Texans QB C.J. Stroud Learning From Rocky Preseason Debut

C.J. Stroud may have made his first NFL mistake on Thursday, but he is already using it as a learning experience.

HOUSTON - The Houston Texans are counting on C.J. Stroud to big the catalyst on their road back to AFC South contention. 

And though his first outing under center in their preseason win vs. the New England Patriots on Thursday didn't go as planned, Stroud is using his experience to learn and grow into a better quarterback. 

So what lesson did Stroud learn from his early mistake? The importance of trust in himself. 

“Just trust my eyes,” said Stroud. “I saw a certain look to where I knew on film that they could run that to where the safety if his man blocks that he’ll come off and really be locked into my eyes. Just lost track of that and just forced it and should have just checked it down to Dalton.”

Stroud's interception was a typical mistake for a young quarterback. And he was certainly not the first or the only rookie this preseason to struggle at times. 

With that said, he is also anxious to get back onto the field and prove himself as soon as possible. 

And if it were up to him, he would have liked to have had one more opportunity on Thursday to help his team. 

“It’s tough,” Stroud said. “I mean, the competitor in me was like, ‘Coach, let me go back out there; let me fix my wrongdoings.’ It’s a learning opportunity... I want the play back, and I want to be perfect, but that is what this camp and preseason are for, just to make mistakes, so when it comes to the regular season, I don’t make those anymore.”

Stroud will have his next opportunity at improvement on Saturday at home against the Miami Dolphins. 

And there, he will be able to show the Houston faithful why he was the right selection with the No. 2 overall pick this spring. 

You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan

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