Ex-Buckeyes QB C.J. Stroud Provides Mixed, But Positive Play In NFL Debut
Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud didn't find the end zone in his regular-season debut with the Houston Texans. He didn't wow fans at M&T Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens on the way to a 25-9 loss as he did during Saturday's in Columbus.
But numbers lie in football. Oftentimes they rarely paint the full picture of what occurs during games.
Stroud's numbers only tell the story of defeat, but his on-field play showed plenty of positives as a foundation to build on moving into Week 2.
"I just tried to have a one-play mentality," Stroud said postgame. "I tried to go 1-0 on each and every play. If that's a negative play or a positive play, I just tried to shake it off and go to the next one.
"I've got to play better."
Stroud finished 28-of-44 for 242 yards. He was sacked five times, but things could have been worse after injuries continued to stockpile. Stroud tacked on 20 yards with his legs on four carries and picked up two first downs.
Houston entered Sunday with a myriad of concerns protecting the No. 2 pick and two-time Heisman finalist. Right tackle Tytus Howard and rookie center Juice Scruggs were placed on the injured reserve following roster cuts. Former first-round pick Kenyon Green suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason finale win over the New Orleans Saints and was ruled out for the season.
The situation worsened as the game continued. Backup right tackle George Fant left during the fourth quarter and was replaced by Michael Dieter, who proceeded to allow former Michigan pass rusher David Ojabo to work upfield for a strip-sack against Stroud on the first play.
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"It was a tough place to play, a tough opponent. A lot of things were stacked up against him," first-year coach DeMeco Ryans said of Stroud's play. "I thought he handled himself well."
Stroud made the most of his reps, and tried to set the tone early. On his first career pass, the former Buckeyes tossed the ball to himself after Roquan Smith deflected it at the line of scrimmage.
On top of tossing passes to himself, Stroud connected with nine receivers throughout the three-hour mantra. He built a rapport with third-year receiver Nico Collins, who finished with a team-high six catches for 80 yards. Robert Woods totaled six receptions for 57 yards. Rookie Tank Dell and Noah Brown each recorded three catches.
"C.J. did damn good in my eyes," running back Dameon Pierce said. "Given the looks he was given, sometimes it was not what we practiced, but he stayed calm, stayed poised and delivered plays."
Stroud is the hopeful long-term answer in place of former three-time Pro Bowl passer Deshaun Watson in Houston, but few expected him to be the savior that would send the Texans back to the postseason. Houston's won seven games in three seasons and is on its fourth coach since 2020.
But after leading Ohio State to a 22-4 record and a College Football Playoff berth last season, Stroud holds himself to different standards, and expects more from his play.
"I don't think we did anything super great," said Stroud. "I think we shot ourselves in the foot a lot and didn't get ourselves a winning chance.
"We got to be better in and out the huddle and in the red zone. We have to limit the penalties. That's on me."
Stroud, who was named a captain by teammates after beating out Davis Mills for the starting job, said the offense did a decent job moving the ball on third down and "making guys pay for blitzing all out." Houston finished with 18 first downs and went 7-of-18 on third-down conversions.
"I tried to do my best to get the ball to my playmakers and have them make a play," said Stroud. "They did a good job tackling. The passing attack is something we all have to get better at."
Stroud and the Texans will host Indianapolis in their home opener at NRG Stadium next Sunday at 1 p.m.