4 things we need to see from C.J. Stroud this season to justify his Top 5 status

Top-5 offense

When it came to scoring points in 2023, the Houston Texans were pretty middle-of-the-road, sitting at just 13th place in the NFL. They averaged just 22.2 points per game, which was 7.7 points shy of the top-rated Dallas Cowboys. If Stroud is going to sit among the higher-rated quarterbacks beyond this offseason, he has to get the Texans to be a top-five offense under his guidance.

Yes, it'd be great if the rushing game was good and if the offensive line improved, but the facts are that the quarterback is going to guide the Texans to victory. So it's mostly on the quarterback to increase the team's overall offensive rating. If he can do that, then Stroud's ability to be a "without a doubt" top-five quarterback only increases.

Now, a lot of this depends on how Joe Mixon fits into the Texans offense and how well Dameon Pierce rebounds in year three. If both running backs help out enough, then Stroud won't essentially be doing everything himself.

Also, we want to emphasize that we're not worried as much about the yards gained. Just the points scored. That's the real baseline for a great offense.