Texans QB C.J. Stroud: Have to 'be better as a football player'

Thursday night didn't go as planned for the Houston Texans as they fell to 6-3 after losing to the New York Jets.

The 21-13 loss was frustrating for several reasons. One was the missed opportunities. Houston not only fumbled in the red zone, but Ka'imi Fairbairn uncharacteristically missed two field goals. What was worse was the lack of protection for C.J. Stroud. The second-year quarterback was sacked eight times, one of which led to the red zone fumble.

Stroud took the high road, however, when asked about the game. He refused to call out his offensive linemen in public and blamed himself by saying "I gotta be better as a football player."

This isn't a shock considering Stroud has always been quick to take responsibility. It's also easy to agree with him if you only looked at the stat line.

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On Thursday, Stroud was just 11-of-30 for 191 yards. He missed several wide open receivers, including one to John Metchie that would have been a significant gain. Watching the game tells a different story.

Sure, Stroud should have connected on a couple of those throws but there were just as many where he never had a chance due to the pass rush. He rushed other passes as well, which is understandable given how quickly the defense was getting through.

Simply put, the Texans can't expect Stroud to "be better as a football player" if he can't stand in the pocket and make his reads. They need to do something about their offensive line with the trade deadline approaching or this won't be the last time Stroud is explaining a terrible stat line.