REALLY?
How latest Houston Texans disrespect might be the most egregious
Jan 19, 2024, 3:16 pm
Baker Mayfield over CJ Stroud? Composite Getty Image.
cj-meek
The last two weeks have been a coming out party for the Houston Texans and their startling rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
First they went into Indianapolis and defeated the Colts, 23-19, in a do-or-die game with the post-season at stake. The Texans victory flipped the switch from earlier in the season when the Colts came to Houston and beat the Texans 31-20. This time, Stroud, growing stronger and more confident by the week, went 20-26 for 264 yards and two touchdowns and the Texans were suddenly, improbably, logic defyingly in the playoffs.
Last week in the wild card round, the Cleveland Browns entered the game a solid 3-point road favorite only to get demolished, 45-14 by Stroud and the Texans in a final score that really wasn’t that close. Again the Texans exacted revenge for an earlier loss against the Browns. Stroud merely went 16-21 for 274 yards and three touchdowns in a hospital-grade surgical performance.
Still it seems that some football analysts didn’t get their invitation to the Texans party. Doubters may say, sure Stroud is putting up numbers, but look who he’s been up against? Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was a barely average journeyman, a stop gap at best. Browns quarterback Joe Flacco was a croaky quarterback whose dream bubble was going to burst at some point.
Maybe this is why ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky doesn’t have Stroud on his Top Five List of Scariest Quarterbacks Remaining.
1. Lamar Jackson
2. Josh Allen
3. Patrick Mahomes
4. Baker Mayfield
5. Jordan Love
Remember, there are only eight teams left in the Super Bowl running. Stroud doesn’t crack Orlovsky’s Top 5?
Here are the Vegas odds to win the Super Bowl.
1. San Francisco 49ers.
2. Baltimore Ravens.
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Detroit Lions
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Houston Texans.
Again, only eight teams are left in the Super Bowl hunt.
What will the doubters say if the Texans go into M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday and leave with a win to reach the AFC Conference Championship game? That would be unchartered waters for the Texans.
And what if Stroud outplays Jackson, who appears a lock to win his second MVP? Jackson isn’t a seat filler or creaky veteran living on a prayer. Jackson is a historically great quarterback in the full bloom of his prime.
The Texans are 9.5-point underdogs against Baltimore, the longest odds on the board. I get it, it would be a shocker if the Texans win and Stroud puts up his typically, ridiculously efficient numbers against the Ravens defense.
I’m not betting against them.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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