C.J. Stroud Sounds Reenergized as Texans Approach Playoffs

If Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud can carry on maturing and learning throughout the playoffs, it;s good reason for head coach DeMeco Ryans to be a very happy man.

Particularly after returning from his three-game absence due to a concussion suffered against the Denver Broncos, Stroud has been more settled and philosophical about doing his job, and that's a nice headspace to occupy.

"I try to look at it as forgetting my failures, forgetting my successes as quick as possible," Stroud said. "Because everybody tells you how bad you are. And then when you're doing good, they'll tell you how good you are. And then, you can flip that coin a bunch of times during the season."

"You got to just find love in yourself. And that's something that I've been working on is just finding love in what I do, how I do it, no matter the result. Just fall in love with the process. And that's something that - it's kept me grounded. So, I really try not to look at it now because we have bigger things ahead of us going forward."

Pressure is On for Texans QB C.J. Stroud

The stakes are set to go through the roof as the ambitious Texans move forward and into a loaded-looking AFC playoff field; talk about a coin flip.

In essence, more has been asked of Stroud ever since new offensive coordinator Nick Caley walked through the door during the offseason. So Stroud knows deep down that he must keep a clear head to manage all the things that will now be asked of him when the heavyweights enter the ring.

Certainly, during the Texans' early season struggles, Stroud appeared to be swimming a little upstream, especially when it came to the mental side of things. That has gradually begun to shift, and against the Los Angeles Chargers, things clicked into place at the right time from a mental perspective for Stroud.

"I think this past game was probably my best game, process-wise, of getting us in the right checks, the right calls, and motion, timing, cadence, everything," Stroud declared. "So, I just want to build on that. And I think around - we have some things that we need to clean that we know. I think we're peaking at the right time. We're starting to click at the right time. So, we got to just keep that going. I think this will be another opportunity to do that."

Dec 27, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) with fans following a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Sometimes the biggest lesson any young and physically gifted quarterback like Stroud can learn is to forget the stat line and play in a manner that gives your team the absolute best chance to win. On that note, Ryans has reiterated frequently the huge overall importance of playing sound complimentary football, but perhaps Stroud needed time to work out his place within the new Caley offense.

"There's a lot of things. I think just finishing games is the main thing," Stroud insisted. "You're going to make mistakes. You're not going to execute every play to the highest level. That's the goal. But it's about finding wins at the end of the day, and I think we've been able to do that at a higher level towards the end."

Letting the outstanding Texans defense feed and scoring just enough points to get them over the finishing line for regular season wins was a solid strategy to follow, but the playoffs are going to demand much more from Stroud.

Therefore, Stroud keeping his mind clear enough to overcome the inevitable setbacks which always rear their head against elite competition will prove critical moving forward. That being said, Stroud is on the same page with what he's being asked to do, and that could be just enough to set him up to succeed.

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