Tag: CJ Stroud

Offensive line has played key role in Texans’ success

The Texans’ offensive line has been an integral component in the success of Houston’s offense.

Over the last two weeks, the Houston Texans have been in “Win or Go Home” situations. They needed a Week 18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium to secure a berth in the NFL playoffs. In front of a national audience, Houston was able to grind out a 23-19 win and secure a spot in the postseason.

With a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars the next day, the Texans moved up from the seventh seed to the fourth seed and were named the 2023 AFC South Champions, which meant a home game at NRG Stadium in the first round. What awaited them was a rematch with the Cleveland Browns, who had embarrassed the Texans two weeks prior with a 36-22 victory.

Of course, Cleveland had the confidence and swagger heading into the game, remembering what had transpired the last time the two teams met. For Houston, it was another one of those games where their backs were against the wall, and many people outside of the city did not give them a chance to win and advance.

They shocked everyone but themselves in ending the Browns’ season with a 45-14 defeat in the same stadium they had been embarrassed in less than a month ago.

All the accolades thrown toward rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who combined for 538 yards passing and five touchdowns while not having a single turnover in those two games, are well deserved.

Yet, there is another crucial component that has allowed Stroud and the rest of the offensive skill players to be successful in those games as well as the season, and that is the play of the offensive line led by four-time Pro Bowl starter Laremy Tunsil, who has been a fortified brick wall in protecting the blindside of Stroud this season. This comes as no surprise since you can’t get to Stroud’s locker without passing by Tunsil’s, which is right next to his, and he also protects that.

What has gone unnoticed by many is how easily Stroud has operated in the pocket, and that is due to the play of Tunsil, rookie Juice Scruggs, Michael Dieter, Shaq Mason, and George Fant. All have done a solid job over the last month and a half to help the Texans advance to the AFC divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens.

“I think it is a credit to the group of guys who takes a tremendous amount of pride in doing whatever is asked of them, and they have never flinched,” offensive line coach Chris Strausser told Texans Wire. “Obviously, they are aware that they have a very talented quarterback playing behind them, and they take pride in keeping him clean.”

The Week 18 matchup against the Colts and wild card game against the Browns are a true testament to the grit and determination that the offensive line plays with going up against an Indianapolis defense led by the NFL’s leading tackler in linebacker Zaire Franklin and the NFL’s top-ranked Cleveland defense led by First Team All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. Stroud was sacked twice in those games, with both coming in the Colts’ game.

Over the last four games, they have allowed a combined six sacks, four of those occurring when Stroud was out for two games due to being placed in concussion protocol. The unfamiliarity of playing with backup quarterbacks Case Keenum and Davis Mills caused some of the timing to be off in the protection. Still, the Texans salvaged a 1-1 record during those games.

“Yeah, it’s been fun to see,” said Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. “Rarely has it felt like we’ve had a consistent five out there. It’s really been the whole offensive line room and how they’ve gone out and they’ve performed every week. They’ve understood and taken to heart that we’re going to do everything we can to make sure our quarterback doesn’t get hit. They care a lot about each other. They care a lot about the guys they’re playing with. They care a lot about the quarterback, and they make sure they do everything they can to put that on tape.”

Tunsil echoed those sentiments with a smile when Texans Wire asked him how the continuity throughout the season along the offensive line has played a significant factor in the team’s success. He also included the importance of the unit being so close and everyone having a voice, including the backups and injured players.

“I think we built that continuity in training camp,” Tunsil said. “To play on the offensive line, you have got to be close. We built that during training camp by always having dinners every Thursday or Friday. We are always talking to each other. It is personal and that is how we always treat each other. We just stayed consistent with our techniques and our drill work and that kept us close to each other.”

Heading into Saturday’s matchup against the Texans, many Ravens defenders were asked about playing Houston again and how much they have grown. Many questions were answered with Stroud’s name being involved, but outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy recognized the guys in the trenches for the Texan’s success.

“I think something that not many people have talked about is their O-line play and how well they have performed,” Van Noy told reporters this week. “[My] former teammate over there, Shaq Mason, is playing really, really good football, as well as [Laremy] Tunsil and [Michael] Deiter, their center. They are just doing a really good job, as a group, playing. So, I think, collectively, C.J. Stroud has kind of overshadowed some of the guys that have been playing really, really well. But they’ve been a really complete offense.”

ESPN NFL Matchup: X’s & O’s film on the Texans offense

Here’s an exclusive look at the Houston Texans offense with ESPN NFL Matchup.

Darius Butler from ESPN NFL Matchup took a look at the Houston Texans offense on film this week. They like to use misdirection to create advantages for their skills players.

Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik deserve credit for leading the Texans to such an impressive offensive showing versus the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild.

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The Texans will need to move Baltimore Ravens linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen if they want to be effective in the AFC Divisional. Stopping Texans HB Devin Singletary is essential in this game. Let’s take a look at more Texans film below.

Will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson finally silence the critics?

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson can redeem his post-season struggles and advance to the AFC Championship this weekend.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has played exceptionally in response to his five-year $260 million contract this spring. Will Jackson finally silence his critics by advancing to the AFC Championship?

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Jackson’s 1-3 record in the post-season is a stark contrast to his counterpart, Houston Texans quarterback C.J Stroud. Stroud is now 1-0, thanks to the Texan’s win in the AFC Wild Card.  Jackson complimented Stroud this week in the media but did so with an undertone that implied his aspirations.

Jackson knows that Regular season success won’t be enough for his critics to merit him the MVP award. The Ravens finished the season on a high note with locker-room celebrations and tons of raves in the media. It can be all for naught if they are one and done.

It is imperative that Jackson avoids turnovers and makes accurate passes against the Texans’ blitz. The Texans are allowing just 3.5 rush yards per carry this season. To counter the Texans’ run defense, Jackson may look for wide receiver Zay Flowers in 1-on-1 situations.

Ideally, the Ravens will want to avoid turning this game into an offensive shootout and sustain offensive drives to keep the home crowd engaged. Jackson must exemplify poise and precision to prevail. That is if he wants to advance to the AFC Championship.

How Jonathan Greenard’s encouragement has motivated Texans rookie C.J. Stroud

One small gesture from Texans veteran Jonathan Greenard gave rookie C.J. Stroud confidence to lead the Texans back to relevance.

After the season opening loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud sat at his locker, taking in all that had happened on the field. Stroud processes and analyzes football plays faster than most who play his position. His demeanor and body language told the story of what was going through his mind, and disappointment showed on his face.

One veteran player, whose locker was directly across from Stroud’s, started to notice what was going on and immediately offered words of encouragement to ensure the rookie that the Baltimore game was just one of many more to come.

Fourth-year defensive end Jonathan Greenard quickly told Stroud that he has the utmost confidence in him as long as he is at the quarterback position for the Texans.

Just that small gesture from a veteran on the team gave Stroud the self-assurance that he was meant to lead the Houston Texans back to relevance, a place they had not seen since 2019.

Fast forward four months later, and Stroud is headed right back to where he started his first regular season career game. But this time, he is coming in with a season’s worth of knowledge and experience as he prepares to face the Ravens for the second time this season in the AFC divisional game on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. Stroud also brings back the words of affirmation that Greenard gave him after the first game.

“I carry that a lot,” Stroud said during his weekly press conference. “Me and ‘J.G.’ [Jonathan Greenard] are constantly talking. He’s a heck of a leader, man. He’s a heck of a person and a great player. Just that moment right there, I haven’t lost a lot of games in my career, so that definitely wasn’t fun, and I was really upset about a lot of different things, so he was really good for me in that moment just to calm me down and just tell me, ‘Man, we can see these dudes again,’ and lo and behold, we do.

“So, just having vets and people who you can lean on in those types of moments it means everything because you know they have your back through thick and thin. So, I appreciate ‘J.G.’ and my whole team because they’re all really like that.”

A lot has transpired since that 25-9 season opener loss for Stroud and the Texans. He put up astronomical rookie numbers this season, passing for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games. Houston won the AFC South for the first time since 2019 and hosted an NFL playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, who embarrassed the Texans 36-22 in their first meeting. Stroud missed that game as he recovered from a concussion that he suffered two weeks prior against the New York Jets.

Stroud, 22, made sure that the Browns would not have a repeat performance against the Texans at NRG Stadium like they did in Week 16. His 274 yards passing and three touchdowns in the 45-14 blowout made him the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game. He also tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game (3) and became the first rookie in franchise history to throw for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game.

“He has been that guy to keep that light going for us,” said Greenard to the Texans Wire when asked about the growth of Stroud since the first game of the season. “Everybody else continues to rally around him and pick him up as much as possible because we understand what he can do when he has the ball in his hands.

“On the defensive side, we are always talking about getting him more opportunities and getting seven [Stroud’s jersey number] the ball. That offense, once they can make some things happen. So, all we do is try to make sure we instill confidence in him. He instills confidence in us. Once he gives us that nod back once we are all looking at each other, that makes us all feel good because our leader and our guy can go out and change the game is riding with us and we are definitely going to ride for him.”

Greenard, who leads the team in sacks with 12.5, knew that Stroud was a special person from the moment the Texans drafted him with the second overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Going up against him in training camp, Greenard knew that Stroud had the talent to lead this team to exactly where they are right now.

“I would say that I am surprised, but I am not, but I am just because to this capacity we are seeing him put up historical numbers that no one has ever seen before,” Greenard said. “I have been blessed to play with great quarterbacks. In college when I played with Lamar (Jackson), you would never know he had all the accolades he had with the type of player he is and the type of person he is.

“Same with seven (Stroud). You will never know he is the best rookie quarterback to ever play. You would never know these things because he is such a humble kid and a guy who just wants to play ball and make everyone else better.”

Ranking all 8 NFL quarterbacks (Josh Allen! Patrick Mahomes!) playing in the 2024 divisional round

From superstars to Baker Mayfield, here’s our ranking of the NFL’s divisional round quarterbacks.

This time of year in the NFL, quarterback play reigns supreme.

Judging by the slate we’ve received for the divisional round coming this weekend, quality quarterback play can come from very different and very distinctive backgrounds.

The NFC side of the postseason field features two former No. 1 overall picks (Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield), a Mr. Irrelevant last draft pick (Brock Purdy), and a developmental prospect (Jordan Love) who sat behind a selfish egotist for nearly half a decade. And one could reasonably argue that the former top draft selections are the worst of the bunch. Go figure.

In the AFC, we’ve got two future Hall of Famers (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen) meeting up for another surefire instant classic, the greatest rookie quarterback in history (C.J. Stroud), and a former unanimous MVP (Lamar Jackson) enjoying a resurgent season for the top overall seed. This final four has never screamed “pick ’em” more.

What’s clear about all eight quarterbacks left in this year’s NFL playoffs is that there is no exact science to finding your franchise guy. You might select them at the top of the draft. You might use a throwaway pick at the end of the draft and get extremely lucky. Heck, you might just focus your efforts on a reclamation project because you’ve got the time and energy. There is no right or wrong answer when trying to find a good quarterback.

Whatever works to find The Man, right?

Ahead of what should be a bonkers postseason weekend, let’s take stock of the divisional-round quarterbacks left. That’s right. Let’s make a totally definitive ranking of the NFL’s cream of the crop under center.

The Texans went all-in with DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud and won

The Texans’ future is so bright with DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud.

DeMeco Ryans has been around the NFL for nearly two decades as a player and a coach. He’s worn every hat — from being in charge of quality control to coordinating the defense — and has shined incandescently amongst his peers. At this stage, one thing is apparent about the 39-year-old Houston Texans’ leader: everything he touches, and I mean everything, turns to gold.

King Midas, eat your heart out.

The Houston Texans weren’t supposed to beat the Cleveland Browns on Saturday afternoon. Despite an AFC South division title and a home playoff game, the Browns were favored, the experienced team who was about to show Ryans’ young Texans the ropes in a tight postseason atmosphere. Even the NFL might have inadvertently endorsed the Texans’ low voltage by placing them in the sleepy afternoon timeslot. There were likely few souls outside of Houston’s city limits who believed in this team continuing its season.

By the time the game clock showed all zeroes, with a dominant 45-14 score in favor of the Texans, that narrative was dead. It’s all thanks to Ryans and his golden touch.

The Texans are in the Divisional Round for the first time in half a decade because they believed in Ryans. They gave the former elite San Francisco 49ers’ defensive play-caller a six-year contract from the jump because they saw his potential and the impact he could have on their players. They pushed all their chips in on one of the finest young coaches in the sport because they wholeheartedly trusted his process, his decision-making, and his uncanny ability to steer a ship through rough waters.

We’ve seen it all season long, but Saturday’s emphatic performance in a playoff setting was an exclamation point. The Texans’ faith in Ryans was not misplaced. At all.

Let’s set aside Ryans’ evident impact on game day for a second.

Even while he seems the perfect leader for a young “rebuilding” team, Ryans set the Texans’ success into motion the moment they selected CJ Stroud (274 yards, three touchdowns on Saturday) and Will Anderson (one sack) in last year’s NFL Draft. Oh, and lest we forget, he also hired Bobby Slowik — perhaps the premier head coaching candidate this cycle — to develop Houston’s quarterback. Gee, I wonder who was instrumental in helping Stroud enjoy the best rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history?

It’s not rocket science, folks.

Support your signal-caller properly from the outset, and they will shine.

In one offseason, the Texans nailed their head coach and offensive coordinator hires. They had the faces of the franchise on offense and defense. Put another way, Houston landed a Coach of the Year frontrunner, who then brought in a blazing hot head coaching candidate to coordinate his offense, and they added the likely Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in one giant swoop. There are grand slams and there are moon shots into the stratosphere.

Ryans’ personnel masterstrokes for the Texans would qualify under the latter distinction.

No matter who the Texans play next weekend, they will likely be underdogs again. That’s just the nature of the beast when you’re not a traditional powerhouse. But underestimating what one of the NFL’s youngest teams can achieve in the bright lights of January would be a grave mistake. It would overlook Ryans, who has pushed all the right buttons for nearly a year. Why would he make a misstep now?

It would also discount what Stroud, Anderson, and Co. are all capable of together. It’s worth wondering whether this might only be their floor, not their ceiling. These Texans seem certifiably special in every meaningful way.

Saturday afternoon’s humiliation of the Browns was a statement. Ryans’ Texans are here to stay. Even if they fall short of a Super Bowl victory this year — which suddenly seems much more feasible — this feels like it’s the beginning of a franchise on the ascent. This felt like the start of an extended run as an AFC powerhouse for a decade or more. This could have been the Texans’ breakthrough moment into consistent prominence.

Everything Ryans touches turns to gold. No wonder the Texans are cashing in.

NFL fans mock Panthers during C.J. Stroud’s phenomenal Wild Card performance

The Panthers caught some strays throughout C.J. Stroud’s sparkling (and victorious) playoff debut.

The Carolina Panthers aren’t even playing anymore and they’re still getting the business over on Twitter.

On Saturday, No. 2 (not No. 1) overall pick C.J. Stroud became the first rookie quarterback to win a playoff game in almost 15 seasons. He led his Houston Texans to a dominant 45-14 Wild Card Round victory over the Cleveland Browns, passing for 274 yards and three touchdowns in a near-perfect performance.

And the 2-15 Panthers, who passed up on Stroud this past April, caught some strays throughout the stellar showing . . .

NFL fans enjoyed the Texans getting the Saturday afternoon Wild Card playoff game … again

The Texans will ALWAYS get the sleepy Saturday afternoon playoff game.

It doesn’t matter who their head coach or quarterback is; the Houston Texans are probably resigned to a tried and true fate. If they make the playoffs, they will likely be scheduled for the opening Wild Card weekend game on Saturday afternoon.

There are a few constants in life.

Death, taxes, and Houston getting the sleepy NFL playoff game everyone is seemingly half-watching before the main course. And folks, there’s precedent for this statute.

During the Matt Schaub era, the Texans, of course, opened Wild Card Saturday. During the Deshaun Watson era — who once faced more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and engaged in what the NFL itself would later call “predatory behavior” — they opened Wild Card Saturday. So it’s only natural that CJ Stroud’s exciting iteration would enjoy the same fate as the Texans battled Joe Flacco’s Cleveland Browns.

NFL fans noticed this delicious irony about the Texans getting their usual non-marquee playoff timeslot with likely the least amount of attention on it.

Which AFC Wild Card teams should the Ravens fear most?

The Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans may pose a threat to the Ravens perfect season in the AFC Playoffs.

If the No. 1 seeded Baltimore Ravens aren’t careful, they may be on upset alert. Which AFC Wild Card team poses the most significant threat to their season?

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud credits his mother after big win vs. Colts

One special connection helped center Texans rookie C.J. Stroud in the biggest game of his young career.

INDIANAPOLIS – – Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has a pregame routine that he dislikes breaking. He walks, stretches, swings a golf club, and takes a couple of pretend jump shots with a basketball before he picks up a football for warmup throws.

Having his headphones on makes it easier to block out all the stadium noises and allows him to focus on what will come once the game begins.

There is only one person he will break that routine for, and that is his mother, Kimberly Stroud, who has been at every big game of C.J.’s career, and there was no way she was going to miss the biggest game of his rookie season with so much on the line.

She wanted to be there. She needed to be there, along with his siblings, to let him know that they were in the fight together. Her from the sidelines and him on the field.

That is why there was no surprise when he stopped his routine after he spotted her behind the ropes on the sidelines during his pregame warmups. As he had done so many times growing up, Stroud ran over to his mom with a massive smile and embraced her. She returned the hug, letting him know that everything would be okay. No matter the game’s outcome, she was there and would be rooting him on from the sidelines.

Knowing that she was in the building gave Stroud all the confidence he needed as he helped lead the Texans back into the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2019, with a 23-19 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. If the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Houston will be crowned AFC South Champions and host a playoff game at NRG Stadium.

“I kept looking at her,” Stroud said after the game. “More times than not, I don’t be finding her. She was so close I could hear her. She prays. Honestly, when I look up and I see her praying, it just gives me a sense of comfort, a sense of, like, my mama is praying for me. It’s got to go good.

“I love my mom to death. She’s so supportive of me. She’s been with me through thick and thin, and I love her to death. My sister as well, my brother, my other brother, Isaiah. I miss him. I love him. Just really all my support staff. Not my support staff. Excuse me. My supportive family, Caleb, my best friends back home, the city of I.E. (Inland Empire California).”

The prayers from Kimberly Stroud may have contained a little added request for success this game for her son, and they were answered early when he found wide receiver Nico Collins on the first play from scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown pass to give the Texans a 7-3 lead.

“We didn’t think they were going to be in that coverage, but Slow (Bobby Slowik) is a dog, man, Slow is our guy,” Stroud said. “He had a feeling we could hit them up top. Nico (Collins) did a great job creating separation. I tried to do my best to get it out there. Man, it’s cool just to see Nico just ball out. That was a special first play, man. Special.”

Stroud’s heroics weren’t done yet as he saved his best for last. With the game tied at 17 early in the fourth quarter, he knew that his team depended on him to come through significantly if they were going to live to play another week. The Texans’ second overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft has a mantra he lives by: “Pressure is a privilege.”

Houston faced much adversity in the 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive that resulted in a three-yard touchdown run by running back Devin Singletary to give the Texans the lead and the eventual victory. Two times, they needed 20 yards to get a first down to keep the drive alive, and Stroud completed passes to tight end Dalton Shultz and Collins, giving Houston more confidence that they could win the game. He did not have an incompletion, going 7-of-7 for 82 yards on that drive that consisted of over seven minutes.

“I told them before we went out there, I said, this is the most important drive of the year, and the look that I got back from my teammates, man, it was, like, let’s ride, let’s do this thing,” said Stroud, who finished the game with 264 yards passing and two touchdowns. “There was nobody holding their hat down on a previous play or anything like that. It was just like, man, let’s go win this game.

“Let’s do it. Every play, even we moved backwards, I think two or three times when we had two, three penalties, and we still persevered through that. I just think that’s the testimony to the work we put in, the type of guys that we brought into the system, our coaching staff. They called a great game. Just a multitude of our organization just putting it together. I’m just blessed enough to be a part of it.”

As she waited patiently for her son to finish his postgame press conference, Kimberly laughed and smiled with her children. Once Stroud made the corner, she gave him the same motherly embrace that they had shared pregame, but this one was a little tighter, given the adversity he had overcome in his life and finishing his rookie regular season in the NFL helping lead a franchise that had been in shambles the past three years reach the postseason.

“Most of the people who have poured into me as a kid to see me do what I’m doing now, it’s a tremendous blessing,” said Stroud, about the tremendous support he has received throughout his journey to the NFL.