By now, we all know just how rare of a season Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had as a rookie. It was one of the best rookie campaigns by a quarterback in league history, as Stroud led the Texans not just to the playoffs, but also a postseason win.
A year ago, most would have agreed the Texans' wide receiver room to be an issue, or a severe unknown, at best.
After what Stroud was able to do in showcasing all the talent they had in that room, it now looks like the deepest in the league. The second-year quarterback will have no shortage of weapons in 2024. But, if he is to follow up his stellar rookie campaign in proper fashion, Stroud may have to tighten things up just a little bit.
Believe it or not, based on a new set of analytical data from Warren Sharp, Stroud struggled with accuracy at times. He was just 23rd in the NFL in completion percentage, but was also near the top when it came to incompletions due to inaccurate passes.
highest rate of incompletions due to inaccurate passes:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 21, 2024
43.9% - Deshaun Watson
40.6% - Tyrod Taylor
38.8% - Trevor Siemian
37.7% - Bryce Young
36.7% - Lamar Jackson
36.2% - Jordan Love
36.1% - Trevor Lawrence
35.6% - C.J. Stroud
35.4% - Aidan O'Connell
35.0% - Kenny Pickett…
Only five full-time starters were worse than Stroud in this category, which is pretty surprising if you're a Texans fan. Sure, this team is as complete as it's ever been and the expectations are high, but not everything in Houston should be viewed through rose-colored glasses.
Is there too much hype behind C.J. Stroud and the Texans this year?
For a young quarterback like Stroud, the pressure is a lot to handle. To this point, though, Stroud has handled it all with class. His cool, calm and collected spirit helps guide this team, and they'll need him to continue operating in that fashion all year long if they're going to live up to the hype.
Houston is one of those offseason darlings, along with the likes of the Chicago Bears. Every year, there are a couple of those teams and, not every time do those squads live up to the billing.
The Texans' defense should be even better this year, after the offseason additions they've made and Year 2 under DeMeco Ryans. Meanwhile, the offense should continue to thrive through the air, but are the Texans going to have enough on the ground?
The run game might end up being this team's downfall. Joe Mixon hasn't played in the preseason and injuries have often been a question mark. Dameon Pierce is no where near who we thought he was a year ago. Is Cam Akers going to have to save the day at some point?
Hopefully, the rushing attack comes to fruition and helps support Stroud in a sufficient manner, because this team does, indeed, have what it takes to compete with the NFL's elite. There's a ton of pressure, yes. But, Stroud and his guys are ready for it.
Although the above stat is alarming, don't forget Stroud was second in the league (if we're counting Kirk Cousins' first place finish) in passing yards per game (273.9) and third in yards per attempt (8.2) in 2023. If he improves the accuracy even a smidge (prediction: he will), then this offense is going to be even better.