Texans' C.J. Stroud Shows 'Encouraging' Improvements vs. Dolphins

Despite a handful of mishaps, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud displayed encouraging improvements in preseason loss to the Dolphins.

HOUSTON — For the fifth time since a 41-38 loss to the Tennessee Titans in January 2021, the Houston Texans entered NRG Stadium with a new quarterback starting under center. C.J. Stroud made his home debut during the Texans' 28-3 preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins Saturday afternoon.

Coach DeMeco Ryans wasn't thrilled by the results but found encouragement in watching his rookie quarterback display improvements for the first two quarters.

"With the operation of the offense, I thought C.J. was more efficient," Ryans said. "He felt more comfortable. I am proud of the progression C.J. took this week, and that is what we want to see. I am proud of what C.J. did."

Stroud played five series and finished the game with 60 yards while connecting on seven out of 12 attempts. Ryans noticed Stroud's quick releases and accurate ball placement when compared to his debut against the New England Patriots nine days ago.

His best drive of the game came with 5:30 left in the first quarter. Stroud led the Texans on a possession, where Houston recorded 61 yards in 11 plays. 

Stroud pushed the ball downfield with five completions. He connected with wide receivers Nico Collins and Noah Brown for a 14-yard gain on back-to-back attempts. The series ended with kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn nailing a 35-yard field goal.

Despite the drive not ending in a touchdown, Stroud got into a rhythm for the first time since his college days at Ohio State.

"When we started rolling as an offense, it felt good overall," Stroud said. "Everybody got a chance to touch the ball on that drive. That drive showed us that we can be explosive and move the ball down the field. But we have to finish. It meant a lot. Thank God it's preseason, and we can learn from it."

Stroud's play has him moving closer to winning the quarterback battle over the incumbent Davis Mills, who finished completing 45.4 percent of his pass attempts for 94 yards. 

Stroud said the game is starting to slow down, which has allowed him to see the field better. But despite the progression, Stroud isn't interested in focusing on the positives.

He took responsibility for the Texans' lackluster offensive performance. Houston trailed Miami 21-3 at halftime, and Stroud felt his execution could have been better. 

Not capitalizing on linebacker Denzel Perryman's interception on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the drive Stroud wishes he could take back. Perryman's pick placed Houston on the Dolphins' sixth-yard line. The Texans failed to reach the end zone despite moving the ball to the one-yard line.

"The main thing for me is to be consistent," Stroud said. "Consistent in everything from my approach to the way the ball spins out of my hands and how I call plays. I have a lot of things I would like to hit. But my main focus is being consistent.

"I know I can be a really good player in this league. I have shown flashes of that. But it doesn't matter until you do things consistently. Everyone can do it once. But the ones who separate themselves are the ones who do it every day. Every week. Every game."

Despite being pleased by his development, Ryans was non-committal about naming Stroud the Texans' official starter. 

The goal for Ryans and Stroud is to take advantage of their upcoming joint practices against the New Orleans Saints. The final week of training camp will give Stroud a chance to learn from his mistakes ahead of the Texans' Week 1 contest against the Baltimore Ravens.

Week 2 will mark the Texans' home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. The lessons learned will give Stroud the best chance of retaining his role as Houston's starting quarterback when the Texans return to NRG Stadium on Sept. 17. 

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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