Big C.J. Stroud First Half Guides Houston Texans to Halftime Lead vs. Arizona Cardinals

Rookie QB sensation C.J. Stroud is once again shining bright for the Houston Texans in the first half vs. the Arizona Cardinals

Matt Galatzan | Nov 19, 2023

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Houston Texans

After five-straight one-score finishes including back-to-back last-minute wins over the Buccaneers and Bengals, the Houston Texans (5-4) were looking to come out and send a convincing message in their Sunday matchup vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

After two quarters of play, it appears that the Texans are trending toward breaking that trend, leading the Cardinals 21-10 heading into the locker room at halftime.

Since an early opening touchdown from the Cardinals, the Texans have controlled the action throughout the rest of the contest, led predominantly by rookie QB sensation C.J. Stroud.

Stroud, was on point from the opening drive for Houston, completing 18 of 24 pass attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns, including a beautiful off-platform 40-yard touchdown throw on the run to fellow rookie star, Tank Dell.

The touchdown pass was Stroud's 17th of the season.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks at the replay while playing against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. — Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks at the replay while playing against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at NRG Stadium / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Dell has also had a massive half for the Texans, catching six passes for 120 yards and the score.

Stroud did make one mistake during his first-half blitz, however, tossing his third interception of the season on an attempt in the end zone to Nico Collins.

The Texans were able to minimize the damage from that turnover with another rookie, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., intercepting Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and ending a promising 10-play 63-yard Arizona drive.

WATCH: Texans Extend First Half Lead On Crazy Connection Between C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell

As a whole, the Houston defense has largely held Murray in check, with the elusive gun-slinger completing 8 of 12 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown. He has also been sacked three times by the Texans.

The Texans are set to receiving the football to open the second half, giving them an opportunity to put a stranglehold on the game early in the third quarter.

Published Nov 19, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com