The Houston Texans went into Week 18 with one goal. They knew a win didn't matter since they would be the No. 4 seed no matter the outcome against the Tennessee Titans.
Still, they wanted their starters to play after DeMeco Ryans said they weren't good enough in Week 17. He never said they would play the entire game, but he clearly just wanted to see them get into a rhythm.
READ MORE: Titans make cold-blooded call on uniforms against Houston Texans in season finale
Ryans pulled C.J. Stroud from the game after one series, which was an absolute masterclass.
Stroud was 6-of-6 for 50 yards and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins. That capped off an 11-play, 69-yard drive to give Houston a 7-0 lead. That was his second completion to Collins on third down, the other being a toe-tapping reception for 11 yards on third-and-one.
Not only did Stroud sit in favor of Davis Mills, but Joe Mixon was also sent to the sideline. He went for 23 yards on the opening drive, allowing him to cross the 1,000-yard mark. Assuming he doesn't return, that will give him 1,016 yards rushing in his first season with the Texans.
For Stroud, he misses out on the 4,000-yard mark but did throw touchdown No. 20. This season hasn't been as strong as his rookie campaign but the series against Tennessee could be enough to increase his confidence heading into the Wild Card Round. Especially since he wasn't sacked, which hasn't been the norm.