C.J. Stroud’s latest outing has the Texans looking like a different team, and Dan Orlovsky thinks the quarterback is starting to force his way into the league’s biggest individual conversation.
Houston earned its second straight win Sunday morning in London, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars as Stroud and the offense stayed hot from start to finish. After an 0-4 opening that made the Texans look stuck in reverse, they’re suddenly playing with the kind of pulse that changes the mood around a season.
Orlovsky was especially struck by what Stroud did against the blitz, offering a bold read on where this could be headed if the quarterback keeps it up.
“CJ Stroud was the best that he's ever been against the blitz yesterday and he's seeing the field so clean right now.. He's gonna play himself into the MVP conversation if he keeps playing like this,” he said, per Pat McAfee on X, formerly Twitter.
That’s a loud statement, but Stroud has earned it by steadying himself after a stretch that had plenty of people viewing this year as a “prove it” season. The Texans didn’t seem fully sold on him as their long-term answer after his regression over the last couple of seasons, yet he’s been productive even in the games Houston lost early in the year.
Now the defense is beginning to settle in too, and that changes the equation. If Stroud keeps delivering at this level while the Texans keep stacking wins, the MVP chatter won’t be easy to ignore.
Next up, Houston returns home Sunday for a matchup against the New York Giants at 1:00 pm ET.
In Other News...
Texans Got The Win They Needed But One Concern Just Grew
The Texans got the kind of win they badly needed against Jacksonville, and the game looked a lot more like the sort of close, physical AFC South fight they have to win if they want to stay in the mix. Houston was evenly matched with the Jaguars on both sides of the ball, but there were signs of real progress too, especially in the run game, where the Texans turned in their best rushing performance of the season. The passing attack also showed more life, with Jaylin Noel, Nico Collins and Marvin Harrison Jr. all part of a better-looking afternoon through the air.
DeMeco Ryans also managed the game more cleanly, particularly late, when clock control and end-of-game decisions mattered most. Even with those encouraging signs, the bigger concern is hard to ignore: the defense does not look like the steady force it was in previous seasons. For a team trying to build momentum, the offenses gains are encouraging, but the Texans still have to prove the other side of the ball can hold up when the schedule starts demanding more. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Just Got The Texans Weapon Fans Wanted
The Texans trip to London ended with a win over Jacksonville, giving Houston back-to-back victories and another reminder that the offense can look dangerous when it gets rolling. The bigger storyline for plenty of fans, though, was Marvin Harrison Jr. finally making his Texans debut after the trade from Arizona, putting him back alongside C.J. Stroud after their Ohio State days.
Harrisons first game in Houston came with immediate usefulness, as all three of his catches moved the chains for first downs and covered 34 yards. Stroud continued to drive the offense with 312 passing yards and three touchdowns, and the early chemistry between the quarterback and his new target is the kind of development the Texans have been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
Carnell Tate May Be Giving Titans Offense Exactly What It Needed
The Titans finally got a jolt of life with their first win of the season, and wide receiver Carnell Tate had a hand in the kind of play that can change a sidelines mood fast. Tate pointed to his consistent preparation as the reason he was ready when the opportunity came, turning a long-awaited touchdown into more than just a stat line and giving Tennessee a needed reminder that the work can still show up on game day.
For the Texans, news around the division has a little extra weight right now, especially with Jacksonville off to a 4-1 start and owner Shad Khan publicly upbeat about the direction there. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has kept the focus on the Texans own energy and persistence despite long playoff odds, but a division in motion means every small spark elsewhere still matters, particularly when a rival like Tennessee suddenly looks a little harder to overlook. [Read more 🡒]