The goal is simple: protect quarterback C.J. Stroud. The former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has already been sacked 30 times, which is second-most in the league. Last week against the Jets, Stroud was sacked a career-high eight times.

Even after Green was replaced by Kendrick Green, the offensive line was hindered by concerns when defending interior pressure.

Patterson’s experience at center and Scruggs’ past at left guard could benefit Houston defending the Lions’ front seven, which has struggled to create pressure since the loss of Aidan Hutchinson.

According to NetGenStats, the Texans lead the NFL with 151 pressures allowed.

“We just have to be better at every level,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said. “Upfront there are technique and fundamental stuff and just execution of what we are doing, but it goes beyond upfront it is every position in the pass game right now.

“We have really fallen off the last five weeks, so we have kind of honed in on ourselves with what we have to do to grow fundamentally, technique wise. We are where we need to be, we just have to execute it better.”

Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

Texans add offensive lineman to practice squad before trade deadline

The Houston Texans are bringing in another offensive lineman before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon.

The Houston Texans might not have added a top-level offensive lineman before the trade deadline, but they’ve added at least one new member to their trenches.

According to KRPC2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, Houston signed former Tennessee starter Jerome Carvin to the practice squad. A former member of the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs, Carvin has experience at both guard and center.

A two-year starter for the Volunteers, Carvin played left guard and center for the Bears in the preseason. He posted a 72.0 overall Pro Football Focus analytics grade.

https://x.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1853447385831055718

The Texans need depth in the interior offensive line in the wake of struggling starting left guard Kenyon Green dislocating his shoulder and is slated to be placed on the season-ending injured reserve. Fellow offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson remains in concussion protocol.

The Texans (6-3) return to NRG Stadium to take on the Detroit Lions this Sunday at 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally broadcast on NBC.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud hopes Jets loss is ‘a wake-up call’ for second half

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud hopes that Thursday’s loss against the New York Jets is a “wake-up call” for the rest of the regular season.

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud is leaving Thursday’s 21-13 loss against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

He won’t forget the lesson learned amid one of his worst outings as the Texans enter the season’s second-half push.

“This is definitely a great wake-up call for us to tighten up the ship,” Stroud said late Thursday evening.

The Texans might sit at 6-3, but they looked like a 3-6 roster for most of Thursday’s outing against Aaron Rogers and the Jets. Stroud said he was “embarrassed” by the performance, calling himself out for failing to meet expectations.

Stroud wasn’t the solution, but also wasn’t the only problem on a night where things from mediocre to unwatchable by the final drive. He completed a career-worst 37% of his passes for 191 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

“To come out here on a prime-time game and get embarrassed, that is never fun,” Stroud said. “We have to be better in a lot of areas, and it starts with me.”

He was also sacked a career-high eight times and only converted once in four red zone trips.

“We give up eight sacks, and every dropback and pass situation looks like we’re in scramble mode, so it’s just not good enough,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We can’t operate on time, and we got to get that fixed. Anytime you get sacked that many times, it’s not good enough. Don’t want a quarterback getting hit as many hits as he took.

“We got to adjust.”

The passing game was putrid but also limited. With Nico Collins (hamstring) and Stefon Diggs (torn ACL) sidelined, Houston turned to a trio of Robert Woods, John Metchie III, and Xavier Hutchison as secondary options behind Tank Dell.

Dell delivered, hauling in a season-high six passes for 126 yards. Woods caught a pair of passes for 44 yards, including a 32-yard pickup to set up a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal.

Six other receivers were targets but didn’t record a catch, though Stroud took credit for taking too long to go through his progression.

“I got to be able to get it out, get it to No. 1 if No. 1 is there, No. 2 if No. 2 is there, get through my progressions,” Stroud said. “So it’s not just on them. It’s on me as well.”

The receiving game was timid, but the pass protection felt pedestrian. Stroud took 11 total QB hits and pressured on 46.7% of his dropbacks. Since Week 7, the second-year passer has been pressured on 42.5% of dropbacks and sacked a combined 17 times.

Houston still had a chance to win after taking a 7-0 lead at halftime behind a Joe Mixon 4-yard touchdown run. Rodgers found a connection with Garrett Wilson for a pair of touchdowns on back-to-back drives to begin the third quarter.

Fairbairn also missed a pair of kicks that shifted momentum and left Houston struggling to find points. By the time Rodgers connected with Davante Adams in the fourth quarter for his first touchdown in a Jets uniform, the Texans were out of luck.

“This is now playoff football, it’s November-December, this is the chunk of our schedule, a lot of great teams we are playing on primetime and we got to be able to find ways to win,” Stroud said.

The Texans hope to fix their woes with the elongated weekend before facing off against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.”

Quinnen Williams was the dark cloud over C.J. Stroud, Jets defeat Texans 21-13

Quinnen Williams was the dark cloud over C.J. Stroud, Jets defeat Texans 21-13

New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams had his imprints written all over his team’s victory on Thursday night. With the Houston Texans frequently in plus territory, Williams and Jets defense unleashed everything they had in the tank to keep quarterback C.J Stroud out of he end-zone.

Stroud had a dismal night trying to attack the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL. Through 30 attempts, Stroud completed just 11 passes for 191 passing yards, and he was sacked eight tines.

With muddy looks for Stroud, Williams did his diligence in the pass rush, tallying 1.5 of those eight sacks on the night. Williams’ pressure and strip sack stopped a promising Texans scoring drive in the first half, setting the tone for relentlessness on defense the entire evening.

While the Jets did allowed running back Joe Mixon to get off, their ability to stall the Texans drives turned out to be a crucial component needed to help them stop their losing streak in front of their home crowd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DB1zb_UxGdA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Watch: Texans RB Joe Mixon scores touchdown vs. Jets

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon found the end zone for the seventh time this season, capping off a 14-play, 98-yard drive.

On a drive that started at the New York Jets‘ two-yard-line, the Houston Texans marched 98 yards to score the game’s opening points.

Texans running back Joe Mixon was the star of the drive and he capped it off with a three-yard touchdown run.

Mixon totaled nine carries for 44 yards on the 14-play, 98-yard drive that ran 8:23 off the clock. For the game, Mixon has 85 yards on 15 carries. He has seven touchdowns this season.

Kendrick Green replaced Kenyon Green, who left with a shoulder injury, at left guard at the start of the drive. Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 3-of-4 passes for 51 yards, with the longest being a 32-yard connection with Robert Woods along the sideline.

Stroud also scrambled twice for 16 yards. He hooked up with Tank Dell for a 14-yard gain to convert a 3rd-and-12 to keep the drive alive.

Mixon is 15 yards away from his fifth 100-yard game of the season. He has crossed the century mark in each game he’s fully played. Mixon had just one 100-yard game in 17 contests with the Bengals last season.

The Jets will start the third quarter on offense.

Watch: Texans capitalize on Jets WR Malachi Corley fumble

The Houston Texans benefit from a rare fumble forced without any tackle during an ugly start to the Thursday night football game with Jets

It’s been that kind of season for the New York Jets.

The good news? It’s benefitting the Houston Texans

On a well-designed reverse play, Malachi Corley went untouched 19 yards to the end zone, but right before he crossed the goal line, Corley dropped the ball and it rolled out of the end zone.

Due to the ball rolling out of the end zone, it is a touchback, meaning Houston gains possession. It’s been an ugly start for both sides, combining for less than 100 yards in the opening quarter.

New York’s snap at the Texans 19-yard line was the lone snap inside either red zone. Houston’s offense has done little while the Jets struggle.

Stroud has been under pressure most of the night and the passing game has struggled without receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.

Houston can activate Collins off the IR next week, while Diggs will miss the rest of the season an ACL tear.

Jets vs. Texans: Quincy Williams will need to mix it up with Joe Mixon

Jets vs. Texans: Quincy Williams will need to mix it up with Joe Mixon

Ranking No. 17 in opponent rush yards per game wasn’t the ideal plan for linebacker Quincy Williams and the New York Jets (2-6)  in 2024.

Still, Williams must help to nullify Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night in Week 9. 

Mixon had 102 yards on 25 carries versus the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, but on a short week notice, he’ll be challenged by a physical Jets defense.

With linebacker C.J Mosley still a question mark, Williams is the man needed to make an impact on defense versus the run.



Williams had eight tackles in a 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 8, working a heavy load versus a total of 31 running plays. Williams and the defensive unit should expect a similar offensive attack from the Texans (6-2) who are without star wide receivers Stefon Diggs (knee) and Nico Collins (hamstring) on Thursday.   

Expect Mixon and quarterback C.J Stroud to be highly operative in play-action. Williams must be able to diagnose the Houston offense pre-snap to be effective. If not, Stroud may shred the Jets with passing targets to tight end Dalton Schultz.

Ultimately, if Williams and the New York defense can force enough punts in a low scoring affair, they might be able to ride their home crowd into victory land to stop this never ending losing streak.