The Houston Texans suffered a stunning loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, dropping them to 7-5 on the year and bringing up questions about C.J. Stroud's less-than-stellar season. A year ago, it looked like the Texans had hit the jackpot with Stroud, who finished the year with 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions through 15 starts.
Through 12 starts this year, Stroud's numbers leave a lot to be desired. He's thrown for 2,875 yards, 14 touhdowns, and nine picks and the Texans don't look like the perennial Super Bowl contender that many thought (and Texans fans hoped) they'd be.
After the Texans' latest loss to a bad Titans team, people are going to start criticizing Stroud if they haven't already. Fortunately for the second-year quarterback, his teammates are behind him to pick him up and encourage him.
Will Anderson Jr., Stroud's fellow draft classmate who was taken one pick behind him in the 2023 draft, was seen hugging his quarterback following the loss and telling him "Keep your head up, bro".
Will Anderson Jr. tells C.J. Stroud to keep his head up following difficult Texans loss
While the loss was unfortunate, the Texans still control their own destiny in the underwhelming AFC South. They're the only team in the division with a winning record and as long as they can stave off the 5-7 Colts, their second straight AFC South title will be theirs.
As far as the playoffs are concerned though, a deep run doesn't feel as imminent as it did a few months ago. Not only is Stroud not playing well but the Texans as a whole are struggling and it's a far cry from the team we thought we'd be seeing in 2024.
It's good to see the team rally around Stroud and not throw him under the bus though. Stroud and Anderson were two of the biggest reasons why this Texans team surprised so many people in 2023 and it's good to see them have each other's backs in the tougher times.
Again, things could be much worse for the 7-5 Houston Texans but it's still good to see the team reacting like this rather than throwing each other under the bus or blasting the coaching staff. Let's hope Stroud does indeed keep his head up and start playing like the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
