Texans' C.J. Stroud Says He Let People Down vs Patriots

It was far from a day to remember for Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud against the New England Patriots in this week's divisional round matchup.

The third-year signal caller would have quite possibly the worst performance of his pro career after logging his most interceptions in a single game (four) since entering the league, completed less than 50% of his passes on 44 total attempts through the air, and paired together for an effort that kept the Texans one game short of an AFC championship for a third consecutive season.

The unfortunate end effectively snaps the Texans' extensive ten-game win streak to close out the regular season and win their Wild Card matchup to get to the point where they could travel to Foxboro for a chance at franchise history. Yet, the Patriots proved to be just too much; a lot of which came as a result of self-inflicted efforts, especially offensively.

After the game, Stroud made sure to own those mistakes that limited the Texans’ offense throughout the day, that ultimately left him with the feeling of disappointment after such a resilient season now came to a close.

"I look back at this season, and I can't just be anything but grateful for the teammates I have, the coaches that I have, you know, the organization, the city of Houston, and the fans. I look back and I just feel like I let people down, and I'm not happy with that," Stroud said postgame.

"You know, it hurts, and I'm not naive to it. I didn't play my best this year, but I'm going to respond. I'm going to keep my chest up, my chin up high, and I'm going to keep battling for it," Stroud said. "I think, even today [vs. New England], our team [was] doing great; our defense getting stops, and I'm just being careless with the football. I've got to get that fixed and something that I know I can. So I'm going to get that done."

C.J. Stroud Confident He Can Bounce Back

Even after such a brutal start to the game, which began with seven of nine first-half drives ending in a three-and-out or a turnover, Stroud never lost confidence in being able to climb back from the initial hole that was dug.

In fairness, the Texans had been in similar situations where they were down in the count at multiple points this season that would eventually swing in their favor. After their record had swung from 0-3, to 3-5, to 12-5, to end the regular season, that's really how their 2025 campaign would be defined leading up to being one of the final eight teams in the fight for the NFL playoffs.

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) warms up before an AFC Divisional Round game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

However, this time, those comeback heroics didn't come to fruition for the Texans. But that's not to say Stroud ever felt he or his teammates lost confidence in his abilities at any point.

"I think my whole team trusts me. They believe in me, just like how quick it can go back, they know how quick I can get hot. So, today it just wasn't my day," Stroud said postgame. "My teammates had my back once again... I believe in myself, regardless of what happens on the field, I'm going to continue."

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Stroud will now have a long offseason ahead to ponder how he can hone his game to the best of his ability, entering what will be year four of his NFL career, once again coming up short in the exact same spot he did in both 2024 and 2025.

Especially now becoming eligible for extension talks later this year, the former second overall selection finds himself at an interesting career crossroads after a defining, potentially haunting performance in New England.

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