DeMeco Ryans’ Faith in Texans QB C.J. Stroud Could Be Costly

For as much as Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud's self-implosion against the New England Patriots made you want to look away in horror, DeMeco Ryans and the front office need to stare straight at the heart of a plethora of concerning issues.

Texans fans might be a little lost for words after the trip to face the Patriots turned into a blizzard of turnovers during a 28-16 defeat. Sunday's quartet of devastating interceptions and a total of seven turnovers spread over a pair of playoff games provides an exclamation point for the general regression Stroud has made ever since his phenomenal rookie year.

In all fairness, alarm bells for Stroud have been ringing for quite a while now, which this time last year, had led to the sacking of previous Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Casualties are almost guaranteed in this business, but for as ever-present as the consoling and supportive arm of head coach DeMeco Ryans has been around his struggling signal caller, it could finally be time for some tough love for Stroud.

"I believe that [Stroud] can play better, and he did in that second half. He did play better," Ryans said postgame. "And as I always tell our guys at halftime, it really doesn't matter what happened in the first half. We have to flush it, remove it, and you just have to go out and finish the right way.

DeMeco Ryans Remains Confident in C.J. Stroud, But Is It Warranted?

Of course, simply persevering with Stroud was something Ryans felt he had to do for short and longer-term reasons, but winning the ball game would have probably led him to inserting Mills.

Alas, the fateful decision to limp on with Stroud gradually inched the Texans toward the playoff exit door, with the damage done to their quarterback's fractured confidence potentially now being a whole lot worse.

Furthermore, with the benefit of hindsight, Ryans protecting Stroud from the mental torture he endured by everyone wanting to tough it out should have undoubtedly taken precedence. Heaven knows, pulling a struggling pitcher and going to the bullpen is always the decision of the coach - not the player.

"No ma'am, I don't think that's smart on my part to get myself out of the game," Stroud declared post-game. I don't think my coach would ever do that either, but if he did, I would understand."

"I think my whole team trusts me, you know they believe in me. Just like how quick it can go bad, how quick I can get hot. Today just wasn't my day, appreciative of my teammates having my back once again. That thought doesn't cross my mind, I believe in myself regardless of what happens on the field, I'm going to continue."

#Texans QB C.J. Stroud was asked if the thought crossed his mind during the game to have someone else (Mills) come in to win this game and advance. "No, ma'am, I don't think that's smart on my part to get myself out of the game. I don't think my coach would ever do that either,… pic.twitter.com/M2mCLl0J87
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) January 19, 2026

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Ever since Ryans arrived as head coach in H-Town, his father-and-son approach with Stroud has remained stoically straight and true. Having the vital support network in place means a lot to Stroud.

The flip side is that playoff success has never materialized to any great degree, so Ryans has effectively put his own neck on the block.

"When things don't go your way, you have bad performances, it's not a time to point fingers or say it's on one person, Ryans said. "If anybody, it all starts with me. For me, as the head coach of this team, we didn't perform well. Obviously, I didn't have our guys, you know, ready to go in this moment. So that starts with me. We stick together."

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans speaks with tackle Tytus Howard (71) in the second quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Now that the season smashed straight into the bumpers in Foxborough, it's inevitable that Ryans and the Texans front office will have to confront the harsh reality that they might just be backing the wrong guy under center. After all, Stroud's failure against the Patriots doesn't give many reasons to believe that he can develop into the championship-caliber team this team really needs, particularly as the several major contract decisions are looming large.

Financially speaking, committing heavily to Stroud would appear to be an act of fiscal malpractice given recent performances, but resetting completely under center is pretty dangerous all things considered. Regardless, Ryans' brotherhood approach will be questioned and even heavily criticized by many, but his belief in that sticking together will unquestionably still hold true and not only for Stroud.

"I remember not feeling the best and for him to come up and say that means a lot," Stroud detailed the support Ryans gave him at halftime. "I remember coming up on my 30 visit when I was young, wet behind the ears, he told me, 'no matter what happens I'm gonna always have love for you and always gonna be there for you."

The trouble is, that approach could be hurting Ryans in the long-term more than helping.

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