C.J. Stroud didn’t hide from the state of the Houston Texans after Sunday’s 34-30 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He leaned straight into it: the Texans are 0-4, the offense finally showed more juice, and still the result was the same.
Stroud said Houston’s effort against Dallas was better than what the team had shown over the previous three weeks, pointing to the way the offense attacked the Cowboys and created big plays early. He credited Nick Caley for the play-calling and the group up front for blocking well for most of the game.
“Yeah, I thought we did a great job attacking them. I thought [Nick Caley] did a great job of calling it, and us executing it; had some big plays early on. And I think the more that we can play ahead of the sticks, the better we give ourselves a shot.”
“So I thought they did a great job. I thought upfront, we blocked very well for the majority of the game, and I thought we ran great routes, created separation. But it was just unfortunate we can't win.”
Even with Stroud throwing for over 340 yards and two touchdowns, Houston still couldn’t close it out. For him, that’s the issue now: finishing. He said the Texans have shown they can create explosive plays and score, but not consistently enough when the game tightens up.
“We gotta finish. I think we've shown that we can create explosives, we can have high scoring games, we could, get ahead when we need to. But I think the best thing that we need to do-- really, the main thing we need to do is finish.”
He expanded that into third down and the final stretch of each play, saying Houston needs to be sharper in the moments that decide games.
“And that's not just the end of the game. That's third down; I thought we were not great on third down today.
I think we can finish better there. But also just as a team, just together, trying to finish every play, every down, playing it like it's your last.
I think that's what we need to be able to fix.”
Stroud also pushed back on the idea that the team lacks the right mindset. In his view, the problem is execution, study and detail.
“I don't think anybody in our building has a mindset of not finishing. I think it's an execution thing.
We've got to study more. We've got to be on our details better than another team is.”
“Everybody--I know for a fact--in our building wants to win, was doing everything in their power, too. But I just take the execution; the finishing is the part where we can get better.”
He compared this season to past success not carrying over automatically, saying teams have to keep evolving instead of leaning on what worked before.
“Every year is different. Llast year's bread isn't going to feed us this year.
I remember in college, Coach [Ryan] Day used to always say you have to be an iPhone; you have to upgrade every year. You've got to upgrade whatever that looks like-- from personnel, to plays, to execution, everything's got to rise up.”
“And you can't look back and be like, 'Oh, well, we did it this time. We can do it again.'
Like, you have to be able to flush successes and failures, and be able to do your job each and every play. It doesn't matter what happened the previous year.
Doesn't matter accolades, the hate, whatever, on both sides. You have to be able to flush it, because that's our job.”
He said the Texans are the only ones who can dig themselves out of this start.
“So... this is a new year, and we got to be able to, and we got to be able to get ourselves out of this hole. And we're only the ones who can do it, and we're all we got, Nobody's coming to save us. So we got to make sure we're looking ourselves in our eye, being accountable, being honest, and then going to work.
Stroud also pointed to the run game, saying the backs are doing what they can but the offense needs to help them with better execution and a better fit.
“Yeah, we got to find a way to get those guys a chance. Like, they're both special backs; both backs that can create.
And I think they're trying their best, man. But I think we got to find things that fit us, that our run game execution needs to go up.
And I have the utmost trust that it will.”
“I think the backs are doing everything they can. I think our scheme is- we're tailoring everything to try and get that done.
So, I've the most trust and respect in Cole [Popovich] and [Nick Caley] and Jerry [Schuplinski] and stuff to get that done. But yeah, that's something I think we definitely got to get better at, is running the ball.”
The penalties bothered him too. Houston was flagged 13 times, and Stroud said several came at the worst possible moments.
“Yeah, it's hard to win football games. You have 13 penalties.
A lot of them are critical as well. Some of them questionable, but they made the call, you gotta flush it in, and find a way to execute the next play.”
Even with the 0-4 hole, Stroud said he liked the way the Texans kept battling to the end, including the late Hail Mary chance.
“But, one thing I am proud of my team is just for fighting. We give ourselves a chance.
We had the ball at the end, gave ourselves a chance on the Hail Mary, and, who knows, [we] could have come down with it, and nobody would have their head down. But, I like the way that we fight, man.”
He closed by stressing that nobody in the locker room is folding, even after the rough start.
“I know it's not easy. I know it sucks we're 0-4.
But I can look at my team and respect them. No one's tucking their tail.
No one's feeling bad for themselves. Everybody's fighting to the end and trying to get a win.
And I believe that we'll be able to flip the coin, and hopefully pull out some of these close games.”
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