The Houston Texans' offense appeared to be finding its footing before running into a young, talented and ferocious Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 7. Suddenly, it's back to the drawing board for quarterback C.J. Stroud and the two-time reigning AFC South champions.
Stroud didn't mince words when addressing the media following the Texans' 27-19 road loss to the Seahawks, specifically regarding himself. The 24-year-old took full accountability for his squad's scoring ineptitude, acknowledging that their shortcomings begin and end with him. Nevertheless, he's ostensibly behind the curve, considering folks in H-Town realized this weeks ago.
C.J. Stroud says what Texans fans have been thinking out loud after loss to Seahawks
"I think first I got to point to myself and missing a couple [of] throws," Stroud told reporters. "I got to work through the pressure."
Seattle deserves credit for forcing the Texans into uncomfortable situations, and Stroud gave the Seahawks their flowers. However, the 2023 Rookie of the Year circled back to the point that the Houston will go as far as he can carry them.
"But I think it starts with me, and I've got to do a better job of distributing the ball better," Stroud stated. "You know, when I have good pockets, working them and making sure I'm getting the ball out on time and to the right guy, so I'll look inward. Then, there are some other things we'll watch film and get better at."
Albeit admirable, Stroud's self-awareness doesn't change the fact that many of the same problems persisted in the Texans' defeat to Seattle. Penalties, brutal offensive line play, a lack of explosives, a nonexistent ground game and perhaps above all, the signal-caller's inconsistencies. While it's easy to blame the less-than-ideal environment surrounding him for his variance, he's exacerbating the problems Houston is dealing with.
It's on Stroud to overcome roster deficiencies and elevate his group as the leader of the team and face of the Texans franchise. He's not doing that at nearly a high enough level right now; the disappointing result in Seattle was a testament to that notion. Houston needs more from him moving forward to have any chance of being competitive, especially after star wide receiver Nico Collins suffered a concussion.
Among 41 passers with at least 25 dropbacks this season, Stroud ranks 38th in off-target throw percentage (21.2). He's also 26th in catchable throw rate (73.6 percent).
Note: Stats courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite ($).