The Houston Texans are in the win column. After squandering an opportunity to beat an AFC South divisional foe this week, the Texans did not make the same mistake twice, handily defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 37-17.
As is the custom here at Toro Times, we identify three key takeaways from a dominant performance. What went right for the Texans? Did anybody stand out from the crowd?
Here are three key observations from the blue and white earlier this afternoon.
C.J. Stroud has his best game as a pro.
The start of the 2023 season has been a fun one for rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud, with his latest effort being his best as a pro. There was never a moment during this game where Stroud did not look in command of the offense.
The Texans offense displayed dominance against Jacksonville, and Stroud was a huge reason why. For the day, Stroud completed 20 of his 30 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. The 118.8 QBR that the rookie posted was the highest of his young career thus far.
Simply put, when you’re getting that kind of production from your quarterback, everything else falls into place. Stroud was a man on a mission today, and Houston was victorious because of it.
Tank Dell Excels
For all of the credit we give C.J. Stroud for a complete performance, how about rookie wide receiver Tank Dell? The 23-year-old paced the Texans wide receiver room in dominant fashion.
Dell led all receivers in targets (7), receptions (5), and yards by a wide margin (145 yards). The two recipients of Stroud's touchdown passes were the rookie and tight end Brevin Jordan.
Dell was a force to be reckoned with for the Texans and routinely gave Jacksonville secondary fits with his speed and athleticism.
Could this be a sign of big things to come? For Dell, this performance certainly warrants more targets in the Texans offense. He’s an exciting player to watch and will continue to grow alongside his fellow rookie signal caller.
We found the defense!
When it came to the defense of the Houston Texans, many were on the fence against their AFC South foes. Can this defense contain Trevor Lawrence? Will they be able to neutralize the run? How will the secondary fare without Derek Stingley Jr.?
For at least one week, all of those questions have resoundingly positive answers. Houston was able to negate any progress that the Jaguars attempted to make, forcing two key turnovers and allowing less than 300 yards of total offense.
Considering how the first two weeks went, this performance is a huge step in the right direction, especially against a team that is heavily favored to take home the AFC South crown.
Time to see how they will fare going forward.