How Houston Texans dominant performance means something much bigger
TEXANS ON TAP
25 September 2023
TEXANS ON TAP
The Houston Texans went into Jacksonville on Sunday as big underdogs and looking for their first win of the season. And CJ Stroud and company did not disappoint.
Houston won the game 37-17 behind another impressive performance from Stroud, who once again did not throw an interception. Stroud got the ball out quickly, and took a couple calculated deep shots to Tank Dell, that eventually led to 14 points for the offense.
Behind a banged up offensive line, Stroud managed not to get sacked, and appears to be the real deal after just three games. Houston's offense under Bobby Slowik looked faster and more crisp this week, which should have Texans fans excited about the growth of this young team.
In past years, this would be a situation where the Texans got too conservative, and let the opponent back in the game. It's early, but this feels like a new and improved version of the team. They were looking to win the game, as opposed to trying not to lose it. The coaching staff was comfortable relying on Stroud to pass the ball to put the game out of reach.
Scoring on a kick return certainly played a role in the victory, but that shouldn't overshadow Stroud's poise in the second half.
The running game struggled for most of the day, so Houston had to rely on their rookie QB to keep the offense on track. The most important development from the game has to be the realization that the Texans have found their franchise QB.
DeMeco Ryans' defense should also be commended for keeping Trevor Lawrence in check. They weren't able to sack him, but they kept enough pressure on him to hold their offense to 17 points, allowing the Texans offense to put the game away.
Be sure to watch the video above as we break down all the action from Sunday, and discuss just how bright the future looks with CJ Stroud taking snaps for the Texans.
Don't miss Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) every Monday on SportsMap Texans' YouTube channel.
Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and Jeremy Peña homered and drove in four runs as the Houston Astros defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 on Wednesday.
Houston earned just its second victory in seven games to snap Milwaukee’s three-game winning streak and leave both teams with .500 records. The Brewers were attempting to sweep a series from the Astros for the first time since 2012.
The Astros led 3-1 before Peña broke the game open by delivering a three-run homer to left off reliever Elvin Rodriguez with two outs in the sixth inning.
JP3-run bomb. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/En0XXWdlt0
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
Valdez (2-4) struck out seven while allowing three hits, two walks and one run to earn his first win since the Astros’ March 27 season opener. He threw a season-high 101 pitches.
The Framchise is all business.#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/J8EGGDk5gl
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
Milwaukee’s only run off Valdez came on Eric Haase’s fifth-inning homer, a 425-foot drive to center.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead off Quinn Priester (1-1) in the second inning as Jake Meyers hit a two-out single and scored on Zach Dezenzo’s double.
RBI double for Zach gets us on the board early! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/AilCY27A9d
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
The Brewers have lost all 13 games this season in which their opponent scored first.
Five-time All-Star closer Josh Hader worked the ninth while pitching in Milwaukee for the first time since the Brewers traded him in 2022.
The Astros led 1-0 and had runners on third and second with one out in the fifth when Peña hit a bouncer to third.
Safe all day. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/OVjcvev7cM
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
The throw home beat Dezenzo to the plate. Home plate umpire Chris Conroy initially ruled Dezenzo out, but the Astros challenged the call and replays showed the runner slid home ahead of Haase’s tag.
Valdez has now pitched at least seven innings an MLB-leading 57 times since 2020.
The Astros host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Scheduled pitchers are right-hander Hunter Brown (5-1, 1.67) for the Astros and right-hander Nick Martinez (1-3, 4.19) for the Reds.
The Brewers visit the Tampa Bay Ray on Friday. Left-hander José Quintana (4-1, 2.83) will pitch for the Brewers.