The Houston Texans entered the season as one of the teams to beat in the AFC.
Adding Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon to that offense made people think that C.J. Stroud could have an MVP-caliber season.
It’s been 12 games, and their 7-5 record doesn’t show that.
They’ve lost some games they could’ve and should’ve won.
But more than that, their star quarterback hasn’t looked like a star at all.
As John McClain pointed out on X, he finished the game against the Tennessee Titans with a passer rating of 78.7.
CJ Stroud finished with a rating of 78.7. That’s the fourth consecutive game in which he’s been under 80. The passing game is a shell of what it was last season.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) November 24, 2024
Significantly, this marked his fourth consecutive game of the season where he had a passer rating below 80.0.
McClain claims that the passing game has been a shell of what it was last season, and he’s right on point.
Laremy Tunsil’s countless miscues and penalties set this team back in the first stage of the season.
Poor offensive line play has also made Stroud run for his life.
Even when Diggs was healthy, Bobby Slowik’s offense didn’t look like it did last season, despite having multiple weapons to work with.
Stroud has completed 63% of his passes, pretty much the same as his rookie year, but the regression is more than evident.
He’s thrown for 2,875 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
He’s also been held without a touchdown pass three times this season and has only one game with three passing touchdowns.
It’s not about how you start your career as much as how you finish it, and Texans fans better hope he’s not just a one-year wonder.
