C.J. Stroud didn’t have a tidy answer for why the Texans’ offense has gone flat through three weeks, but he was clear about one thing after Houston’s 19-17 loss to the Colts: the group has to play with more urgency and create more explosive moments.
“Honestly, it could be a Rolodex of things,” Stroud said of the Texans' offensive struggles post-game. “I can't really pinpoint it.
I've got to watch the tape. I just think we've got to be aggressive.
We can't just wait until the end.”
That was the tone after another frustrating afternoon for Houston, which fell to 0-3 for the second straight season. The offense never really found a rhythm in Indianapolis. The run game never got going, the passing attack was limited without Nico Collins, and the offensive line gave up three sacks on Stroud.
The numbers matched the eye test. Outside of Xavier Hutchinson, no Texans receiver had more than four catches or 50 receiving yards. On the ground, Houston managed just 3.0 yards per carry as a team, leaving the offense stuck in neutral even against a Colts defense that hasn’t exactly looked dominant this season.
Stroud said the Texans did fight, but that effort alone wasn’t enough to turn the game.
“But I believe that if we find ways to generate more explosives, flip the field, or just find points, those are the types of games that we can win. I thought we fought. But at the same time, there's a lot of things that can be fixed.”
The bigger concern is that this has become a pattern. Houston entered the week hoping to bounce back from a rough Week 2, but the offense again came up short. Now the Texans are staring at the same 0-3 start they had at this point last season.
Still, Stroud wasn’t sounding the alarm. He pointed to the locker room, the week of practice, and the belief that the team can clean things up.
“At the end of the day, we know who we are in our locker room,” Stroud said of the Texans' 0-3 start. “We know we'll hear noise all week...
But it's us in the locker room. I think my mindset was good.
I thought we had a great week of practice, but I think the production just has to go up.”
“We just have to give ourselves a shot. I thought our defense did great, and at the end of the game they gave us a chance.
But, that's the third time now, third quarter, just not going the way it needs to go. So, I believe we've been here before.
We can get this fixed, and we will.”
There’s at least some reason for optimism in the short term. The Texans expect Nico Collins back next week, they’ll return home in Week 4, and the defense has still looked comparable to last year’s unit.
Stroud said the group is not as far off as the record suggests.
“We're making plays. But we're getting guys back from injury.
I think that will help. But also just the fight that I see from our team.
We're not far, but also it doesn't feel that way because we're 0-3. I think for me, I have the utmost confidence.”
“You can call me crazy, I don't really care. But we've been here before. This is sadly something we can learn from what we did in the past, and do even better than last time.”
Houston’s next chance comes in Week 4 against the Cowboys, a home game against a Dallas team that brings a dangerous offense but also a defense the Texans may be able to attack if they want to build some confidence on that side of the ball.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Clutch Debate Just Took A Turn Bengals Fans Needed
Joe Burrows latest showing against Pittsburgh fit the familiar Bengals frustration chart: plenty of production, a strong statistical line, and still a loss after a late fumble swung the finish. In the aftermath, one of the numbers making the rounds was especially harsh, painting Burrow as 1-34 when trailing in the final eight minutes, a stat that quickly took on a life of its own among fans looking for answers about how he closes games.
Ryan Fitzpatrick pushed back on that framing, breaking down Burrows late-game drives and finding a very different picture. His review showed Burrow successfully tied or took the lead in 18 of 27 such chances, a reminder that the biggest clutch debate around Cincinnatis quarterback may be more complicated than a single ugly record suggests, even if the result in Pittsburgh left the conversation hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Head Into Jaguars Week With Two Major Lineup Questions
Cincinnati kept working through its prep for Jacksonville with the injury report still shaping the week. Dalton Risner is expected to miss the game because of a knee injury, while DJ Turner was limited with a hamstring issue, leaving the Bengals to sort through a couple of important lineup questions as they move toward Sunday.
Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor both weighed in on where the team stands and how it is approaching the matchup, underscoring that this is the kind of week when practice availability matters almost as much as the game plan. The Bengals still have time to settle things, but with a key blocker sidelined and a defensive back managing a soft-tissue injury, the final look of the roster remains something to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Be Leaving Offensive Upside On The Table
Erick All Jr. has become one of the more intriguing pieces in the Bengals offense, even if the snap counts have not fully reflected it yet. Cincinnati has leaned on Drew Sample as the steadier, more familiar tight end option, but All brings a different kind of threat as a more athletic and versatile player, the sort who can change how defenses have to line up and react.
That matters because the Bengals have been searching for more efficiency in the parts of the offense where deception should matter most, especially in play-action. The question hanging over the position is whether Cincinnati is leaving some upside on the table by not getting All more involved, and whether a bigger role for him could help unlock a passing game that still feels like it has more room to grow. [Read more 🡒]