Texans' C.J. Stroud: Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year
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Stroud was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The result isn't all that surprising after Stroud posted a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.2 yards per attempt in his rookie season. Perhaps even more impressive was the role he played in the Texans' seven-win improvement from the 2022 campaign. Stroud bested other impressive performances from rookies, including Bijan Robinson, Puka Nacua, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Overwhelmed in playoff loss
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Stroud completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Ravens. He added three rushes for nine yards.
In contrast to his performance in his playoff debut, Stroud looked overwhelmed for much of the loss and could not consistently move the ball. He started reasonably well by racking up 82 passing yards in the first quarter but ultimately averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt, with the team's only touchdown coming on a punt return. Despite the disappointing close to his rookie campaign, Stroud was impressive overall by throwing for 4,108 yards with a 23:5 TD:INT across 15 regular-season games. That leaves little doubt that he's the franchise quarterback, and he also has several young pass catchers who combine to have the trajectory of the offense headed in a positive direction.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Three touchdowns in playoff win
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Stroud completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 45-14 win over the Browns.
Stroud was impressive in his playoff debut, particularly considering the Browns allowed only 164.7 passing yards to opponents during the regular season. He connected on five passes of more than 20 yards, highlighted by 76- and 37-yard touchdown passes. The only thing that slowed him down was the context of the game, as the Texans built up a three-score lead by midway through the third quarter. As a result, Stroud attempted only five passes in the second half and was pulled on Houston's first offensive possession of the second half. He and the team will now await the results of the rest of the wild-card games to find out their opponent in the divisional round.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Leads Texans to postseason
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Stroud completed 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 23-19 win over the Colts. He added three rushes for 20 yards.
Stroud finished off his impressive rookie season with an outstanding performance in a must-win game. He delivered a deep strike to Nico Collins on the Texans' first play from scrimmage for a 75-yard touchdown and capped off an eight-play, 57-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. Stroud finished the regular season with a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt and will lead the Texans into the postseason -- potentially as the AFC South division champs.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: QBs to Start
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Stroud's first 20-point Fantasy outing of his career came against Indianapolis in Week 2 when he scored 25.5 points. He passed for 384 yards and two touchdowns that day, and hopefully he can have a repeat performance in Week 18. The Colts just allowed Aidan O'Connell to score 24.3 Fantasy points in Week 17, and that's now two quarterbacks in the past four weeks to reach at least that total. Stroud hasn't been great on the road this season, but he did score 21 Fantasy points in his last complete away game at Cincinnati in Week 10. This game has huge playoff implications for both teams, and I expect Stroud to have a strong game to likely lock up the rookie of the year award.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Victorious in return
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Stroud completed 24 of 32 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 26-3 win over the Titans.
Stroud returned from a two-game absence caused by a concussion and led the Texans to a needed victory to keep their postseason hopes alive. He threw for his touchdown early in the second quarter on a 12-yard completion to Brevin Jordan and connected on four passes of at least 15 yards. This wasn't Stroud's most impressive performance of the season, but the stout Texans defense ensured the offense didn't need to be aggressive to secure the win.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Expected back at practice
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Stroud (concussion) is expected to practice Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Stroud looks set to take the field Wednesday in some fashion for the first time since entering the concussion protocol during the Texans' Week 14 loss to the Jets. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said over the weekend that Stroud has been taking part in team meetings and is progressing in his recovery from the brain injury, but the quarterback's upcoming return to practice would represent the first tangible step forward as he navigates the protocol. In addition to attaining full clearance for contact, Stroud will also need to get the green light to play from an independent neurologist before he's removed from the five-step protocol. The Texans would turn to either Case Keenum or Davis Mills at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Titans if Stroud isn't ready to play this weekend.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Could return Week 17
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Stroud (concussion), who is already ruled out for Sunday's game against the Browns, is making progress in his recovery and could be ready to return to action Week 17 versus the Titans, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The Texans appear to have some optimism about Stroud's chances of fully clearing the NFL's five-step concussion protocol in time to return Week 17, but the team will undoubtedly continue to take a cautious approach with the standout rookie. In the immediate future, with Stroud missing a second straight game, Case Keenum is set to draw another start versus Cleveland on Sunday, with Davis Mills available as his primary backup.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Won't play Sunday
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Stroud (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Browns.
Stroud wasn't able to practice in any fashion this week, and though head coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that the quarterback's condition was improving, the rookie will ultimately miss a second straight game. Case Keenum will make another start Sunday in place of Stroud, while Davis Mills serves as Keenum's backup. Stroud will target a return to action Week 17 against the Titans on Dec. 31, but his potential availability will be contingent on him clearing the five-step protocol for brain injuries.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Still not practicing
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Stroud (concussion) wasn't spotted on the field at Friday's practice, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Stroud didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday either, so the signal-caller's continued absence Friday is a likely indication that he'll miss a second straight game Sunday against the Browns. The Texans' final Week 16 injury report will be released later Friday and will clarify whether Stroud has any chance of playing Sunday. If Stroud is once again sidelined, however, Case Keenum would be in store for another turn as Houston's starting quarterback.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Misses another practice
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Stroud (concussion) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Stroud, who is in the NFL's concussion protocol, also missed Wednesday's practice and is trending toward missing his second consecutive game Sunday against the Browns. If Stroud remains sidelined this weekend, Case Keenum again would be in line to fill in at QB for the Texans in Week 16.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Doubtful for Sunday
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Stroud (concussion) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Titans.
The Texans are leaving the door slightly ajar for Stroud to make a miraculous late recovery after missing practice throughout the week. The much more likely scenario entails Stroud being listed as inactive ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, with Davis Mills then stepping in as the starter and Case Keenum taking the backup QB role.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Still not practicing
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Stroud remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and isn't practicing Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Stroud has yet to log any on-field work since exiting this past Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Jets with the concussion, leaving him with just one more opportunity to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said he's "hopeful" about Stroud clearing the protocol ahead of Sunday's contest, but at this stage of the week, No. 2 quarterback Davis Mills appears to be trending toward making his first start of the season.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Remains in protocol Monday
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Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Stroud remains in concussion protocol, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Ryans confirmed that Stroud has been diagnosed with a concussion. The team is likely to take a cautious approach with its rookie quarterback, even in the midst of a heated playoff race, so Stroud seems unlikely to suit up for Sunday's game in Tennessee. Stroud's participation level in practice will offer insight into how quickly he's progressing through the concussion protocol, but if Stroud fails to gain clearance before Sunday, Davis Mills would be in line to make his first start of the season.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Evaluated for concussion
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Stroud, who left Sunday's game against the Jets, is being evaluated for a possible concussion.
Prior to his fourth-quarter exit from the contest, Stroud had completed 10 of 23 passes for 91 yards. With the Jets up 27-6, Stroud is presumably done for the day. In his absence, Davis Mills is in at QB for the Texans.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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There are a few things to worry about with Stroud here, notably the loss of Tank Dell (leg) for the season. Dell left with a concussion in Week 5 at Atlanta and missed Week 6 against New Orleans, and Stroud scored 16.2 Fantasy points against the Falcons and 18.2 points against the Saints. Stroud also scored just 18.1 Fantasy points after Dell got hurt in Week 13 against Denver. The Jets are No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks at 15.6 points per game and recently held Tua Tagovailoa to 9.6 Fantasy points in Week 12. And Stroud has been bad on the road this season, averaging just 17.1 Fantasy points per game in five games away from Houston. I would only start Stroud in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 14.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Over 300 yards, three total TDs
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Stroud completed 26 of 36 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Jaguars. He added six rushing attempts for 47 yards and one touchdown.
One drive after having what would have been a 62-yard connection to Tank Dell called back on a penalty, Stroud found Dell for a seven-yard touchdown to get the Texans on the board in the second quarter. Stroud ran one in himself from one yard out in the third quarter, then threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins in the fourth. Houston got the ball back after Collins' touchdown and Stroud led an 11-play, 50-yard drive that culminated with a missed 58-yard field goal from Matt Ammendola. The loss snapped Houston's three-game winning streak and dropped the Texans' record to 6-5. Stroud has exceeded 300 passing yards in four consecutive games and will take a 19:5 TD:INT into a Week 13 home game against the Broncos, which could prove pivotal in the AFC playoff race.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Another standout performance Sunday
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Stroud completed 23 of 39 passes for 356 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Texans' 30-27 win over the Bengals on Sunday. He also rushed twice for eight yards and a touchdown and lost two fumbles.
Stroud went into enemy territory and helped the Texans continue to defy expectations with the fourth 300-yard effort of his nascent career. The rookie did throw multiple interceptions for the first time and was separated from the ball twice, but he impressively adapted to not having top receiver Nico Collins (calf) by pivoting to Noah Brown (7-172-0), Dalton Schultz (4-71-0) and Tank Dell (6-56-1). The second overall pick also got plenty of help from a career-best 150-yard rushing day from Devin Singletary, and Stroud capped off another stellar afternoon by coolly leading Houston on a six-play, 55-yard march that culminated in a game-winning 38-yard field goal by Matt Ammendola. Stroud next faces off with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in what could be another high-scoring contest at home Week 11.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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The Buccaneers have given up some big numbers lately, but it's been to good quarterbacks (Josh Allen and Jared Goff) who threw at least 40 times in high-functioning offenses that either chose to or had to ignore their run games. Stroud and the Texans are a different story. If I had confidence in Stroud overcoming the pass rush and hitting targets deep downfield I'd feel better about starting him. Instead, he's on the fringe of being a QB1 for me this week. I feel much better starting Sam Howell, Derek Carr or Gardner Minshew.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Disappointing numbers in loss
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Stroud completed 16 of 24 passes for 140 yards in Sunday's 15-13 loss to the Panthers. He added 13 rushing yards and a touchdown on two carries.
The 140 passing yards were a season low for Stroud, while this was the first time he'd failed to toss a TD since his Week 1 NFL debut. The second overall pick in this year's draft has seen his yardage total decline in three straight games, suggesting the league's defensive coordinators might be developing a book on the young QB, but Stroud could bounce back in Week 9 against a Buccaneers defense that had given up the third-most passing yards in the league coming into Sunday.
