INDIANAPOLIS – Scanning the field, using his vision and trusting his reads and teammates, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud adapted on the fly Sunday and took what the defense gave him.
Stroud acknowledged that he had accumulated a bit of rust during his three-game convalescence from a concussion.
Although there were obviously a few throws the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year would like back and he didn’t have a touchdown pass, the result was what he wanted in a successful return to play during a 20-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Stroud overcame an interception when he threw into double coverage on a pass intended for wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. That was basically his only glaring error as the Texans climbed to 7-5 overall and boosted their winning streak to four games after backup Davis Mills went 3-0 standing in for Stroud. With a dominant defense, the top-ranked offense in the league backing him up, Stroud doesn’t have to work miracles. He just needs to run the offense smoothly and protect the football and make big plays when they’re there to be made.
“I feel like I knocked off some rust and am back rolling,” Stroud said. “Early on, I was a little rusty. They really didn’t give me any like big plays. Like they were taking a lot of stuff away. So, I thought I was very disciplined, checkdowns and getting the ball to where it had to go. Of course, the interception sucked. I got to just take care of the ball and put Hutch in a better spot and just flatten him out. But other than that, I thought I played really good. I thought, every opportunity I had with the ball, I thought I made the right decision, a couple plays I want back.
“I thought I did a really good job of taking what the defense was giving me. I think the type of team we have, I don’t have to be Superman all the time. I got to just do my job each and every play. I’m not going to be perfect. I’m never going to be perfect. I trust myself. I know my teammates trust me. That’s all that really matters.”
Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards, 75 more than Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. Stroud had a long completion of 29 yards to Nico Collins. He was only sacked twice and had a 75.4 passer rating.
While there’s room for improvement in his performance, it was definitely solid overall and very good at times.
Where the Texans and Stroud can get better is capitalizing on red zone opportunities. They went 2 for 3 overall. They were good on third down, converting 6 of 13 shots.
“I thought C.J. did a really nice job coming back after missing a lot of time,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I know some throws he would like to have back, but overall, I thought he managed the drives really well. We drove down.
“Of course, we want to score on some of those when we get down, we had to kick field goals. But, overall, for him coming back, not having played in a few weeks here, I thought he did a really nice job. If this is where he started, it’s only up for him. So, I’m excited to see how he continues to progress.”
Stroud spread the football around. He completed passes to six different targets. That included five completions to Collins for 98 yards on 10 targets, seven completions to tight end Dalton Schultz for 55 yards and five completions to rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins, who had a career-high 65 receiving yards.
“Man, it’s a blessing,” Collins said. “I’m glad my dog is back. You only get one brain. You’ve got to take care of that. But, man, just to come back to the game that he loves the most – it’s no better feeling. So, I’m glad my dog is back and he just keeps going.”
The Texans won their fourth one-score game after the season after going 0-5 in those situations earlier this season.
Heading into another key game next Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, the Texans are positioning themselves for a serious run at qualifying for the playoffs for the third year in a row.
“We’re super dangerous,” Stroud said. “We lost some close games against some really good teams. If we can find a way to win some close games after Thanksgiving, we’ll put ourselves in position to do whatever we want.”
Stroud improved to 4-1 all-time against the Colts with seven career touchdowns and one interception.
Over his past five games, Stroud has passed for 1,146 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He has 1,978 yards for the season with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. His statistics aren’t glowing, but he’s contributing to a winning blueprint.
“Yeah, I definitely think the offense as a whole, we’ve gotten better,” Stroud said. “We found our identity, I feel. And I think we’re starting to play well together. It’s a lot of new guys playing together this year, so we’re starting to get that chemistry down and that connection. You can see it play in and play out: route detail, play calls, and me getting the play in, organization of the formations and everything like that. So, I think we’re doing a better job at that. And then the execution has picked up.
“Not having a touchdown, it’s not like super cool, but it’s like we’re driving the ball down and then we’re punching it in. That’s the best feeling in the world. So, as long as we’re doing our job that way, and if it takes 40 plays or it takes two, like it is what it is. So, I think just being on our P’s and Q’s and executing at a high level is why you see a little bit of difference.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
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