C.J. Stroud holds himself accountable for Texans’ humiliating loss to the Ravens
C.J. Stroud had 1 interception and failed to score a touchdown as the Texans were left scoreless against the Ravens.
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C.J. Stroud (Image via IMAGO)
Christmas is meant to be a day filled with joy and celebration but for C.J. Stroud and the Texans, the festivities were marred by Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens who humbled them with a 31-2 performance. The quarterback was short-staffed heading into the big game and after a rookie season that will be remembered for ages, Stroud seems to have regressed.
With Stefon Diggs out for the season due to a torn ACL and Tank Dell out after last week’s scary knee injury, C.J. Stroud knew he had to step up. However, the game ended up being the worst defeat Houston had seen since 2021 as they failed to score a touchdown and a field goal.
C.J. Stroud’s performance took the energy out of NRG Stadium and the quarterback held himself accountable for this demotivating loss in his postgame press conference.
Probably one of my worst games of (my) whole career, came out flat, didn’t have any energy, just didn’t lead the offense the way I should’ve. Always gotta look myself in the mirror and be honest with myself. Just not good enough today. It is what it is. Can’t keep my head down and gotta keep going…
C.J. Stroud said
#Texans C.J. Stroud after the 31-2 loss to Ravens, “Probably one of my worst games of whole career, came out flat, didn’t have any energy, just didn’t lead the offense the way I should’ve. Always gotta look myself in the mirror & be honest w/ myself. Just not good enough today.” pic.twitter.com/BgWXeLEJQB
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) December 26, 2024
Fortunately for him, the Texans have clinched the AFC South and booked their ticket to the playoffs. The loss to the Ravens does not impact their postseason aspirations but it does come as a blow to their morale heading into the final week of the regular season.
C.J. Stroud has had a challenging sophomore season
After a stunning rookie season, Stroud has rather regressed. This season he has 3,677 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a QBR of 49.1 which is 25th in the NFL. While it would be natural to believe that this is the case because defensive coordinators have studied his game and had an entire off-season to prepare for him, other factors have made his sophomore year harder than the rookie season.
One factor is the Texans’ O-line. Stroud is the second-most sacked quarterback this season with 52 hits over 16 games. Before the man can breathe and have a receiver get open, he is often buried under a defensive lineman. The next is injuries to his receiver core. Losing Diggs was similar to cutting off an arm and now losing Tank Dell is equivalent to cutting off the other arm.
C.J. Stroud was sacked 5 times in the matchup against the Ravens. Now add a dominant offense led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry to the equation, it is the perfect recipe for disaster. Realistically, Diontae Johnson, whom the Texans acquired last week is Stroud’s best weapon and with just two weeks left for the playoffs, they cannot do much to this offensive line.
Related: Buffalo Bills O-Line gifted $50,000 Diamond MVP Chain to QB Josh Allen on Christmas
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Sumedh Joshi
(2235 Articles Published)