The dust has settled after a humbling loss and, now, the Houston Texans get set to face a reeling Jacksonville Jaguars team this weekend. It'll be the ultimate "get right" game, as they say. But, there are some things the Texans team needs to get right, and in a hurry.
After falling to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, there were plenty of angles to take with different narratives being written. Of course, at 2-1, no one should be panicking about the Texans at this point.
However, there are reasons to be a little worried, specifically about quarterback C.J. Stroud. And, actually, there is reason to be more than just a little worried.
What?
How dare anybody suggest the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year have faults, let alone significant ones.
Well, the proof lies ahead, and one particular group of NFL analysts took the time to point it out.
Jason Moore of The Fantasy Footballers went on a little tangent about Stroud during a recent episode, and while this is a fantasy-based conversation, the impacts on Houston's reality are stark.
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Moore went on to say this:
"He massacred bottom-16 defenses ... and against top defenses, he really, really struggled
C.J. Stroud still has plenty of work to do when facing tough defenses
Looking at the data, Moore isn't wrong. So far, Stroud has faced two tough defenses in Chicago and MInnesota, in back-to-back weeks. Stroud obviously struggled against the Vikings, throwing two interceptions, getting sacked four times and finishing with a QBR of just 25.4.
Let's not forget last year's playoff loss to Baltimore, where Stroud completed only 19-of-33 passes for 175 yards and finished with a QBR of 50.6.
In two of his final five games during the 2023 season, Stroud finished with a QBR of 18.7 and 8.4 when facing the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, respectively. In those two contests, his completion percentage was just over 50 percent and he was sacked nine times.
Now, were the Broncos and Jets good teams? Absolutely not, but their defenses were pretty good units at the time they faced Stroud and the Texans.
Already this season, Stroud has shown struggles against a pair of good defenses. That isn't to say the Texans can't win these games, but it's also an area where the young quarterback needs to improve. Houston is not going to get very far in the postseason if Stroud can't find a way to consistently beat good defenses.
Come the playoffs, he'll have foes like the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and those same Ravens he fell to just this last year. It is not going to get easier as the season goes on.