made it clear that the defense gave up 32 points he didn't keep his end of the bargain.
That's why the Houston Texans are 7-5 afterwards at home.
Stroud, who threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, also threw two interceptions. He completed just over 60% of his passes and threw two interceptions, including one against on a scoring drive in the third quarter. He sacked for a safety with 1:17 left and nearly ran out of the back of the end zone.
Dan Orlovsky would have been proud. Texans fans are frustrated and Stroud can understand why.
“It's no secret that I didn't play well for my level,” said Stroud after the second home defeat in a row. “Everyone needs to look in the mirror and try to fix things. So that must be the plan for this week. Practice. Get better. Personally, I need to get better. We have to get better as a team.”
CJ Stroud asked what could be done to fix the small errors in the offense.
“You have to keep practicing, you have to keep playing. I mean, you tell me. I don't know. That's all I can do. Practice better. Play better. Meet better. Make everything better.” |
– Paul Gallant (@GallantSays)
Week 12 was the epitome of the Texans' season so far, as Houston enters its final game before the bye. An 80-yard kickoff return by Dameon Pierce set one up from Stroud to rookie tight end and former Ohio State teammate Cade Stover.
After being down 10, Houston responded with one to Nico Collins, then a 56-yard gain to the Pro Bowl receiver to set up a Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal.
Then, similar to the second half of the season, everything went wrong.
Stroud and John Metchie III were not on the same page with just over a minute left in the first half, leading to an interception and Nick Folk's field goal. The offense never reached the end zone and settled for two more attempts for Fairbairn while relying on the defense's performance.
But the final blow came on the Texans' second-to-last drive. Stroud connected with Collins for a 33-yard touchdown that would have given them a four-point lead, but the play was negated by an illegal motion penalty on Joe Mixon and Tank Dell.
CJ STROUD touchdown PASS TO NICO COLLINS IS RECALLED FOR AN ILLEGAL SHIFT
– Arye Pulli (@AryePulli)
Stroud said it was his fault that his teammates weren't prepared for the snap.
“I have to make the game better and make sure the guys are on the same page and even when we break the scrum, still communicate a little bit and make sure everyone is doing what they're doing,” Stroud said. “But it was my fault.”
Stroud will take charge of the offensive problems, but it's not all on him.
Houston's offensive line gave him a clean sack in the first half and allowed four sacks in the second half. This took into account the passing yards and completion percentage between the first and last 30 minutes.
CJ Stroud just pulled a Dan Orlovsky
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB)
Houston also couldn't play the football to save face. Mixon, fresh off a three-touchdown effort against the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football,” averaged 1.6 yards per attempt on 14 carries.
“They are a really good front. Really good front,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We knew that before the game. But it doesn't matter. Every front is good. You have to control the line of scrimmage.”
Houston has seven days to recover before traveling to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. It cannot afford to lose, but it cannot waste a strong defensive performance either.
The Texans tied their franchise records for sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (15) in a game. Safety Jimmie Ward intercepted Titans second-year quarterback Will Levis and returned it for a 67-yard touchdown. Kris Boyd caught a botched punt, putting Houston within Tennessee's 40.
Such trips aren't always promised, so Stroud is already preparing for film study on Monday and an intensive week of training.
“Everyone needs to look at themselves in the mirror and try to put things right,” Stroud said. “That will be the plan this week. Practice and get better.”
