Monday night feels very big for the Texans.
Houston Texans C.J. Stroud Sends Message Following 2-Game Losing Streak – Caleb Skinner, Sports Illustrated
Despite their losing skid, Houston’s quarterback is still going to be aggressive.
The Houston Texans currently own a 6-4 record but they haven’t quite taken off and become the team that many expected them to be before the season began after having one of the best offseasons in recent memory. The Texans have now lost two straight games to the Detroit Lions and New York Jets but remain two games up on the Colts in the AFC South.
Houston’s offense has looked like they are playing not to lose rather than to win the game, making them look tight and pressured when that side of the ball is on the field. Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans wants to see more from his offense and that starts with Stroud being able to play loose and have fun while doing so. When talking to the media, Stroud commented on how Ryans’ words resonated with him.
“For me, I try not to only make plays but try to take care of the football and do the right thing to win the game and sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it don’t. So that means a lot. I am not only a game manager, but I can also be a game changer. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” Stroud exclaimed. “For me, I am going to keep the swag and kind of like what I told you all last year, Steph Curry can go 0 for whatever, but he is going to keep shooting. That’s me, I am going to keep shooting. I trust in myself and trust in the talent God gave me.”
The Texans have it in them to be one of the best teams in the league but they have a multitude of things to flush out on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily for them, they will get the struggling Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football to try and buck this recent losing trend.
McClain: Texans need victory over Cowboys to build momentum for stretch drive – John McClain, HoustonTexans.com
A win at Dallas would help the Texans get back on track for the homestretch.
Beginning Monday night, the Texans play four games in a row against teams that have losing records. The Cowboys, Titans, Jaguars and Dolphins are a combined 10-27.
The Texans have a comfortable lead in the AFC South. The Colts in second place with a 4-6 record, and the Texans swept the season series, giving them a three-game advantage over Indianapolis.
The Cowboys couldn’t care less about the Texans’ troubles because they have enough of their own. They have a four-game losing streak. They’re winless at home and getting outscored 38-15, including by 41-8 in their last two games. They’ve played a difficult schedule, going 1-5 against teams that currently have a winning record.
The Texans are a decisive favorite on Monday night despite two glaring issues. [C.J.] Stroud has been sacked 34 times, second in the NFL to Chicago’s Caleb Williams (38). Stroud is on a pace to be sacked 58 times. He was sacked 38 times as a rookie.
The Texans haven’t scored a second-half touchdown in five of their last six games, including the last four. They’ve scored only 15 points in the second half of the last four games. Never has that deficiency been more significant than Sunday night when they led the Lions 23-7 at halftime and lost 26-23.
“We have a bad taste in our mouth, and we’re ready to get back to work,” Ryans said this week. It’s important for us to fix us and play clean football.”
“We have the team to do it,” Stroud said. “We have the scheme. We have the players. It’s up to the players to put it on the field. We have to keep our heads up (and) get the problems fixed. I believe we’re still a great team that can do a lot of special things.”
They can start by beating the Cowboys in their third consecutive prime-time game to build some steam for the stretch drive that separates the contenders from the pretenders.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud staying confident amid tough stretch: ‘I can be a game changer’ – Eric Edholm, NFL.com
C.J. Stroud’s play has dipped recently, but his teammates still have his back.
The Texans have lost three of their past four games, and Stroud’s play has tailed off in that stretch. Over the past four games, he has completed only 53.7% of his passes — nearly 15% lower than his first six games — for 794 yards, two TDs and two INTs, currently sitting at 11th on NFL.com’s Nick Shook’s QB Index after making the top five earlier this season.
One reason for Stroud’s dropoff: He’s also taken 18 sacks in the past four games, compared to 16 in his first six games this season. Another factor is that Stroud’s top target, Nico Collins, has been out of the lineup since suffering a hamstring injury against the Bills in Week 5. The good news is that Collins has returned to practice and might soon be available in games for the Texans.
With a 6-4 record, the sky is not completely falling for Houston. The Texans remain in the driver’s seat for the AFC South crown. They currently sit as 95% likely to make the postseason, and a win Monday at the Dallas Cowboys would push them to 98%.
Stroud said his teammates have had his back and have been letting him know just that during this tough spell.
“One of the biggest things is, my teammates trust me,” Stroud said. “Me and Dalton (Schultz) talked the other day, and he has the utmost respect for me and I have the utmost respect for him, and I needed to hear that. That the team still rallies behind me, and still wants me to be at the helm and love me through the thick and the thin.”
