Atlanta Falcons' Arthur Smith 'Betting On' Bright Future For Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith is scheming to stop Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud this weekend.

For all the knocks that C.J. Stroud had coming out of college, he has begun to silence the critics in his first few weeks as quarterback of the Houston Texans.

Stroud has thrown for over 1,000 yards and six scores through four weeks of NFL play, but the big storyline is a big "zero" in the interceptions column. The Atlanta Falcons have their fair share of quarterback struggles entering this week, but as they prepare to meet the Texans on Sunday, slowing down Stroud is a key component of a winning game plan for head coach Arthur Smith.

Smith recently stated that he spent a good amount of time watching Stroud's final year with the Ohio State Buckeyes last season, and he believes the best ball is in front of the young signal caller.

“A lot," Smith said. "I mean that’s your job. You got to know, whether you’re going to draft a player or not, there’s a lot of great players that come out every year. I think it’s your job to understand the league and knowing that, regardless, we were going to play a lot of these young quarterbacks, and you just never know. But C.J., he’s got a special characteristic."

Oct 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) celebrates after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium / Troy Taormina-USA Today Sports

It's still very early in what could be a long career for Stroud, but the early returns suggest that he is adapting quickly to life in the NFL. That's more than can be said for a lot of rookie quarterbacks through the years.

"We’ll see how his career goes, but I’d be betting on him," Smith said. "Good thing he’s in the AFC South because I think the guy’s got something to him. I thought that going out, and everybody in Atlanta saw in that national semifinal. So sometimes, you get a soft spot for somebody who’s got kicked by a lot of, whatever, narratives, that were ridiculous. 

"The guy’s a good player, and he’s shown it so far. And it’s our job to go stop him and not make him a good player on Sunday. But I bet you he’s going to have a really bright future.”

The Falcons and Texans are set to kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday on FOX.