Texans’ Dominant Defense Masks C.J. Stroud’s Shaky Wild Card Win

Pro football is a funny old game, especially when a generational defense runs runs over a future Hall of Fame quarterback, but yet it only leads to further question marks.

On the plus side, even Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was running out of superlatives for his devastating defense. After all, the explosive collective had scored a pair of touchdowns during the brutal 30-6 win over the seriously over-matched Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It was an outstanding defensive performance," Ryans enthused. "One of the best that I've seen versus a really talented offense, a talented quarterback who played at a high level for a long time."

On the flip side, starting quarterback C.J. Stroud resembled a hot mess for large periods of the action, with untimely ball handling issues and mental errors littering his performance.

C.J. Stroud's Performance vs. Steelers Plagued With Errors

Stroud had entered the Wild Card confident that the concussion he suffered earlier in the regular season wouldn't make him fearful or passive. It was broadly reassuring at the time, but in harsh reality, it all played out far differently.

Stroud seemingly refused to take easy yardage with his legs when it was there to be had, and he appeared extremely shaky when under heavy pressure.

Postgame, though, Ryans was never going to throw his struggling young quarterback under the bus, particularly after registering a very rare road playoff win.

"We had some bad plays that happened for C.J. and he didn't waver," Ryans said after the win. "You can easily go into the tank, but he didn't waver. That's who he is. He's a resilient young man who's able to bounce back."

"Anybody can go into the tank and drop the ball a few times. You keep battling... That's what he did, and he made some big throws for us, some huge passes that allowed us to get in striking distance and score."

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws in front of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) during the first half of an AFC Wild Card Round game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

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Of course, had Stroud been playing for a team with a defense less dominant than his own, it's a given that the outcome might have been far different under the lights. All of which will set off even more alarm bells ahead of another playoff road trip to face a rather more well-rounded New England Patriots led by outstanding second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

"We had some problems with the snap, me catching them," Stroud conceded. "Got to find a way to take care of the ball. It's all about moving forward and trying your best to flush it and keep going. Every time we had to bounce back, we made more plays, so I'm proud of our guys for having a little bit of resilience in those moments."

Inexplicably, a huge amount of Stroud's issues came when trying to field snaps from a center in Jake Andrews, a veteran whom he's worked with throughout the majority of the season. Ironing out such nearly catastrophic misfires will need to become a matter of some urgency, because it's a fair bet that any Mike Vrabel coached unit figures to be far more ruthlessly on the spot in Foxborough.

Certainly, as the offensive unit rode its luck, the imperious defense was busy sending out a message that irrespective of the struggles of Stroud; absolutely nobody is going to be allowed to mess up their championship vision according to safety Calen Bullock.

"Shoot, I think everybody knows we are the best defense," Bullock announced. "The whole world knows that. Every time we go out there we show it and we went out there and showed it today. I don't even think they scored a touchdown."

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