Davis Mills Reacts to C.J. Stroud Concussion After Houston Texans' Week 14 Loss

The Houston Texans fell to the New York Jets in Week 14, 30-6. Quarterback Davis Mills spelled C.J. Stroud after a potential concussion and reacted to the news after the loss.

Late in the Houston Texans’ 30-6 loss to the New York Jets, quarterback C.J. Stroud was brought to the MetLife Stadium turf after completing a pass. The hit would leave him shaken up and, presumably, concussed.

The scare sent shockwaves through the Houston faithful. He’ll spend the week in concussion protocol and continue to be evaluated ahead of the team’s Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud getting checked on by trainers after taking a hard hit in Week 14 / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

After falling to 7-6, the Texans’ playoff chances have taken a substantial dip, demanding a strong stretch run that includes three AFC South games and the Cleveland Browns. New York presented a winnable game, and they didn’t show up, eliminating whatever breathing room they had left.

Now, Houston may have backup quarterback Davis Mills under center. He replaced Stroud after the injury, completing just one of his five attempts for four yards. He was sacked once.

“Super tough. I love that man,” Mills said. “He’s been battling week in and week out for this team and obviously it’s tough seeing him go down. The team felt that, the team wants to go out there and play for him. So I just gotta step in and make sure there’s no dropoff when I come in to play, like I tried to do at the end of this game. It was just a tough day.”

Stroud’s injury didn’t have much of an effect on Sunday’s affair, having already gone 10-of-23 for 91 yards. But the idea of the franchise quarterback taking shots to the head doesn’t make anyone comfortable.

It’s a scary situation in both the short- and long-term, but Mills will look to mitigate the immediate impact, should he be named next Sunday’s starter.

“Nothing changes in terms of my preparation,” Mills said. “Going into the offense even as the No. 2 this year, I’ve been preparing every week like I’m going into the game to start, so I don’t think there should be any change in preparation.”

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Houston’s next test will come in Tennessee, which means facing a Titans defense with an elite front four but a leaky secondary. Mills’ ability to help the offense rebound—or Stroud’s ability to recover quickly—will be paramount in deciding the Texans’ fate in 2023.