The Houston Texans are looking for solutions after finishing the first half of their season with a tough loss in prime time.
Despite the many issues to address after their 21-13 defeat to the Jets, the Texans (6-3) still hold a two-game lead in the AFC South.
“This isn’t the end, but it’s definitely a great wakeup call for us to tighten up the ship,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “This is now playoff football; it’s November-December, this is the chunk of our schedule. We’re playing a lot of great teams in prime time, and we’ve got to find ways to win.”
One of the biggest challenges for the Texans is their struggle to protect Stroud. The second-year quarterback was sacked a season-high eight times on Thursday, bringing his total to 30 sacks this season, which is second in the NFL, only behind Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, who is out for the season.
“I’m not sure what’s happening upfront … but obviously we give up eight sacks, and every drop back or pass situation, it looks like we’re in scramble mode,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So, it’s just not good enough and we can’t operate on time, and we’ve got to get that fixed.”
Stroud mentioned that it’s “not easy” to get hit so often but acknowledged that he can do some things to help reduce those hits.
“I know those guys that play up front are fighting, and we’ve got to do a better job of just getting those guys better opportunities to block those guys,” he said. “There are a lot of things that need to be fixed. One thing I can do is just get the ball out faster, too.”
The Texans are also facing injuries to receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins, which have affected their passing game. Diggs is out for the season with a knee injury, but Collins could return next week after missing four games due to a hamstring injury.
Despite these challenges, Stroud remains optimistic that the team can improve and finish the season strong.
“It’s not the time to hang our heads down and feel sorry for ourselves,” Stroud said. “It’s time to answer the call, and we have guys in that locker room that I believe in and trust in. I think we’ll be able to be a really good football team.”
