'Sky Is The Limit!' C.J. Stroud Reacts to Houston Texans' Loss to First-Place Jacksonville Jaguars

C.J. Stroud almost pulled off another incredible late-game comeback, but the Houston Texans fell just short. How did the rookie react to the standings-shaping loss?

In the second battle between the two best quarterbacks in the AFC South, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud took second place. The Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence won 24-21 on the hands of a missed field goal in the game’s final seconds.

The loss not only evens the record between the two emerging stars—but it also puts a considerable dent in Houston’s playoff hopes. A win would have granted the Texans first place with five games to play. Instead, they entered a tie for second place with the Indianapolis Colts, and saw their playoff chances drop from 69.8 percent to 47.3 percent,

Once again thrust into the middle of the conference, Houston’s seemingly magical run has temporarily come to an end. Even if the chances at an AFC South title have left on Jacksonville’s plane ride home, Stroud didn’t cower after the loss.

Stroud attempts a pass in Week 12 against the Jaguars / © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

“It hurts us pretty significantly. It’s about mindset, though,” Stroud began. “Like, what are we gonna do, not play no more? Just tuck our tail in and not play hard? I don’t believe in that type of mindset. I’m going out there every play, every game trying to win.”

With a young roster, a rookie quarterback, and a first-year head coach in DeMeco Ryans, watching how the Texans respond to newfound success and reality checks alike has been fascinating. From trap games to upset wins, it’s been a ride. That doesn’t have to end in Week 12.

One thing that plays into Houston’s fortune is the favorable schedule ahead. Of course, its division rivals share a similar luxury, but other Wild Card contenders, like the Buffalo Bills, don’t.

The Texans will play the Denver Broncos in Week 13. They also play the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans (twice) before ending the season in Indianapolis. For those counting at home, that’s three teams over .500 and no teams with a quarterback advantage over Stroud. Their playoff hopes are very much still alive.

“I don’t really think that our season is over at all,” Stroud said. “It’s a long year. We have [five] more games to play, there’s a lot more football left. We can see the trajectory we’re on.”

Stroud finished the day completing 26-of-36 attempts for 304 yards and two touchdowns. He was also Houston’s leading rusher, running six times for 47 yards and a score. Although some questionable decisions on late-game drives came back to haunt the Texans, they were also incredibly close to an even more prolific offensive outing. Somewhat controversial officiating got in the way.

Certainly, though, it was not Houston’s best game. The secondary seemed to fall apart against a talented Jaguars offense, getting lit up for 364 yards through the air. The Texans managed just three scoring drives and, of course, left points on the board in the form of two missed field goals.

“We gotta play complementary football … offense gotta help the defense, defense gotta help the offense, special teams has to do their job, too,” Stroud said. “There’s a lot of things we can learn from.”

WATCH: C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins Connect for Touchdown in Comeback Attempt vs. Jaguars

With a red-hot Broncos team looming and another dose of adversity administered, Houston will once again have to bounce back and continue to prove themselves as more than just a nice underdog story.

Legitimate playoff contenders win the games they’re supposed to. The only thing left to do is go out and win them.

“Where we’re at, the sky is the limit still,” Stroud concluded. “There’s no confidence taken away with this loss. We’re gonna learn from it, we’re gonna get better, and we’re gonna go get a dub.”