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The Houston Texans were unable to find the end zone on Sunday in their 14-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and their star quarterback C.J. Stroud made a blunt statement about his team’s performance.
“We didn’t deserve to win that game because we didn’t do the right things,” Stroud said, per CBS Sports. “When you come out in the NFL lollygagging, going through the motions, that kind of happens. I think we’ll be all right, but I think it’s a good wake-up call for us.”
A term like lollygagging is never what you want to be categorized as in the NFL, but being a leader in the locker room in his third season, Stroud knows what’s acceptable and what’s not on game day.
Houston was up in this game at halftime after Ka’imi Fairbairn managed to knock through three field goal attempts to make it 9-7. However, the Texans fell flat in the second half, getting shut out by the Rams as they turned the ball over twice and had to punt on other offensive possessions.
Stroud and the Texans’ offense have been a force since the Ohio State quarterback was selected second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, 265 yards of total offense is not what they had in mind to start the 2025 season, especially after winning the AFC South and a Wild Card Round game in 2024.
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Stroud went 19-of-27 through the air for 188 yards and an interception. Considering his last game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round ended without a touchdown pass, it is the first time in Stroud’s career he has gone back-to-back games without one.
So he is also holding himself accountable as well as his teammates.
“I love the confidence we have, but there’s a type of mindset of, ‘Did I do enough?’” Stroud continued. “I think it’s healthy, because you’ll probably do more. Just for me, preparing, I’ve got to do a better job, and I’ve also got to hold all of my guys accountable. And it’s the first game of the year. We got a lot of exotic looks we did not expect. They did, too. They made the plays. You can come up with a million excuses. We’ve just got to be better.”
Stroud burst onto the NFL scene in 2023 as the Offensive Rookie of the Year after putting up 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions over 15 games. His production took a slight dip last season after he threw for 3,727 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, the latter stat being something he wants to turn around in 2025.
So, this wasn’t a step in the right direction, but as Stroud said, there’s plenty of football left to play in 2025.
“Are you going to lay down, or are you going to go play? For me, I just try to go and compete as best I can and show those guys I don’t care who’s in there. I trust in you. I try to play as hard as I can to show them I’m there for them.”
The Texans will have their home opener on “Monday Night Football” next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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