Dec 25, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA;Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Chris Board (49) in the second half at NRG Stadium. Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
By Sam Neumann on

C.J. Stroud isn’t exactly replicating the brilliance of his rookie season.

After being hailed as the next great thing and one of the NFL’s rising stars, the Houston Texans signal-caller has struggled mightily, failing to take that critical second step forward.

A porous offensive line, injuries at the wide receiver position and subpar offensive coaching have all contributed to his sophomore slump. Not to mention that, despite being viewed as a potential head coach in waiting, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and his staff consistently seem outclassed by opposing coaching staffs.

That said, some of the blame falls squarely on Stroud himself.

His decision-making and touch on throws have been off all season, even before the Texans lost Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell for the season and saw the bottom of their defense fall out.

That brings us to Christmas Day.

In a 31-2 loss, Stroud went 17-of-31 for 185 yards with one interception.

“Houston is very disappointing, even though they’re going to win their division,” said Danny Parkins on FS1’s Breakfast Ball Thursday. “Stroud had this great rookie year that I think that people overrated, frankly. Now, he’s gotten hit a ton this year, and the offensive line has been bad, but this isn’t that. He, yesterday, was so terrible — this is what his season has been, right?

“Worse completion percentage than Deshaun Watson, worse passer rating than Cooper Rush, worse touchdown percentage than Will Levis, interceptions: Daniel Jones. He has not been good. And at times, we’ve excused it with the offensive line, and I’ll be guilty of that, too. But, you tell me. Watching this game — wide open! He’s not being hit as he throws. This is a mild amount of pressure, the easiest dump-off ever. That’s an easy 15, 20-yard gain. This is a non-competitive throw to a star wide receiver. You’ve got to give him a chance, Nico Collins, to go make a [play].”

The tape speaks for itself.

“I’m watching that game yesterday, and I’m like, ‘OK, they’re clearly outclassed by Baltimore. They are not going to win,'” said Parkins. “But he wasn’t giving them a chance.”

Despite Houston’s nine wins, Stroud hasn’t consistently given the Texans a chance to compete since he was a rookie.

[Breakfast Ball]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann