What’s really behind CJ Stroud’s struggles and growing frustrations over Texans gaslighting
REALITY CHECK
28 November 2024
DeMeco Ryans needs to admit the truth about the offense. Composite Getty Image.
Coming off a frustrating loss to the Titans, the Texans head to Jacksonville looking to get back on track against the Jaguars.
With both CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans under the heaviest scrutiny of their tenure, a victory heading into the off-week after Sunday's game feels more critical than ever.
Stroud is taking heat for his uptick in interceptions, and Ryans is being called out for his refusal to admit that the offense is the main reason the team is losing games.
It's pretty amazing to see Ryans double down on the offense not being the problem when we know how pathetic they have been in the second half of games.
Here are some stats from PFF to put the issues with the offense in perspective:
In Houston's last 6 games, they have 1 second half TD, over 30 drives. Which was Joe Mixon's 1-yard TD in garbage time vs. Dallas.
They had 7 drives of 5 plays or fewer vs. the Titans.
The Texans have 56 punts on the season, 3rd-most in the NFL.
Only 3 times this season in the entire NFL has a team been unable to gain a single first down on the ground. Two of them are the Texans. Verses theTitans and Vikings.
Historic performances
There is clearly an issue. The Texans continue to lose games in historic fashion. Whether it's a game in which they sack Will Levis a whopping 7 times in the first half, or they find a way to lose to the Lions after intercepting Jared Goff 5 times. The Texans are making history, and not in a good way. If DeMeco and the team can't admit there's a problem with Bobby Slowik and his offense, how are they going to fix it?
Stroud's regression
It's apparent to anyone watching the Texans that Stroud isn't playing as well as he did last year, but it's not all on him. And anyone calling him "CJ Fraud" needs to have their eyes checked.
The pass protection and scheme have been atrocious in 2024, and as you can see from the stats, the running game has been bad too.
Joe Mixon has under 2-yards per carry in two of the team's last three games. The Texans o-line is also one of the worst run blocking units in the NFL, per PFF.
In the video below, we discuss some of the most impactful plays from the Texans' loss to the Titans. Stroud's interception where he underthrew Nico Collins, and the 3rd and 9 play with about 2 minutes left in the game before Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a short field goal.
Conclusion. The Texans scheme and the play of the o-line are much more at fault than Stroud.
On the interception, the Texans had 7 pass protectors to deal with 4 rushers, and Stroud was still hurried.
What happened? Here's the short answer.
Right tackle Tytus Howard gets beat and the defender falls at CJ's feet, making him step up. Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson lose a double team to the DT, which allows pressure right up the middle.
Right guard Shaq Mason runs all the way to the left edge to pick up the outside pass rusher. He barely got there in time and left a massive hole up the middle in the process. Mason also had help from a TE and RB. No doubt, CJ should have made a better throw, but he shouldn't have been under this much pressure to begin with.
On the 3rd and 9 play, Stroud had a free rusher in his face immediately and was lucky to throw the ball away. We get into more detail in the video about what caused the pressure and who deserves the blame for the play. Let's just say this was easily avoidable.
Finally, we share our game preview for this week's matchup against the Jaguars. If there was ever a week for the Texans passing game to take a step forward, this is it.
The Jags defense allows 28.7 PPG, which is 30th in the league. Their pass defense is dead last in the league, and they're 31st in completion percentage.
What does Vegas think?
The Texans are favored by four points, and the total is set at 43.5.
Don't miss the video above for the full discussion, our predictions for Texans-Jags, and much more!
How Houston Rockets hold the cards for a franchise-changing summer
May 8, 2025, 5:45 pm
It’s been a slog on the treadmill of mediocrity for the Astros thus far in 2025. Their 18-18 record heading into a weekend series at Daikin Park vs. the Reds is appropriate. Plenty of good teams will have similar stretches this season. The Astros have to prove that this year’s edition is a good team. Plenty of time for that remains. Reminder that the breakout 2017 Astros had a 74-game stretch over which they went 37-37. 162 games allow for a lot of ebb and flow. Of course, the 2025 Astros’ roster is not close in quality to that of the 2017 squad. The point isn’t that this team could be a 101-game winner but that the 88 victories good enough for a playoff spot last year are still quite plausible this year.
The Rockets achieved mediocrity last season after three seasons as a laughingstock. This season they made the leap to good. While curling up and succumbing to Golden State in the decisive game seven of their first-round playoff series was a disappointment, the Rockets are in excellent position moving forward. Where they go from here should be quite interesting,
OF COURSE the Rockets are going to explore trading Jalen Green. He is obviously their most physically gifted player, but his consistent inconsistency is exasperating. Green’s series against the Warriors was basically an embarrassment with the exception of his 38-point game two outburst. The other six games, a meager nine-point-two points per game. That Green is still just 23 years old means it is not near obligatory they move on from him as Green starts a three-year 105 million dollar contract extension. However, the state of his game and comparison to a few specific players cast enough doubt about Green’s ceiling that declaring him “untouchable” would be ridiculous. During the Golden State series, an NBA play-by-play guy who I think is very good overall once referred to Green as the “Rockets’ superstar.” Anyone, including Green himself, who calls him a superstar either misspoke, was caught up in a moment, or is clueless.
Jalen Green just finished his fourth NBA season. Fairness requires noting that his first two seasons were compromised by being on atrocious Rockets’ squads. That said, Green was on 41-41 and 52-30 teams the past two seasons. In neither of him did he shoot a league average percentage either overall or from behind the three-point line. He did approach the three-point league average of 36 percentage made with his 35.4. That Green is an 80 percent career free throw shooter gives hope the three-point shooting can further develop. Better shot selection sure would help.
Green was the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, one year removed from high school. The player taken ahead of him was Cade Cunningham who also played just one year out of high school before going NBA. Cunningham joined a joke Detroit Pistons team. Cunningham is a much better player than Green at this point.
Other shooting guards who played one year after high school then jumped to the NBA, who were markedly ahead of Green after four NBA seasons include Anthony Edwards (first pick in his draft class), and Shae Gilgeous-Alexander (11th), and Devin Booker (13th). In comparison to each Green is a disappointment, though certainly not a bust.
What is head coach Ime Udoka’s bottom-line belief in Green fulfilling his potential? My guess is that cup is not overflowing. The Rockets’ half-court offense simply is not of championship caliber. Can it evolve there with Green, or is he better used as a piece in a trade offer with other players plus draft picks for a Booker or Kevin Duran? The Phoenix Suns are a near assets-less mess of a franchise in dire need of a reset. Durant will be 37 years old when next season starts, but is still a tremendous offensive player who would be a gargantuan half-court offense upgrade for the Rockets. The Rockets have so much draft capital that offering two or three first round picks plus Green, Cam Whitmore, and another player or two to make the salary cap math work would A: not empty out the Rockets’ flexibility going forward and B: have to get the Suns’ attention. If I’m Udoka and General Manager Rafael Stone, I’m making the call.
Courtesy of the Suns, the Rockets hold what is currently the ninth pick in the NBA Draft. The draft lottery is Monday night. The Rockets’ have a three-point-eight percent chance of winning it and the right to make Duke freshman superstar (and Final Four loser to UH) Cooper Flagg the number one pick. There is a 13.5 percent chance the Rockets move up to pick two, three, or four. Otherwise, it’s ninth, or lower if another team or teams vault up the lottery board.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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