C.J. Stroud Speaks on Rusty Performance in Texans Win vs. Colts

After it seemed like the Houston Texans' 2025 season was going down the drain, they strung together a four-game winning streak, most recently taking down the Indianapolis Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

The Texans pulled out a clutch 20-16 win, holding the Colts to their lowest-scoring game of the season. Most notably, Texans QB C.J. Stroud secured a win in his first game back after missing their last three with a concussion.

After the win, Stroud got honest about his performance, as he had to shake off some rust to get back into rhythm.

"Early on, I was a little rusty. They didn’t really give me a lot of big plays, they were taking a lot of that stuff away. I thought I was disciplined, taking checkdowns and getting the ball where it had to go. Of course, the interception sucked. I've got to take care of the ball," Stroud said.

Stroud shakes off the rust

Stroud threw an interception early in the second quarter, marking the first time in his career that he had been picked off against the Colts. Still, Stroud feels like he was able to get back to himself.

"Other than that, I thought I played really good," Stroud continued. "Every opportunity I had with the ball, I thought I made the right decision. A couple plays I want back, but I thought I did a really good job of taking what the defense was giving me. I think with the type of team we have, I don't have to be Superman all the time. I've got to just do my job each and every play."

Nov 30, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws against Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (97) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Stroud finished the afternoon with 276 passing yards with 22 completions on 35 attempts, while failing to throw for a touchdown. Regardless, Stroud made some timely throws that put the Texans in a position to win the game, and their defense ultimately finished things off.

"I'm not gonna be perfect. I'm never gonna be perfect. I trust myself, and I know my teammates trust me. That's all that really matters," Stroud finished.

Sure, it was far from a perfect game from Stroud, but he led the Texans to a win to stay in the playoff picture and give himself more chances to play better as the season continues.

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