Despite the Houston Texans being without key receivers Nico Collins and Christian Kirk, star quarterback C. J. Stroud delivered a highly productive performance, leading the team to a 26-15 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
After a disappointing offensive outing against the Seattle Seahawks, Stroud bounced back impressively, earning high praise from head coach DeMeco Ryans. In the win over the 49ers, Stroud threw for 318 yards, completing 30 of 39 pass attempts, along with two touchdowns and one interception.
Ryans described Stroud’s performance as “one of his best games ever,” noting the impact his excellence has on the team’s energy. “When C. J. [Stroud] is locked in, when the quarterback is playing well and C. J. plays well and he’s upbeat and everybody can see he’s going to the right spot with the football, he’s making great decisions, stepping up, escaping the pocket, converting some runs there, converting some third downs, you just see the entire energy, the vibe of our entire sideline just changes,” Ryans said, according to Click2Houston.
Now in his third NFL season and selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Stroud has thrown for 1,623 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions this year.
As speculation swirls around whether the Texans should acquire additional offensive weapons via trade, Stroud remains the unquestioned cornerstone of the team. His performance largely dictates the Texans’ offensive production, a sentiment echoed by Ryans.
“Everybody is looking for the quarterback for that leadership,” Ryans said. “It’s just about nothing special or nothing grand. It’s just about him remaining disciplined as a quarterback, doing exactly what he’s supposed to do on every given play.”
He continued, “When he does that, he makes great decisions and with the offensive line the way they worked today, that’s what you see: one of his best games ever. The way he operated today was very clean football, and I’m proud of where he is. We just have to continue to stay with this every week.”
The Texans are now 3-4 on the season and will look to build a winning streak when they take on the Denver Broncos next Sunday.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-is-c-j-stroud-finally-getting-over-hump-demeco-ryans-sees-the-vision