Although nobody in Houston was desperate enough to press the panic button amidst a slow offensive start that was largely responsible for an 0-3 start to the year, that's not to say there weren't legitimate concerns about the way CJ Stroud and this entire unit was picking up offensive coordinator Nick Caley's new system to begin the 2025 season.
CJ Stroud, who set the NFL ablaze during one of the greatest rookie seasons in league history, has been in a prolonged funk going back to the early weeks of his second NFL season. The re-tooled offensive line hadn't made meaningful strides, and behind 1,000-yard wideout Nico Collins, there was a steep drop-off in terms of the quality of play-makers Stroud had at his disposal.
"We did start off not ideal as an offense in the beginning, but I feel like that's the point of the season," Nico Collins explained, per Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated. "That's why we come out to practice every day to get better on the things we need to get better on. Continue to get better every day, man."
And get better they have. For as much of a struggle as the first three weeks of the season were, Houston's offense managed to bounce back in their Week 4 and Week 5 wins over the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. And while credit could certainly be given to that new-look offensive line, a reliable rushing attack or Nick Caley finally finding his groove, the success of the Texans offense begins and ends with CJ Stroud.
Nico Collins may know that better than anyone.
Nico Collins has nothing but faith in CJ Stroud
In the two games that followed the 0-3 start to the season, CJ Stroud has begun looking more like he did during his Rookie of the Year campaign. In those two victories over the Titans and Ravens, Stroud completed 45 of 55 passes for 478 yards and 6 touchdowns. His 139.2 passer rating in those two games combined was the best in the NFL in Weeks 4 and 5.
"He's doing good. 7's been doing what 7 does. Calm and collected in the pocket, making the right reads, and not forcing anything," Collins said. "That's what you want as a quarterback. Making the right reads, taking care of the ball, and controlling the offense. That's what he's done."
For Stroud to put up those sorts of numbers, you'd assume that Nico Collins would've been feasting on opposing defenses. However, that wasn't necessarily the case. In Houston's two wins this season, it's been a committee of Texans pass-catchers that Stroud has managed to get involved.
Player Name | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
Nico Collins | 8 | 131 | 1 |
Dalton Schultz | 10 | 90 | 0 |
Christian Kirk | 7 | 84 | 0 |
Jayden Higgins | 5 | 56 | 1 |
Woody Marks | 4 | 50 | 1 |
Xavier Hutchinson | 5 | 35 | 2 |
Jaylin Noel | 3 | 11 | 1 |
Brenden Bates, Harrison Bryant and Nick Chubb have all gotten involved as well, but you get the point, right? CJ Stroud is spreading the ball around and the Texans offense is much better for it. But make no mistake, the Nico Collins breakout game is coming, and that's the point in the season when it will truly feel like Stroud is back and at his best.