FACE OF THE FRANCHISE
Here's what to expect if the Houston Texans draft CJ Stroud
Apr 13, 2023, 4:55 pm
CJ Stroud seems likely to be the Texans' pick. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
With two weeks left until the 2023 NFL Draft, it sounds like the Carolina Panthers are zeroing in on taking Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick.
While rumors and speculations always ramp up this time of year, what would it look like if the Panthers indeed took Young and the Houston Texans opted to take Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick?
Having the second-option at quarterback in this year’s draft will cause a few certainties for the Texans. The first will be that Houston fans will be polarized on the decision to take Stroud. Some will feel like the Texans settled for a need and made the wrong choice, while others will argue the team ended up with the best prospect in the draft.
The next thing that will be unavoidable will be the comparisons.
From the moment all the quarterbacks leave Kansas City, especially for Young and Stroud if they go No. 1 and No. 2, their careers will forever be linked by not only the fan bases of their new respective teams but NFL followers all over the country.
When Young makes a dazzling play to help his NFL franchise, in this scenario the Panthers, fans will marvel at it and use it as fuel to support why he is the best quarterback in the draft.
Bryce Young showing off his clutch gene in the final moments against Texas. pic.twitter.com/GBdWJuCiGA
— Michael Rimmer (@avl_mike) April 11, 2023
When Stroud makes an impressive throw, you can bet there will be a “Stroud SZN” account on social media that will let everyone in Houston and the country hear about it.
C.J. Stroud does a great job getting away from the inside pressure and then finding Marvin Harrison Jr. for the score. pic.twitter.com/XuCjHH0Kks
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 11, 2023
When it comes to the actual Texans, they will do their best to put him in a position to succeed, beginning with trying to take pressure off him.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans has already put it out there. Regardless of who the team takes at No. 2, he is not going to put the weight of the world on his shoulders with pressure.
With veteran Case Keenum in the quarterback room, the Texans will hope he can offer Stroud guidance on how to navigate the NFL waters.
Considering that Keenum’s first ever NFL offense came from the same tree that offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will draw from — the Gary Kubiak, Shanahan system — he can also help Stroud with intricacies of the playbook.
Running backs Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary will be key in the success of Stroud if he is the team’s new QB1, and so will veterans like receiver Robert Woods.
With the plethora of draft capital the Texans have available, there will likely also be rookie prospects that stir up optimism for them to make plays.
At the end of the day, the biggest things Houston fans will look for if the Texans indeed take Stroud is proof. When the team took Deshaun Watson in 2017, it was clear the roster was filled with holes but the quarterback raised the ceiling of the program altogether.
While Stroud might not convert the Texans from a three-win team into a 13-win juggernaut, fans will be looking for plays.
Does he have an act for escaping a would-be sack, can he make an impressive throw on third-and-long to keep a drive going, and does he look better than the guy in Carolina and the two other quarterbacks — Will Levis and Anthony Richardson — while doing so?
There will be pressure. And that pressure will stem from a constant desire to have the No. 1 guy, even if Stroud is taken at No. 2 in this year’s draft.
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How these 3 critical factors could swing battle between Texans and Jets
Oct 30, 2024, 3:06 pm
The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime
BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.
Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.
Series record: Jets lead 7-3.
Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.
Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).
Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.
Jets player to watch
Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.
Key matchup
Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.
Key injuries
Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.
Series notes
The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.
Stats and stuff
The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.
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