Chiefs' Chris Jones Gave Credit to C.J. Stroud After Texans SNF Win

After the events of last year's playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans were able to get some sweet revenge on Sunday Night Football in order to post their fifth win in a row on the year, and put a serious damper on the other side's playoff hopes for the final stretch of this season.

And for Stroud in particular, it wasn't the prettiest night in terms of his passing efficiency (14-31), but regardless, he was able to put enough pieces together that moved the chains for 203 yards, left him with zero turnovers, and most importantly, led the way for a victory thanks to some complementary football with their elite defense.

It was a performance that gained the attention of Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones during his post-game presser, crediting the Texans quarterback for making some tough passes throughout the night that made it an extra challenge for Kansas City's defense.

“He made a lot of tough passes," Jones said. "They caught the ball well. We tried our best to affect him. Multiple different blitzes, getting after him with four, he played tough today.”

Chris Jones on CJ Stroud after the game:

“He made a lot of tough passes. They caught the ball well. We tried our best to affect him. Multiple different blitzes, getting after him with 4, he played tough today.” pic.twitter.com/Bsn6oG7wWz
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) December 9, 2025

Chris Jones Had Strong Praise for C.J. Stroud.

From someone that's in the building with Patrick Mahomes every day like Jones is in the Chiefs facility, it's some solid praise coming from a credible source––and even someone who managed to take down Stroud for one of his three sacks throughout the night in Kansas City.

But even with the pressure coming his way and a variety of packages to come from a Steve Spagnuola-led defense, Stroud led the Texans to points in three of four quarters. He continued to show his increased comfort in Houston's offense since returning from his three-game absence due to a concussion, and made it too tough for a Chiefs defense that's had its ups and downs throughout their turbulent season.

Especially against a well-rounded, dominant defense on the other end like Houston hosts, it was clear who the better team was throughout the night, and Stroud helped chip in just enough to make that winning effort happen.

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) pressures Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

For the Texans, their season may come down to just how well Stroud performs down the stretch. But against the Chiefs, he was able to pair with a stout defense that led Kansas City to their lowest point total on the season, post-20 points on the offensive end, which silenced their recent troubles against this team to win their first game in their past five showings against them.

There's a chance Stroud will start to perform even better in the final four games of the season for Houston as he starts to build that end-of-year momentum, but from what Jones saw on Sunday night, he looked pretty solid as-is.

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