C.J. Stroud Praises 'Stout' Atlanta Falcons Defense

“Yeah, Atlanta is a really stout, really good defense," Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 5, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are hosting the Houston Texans this weekend in a game that will see one team go above .500.

Very few are playing quarterback in the NFL better than C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. Stroud is recognizing the challenge that the Falcons run defense can pose this weekend.

“Yeah, Atlanta is a really stout, really good defense," Stroud said. "Their [defensive] line is really good. Grady [Jarrett] is a great player up front. The linebackers float around, play off their [defensive] line. They set the edge as well, so it’s hard to run the ball against them."

As disciples of the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff, the Texans want to establish the run early and often in each game they have played. However, with a banged-up offensive line, the team has ranked just 26th in the league in rushing so far.

That being said, Dameon Pierce nearly ran for 1,000 yards in his rookie season and would likely have hit that mark if he stayed healthy. The team also signed Devin Singletary over the offseason from the Buffalo Bills, and he has the potential to breakout in any given week.

In order for the Falcons to win Sunday, limiting the Texans run game will be key. Sure, Stroud poses a threat through the air, but by taking away the run, the Falcons force the Texans to play into matchups where Atlanta may have an edge with A.J. Terrell, Jeff Okudah, Jessie Bates III and Richie Grant in the secondary.

The Texans and Falcons kick off at 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Published Oct 5, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.