The Houston Texans faltered in their divisional round matchup against the New England Patriots, as they suffered a 28-16 loss on Sunday afternoon. While the Texans didn’t play great across the board, fans were quick to pin the blame for the loss on quarterback C.J. Stroud‘s shoulders after he endured the worst outing of his young career.
Stroud looked flummoxed all day long by New England’s defense, and the end result saw him throw four interceptions when all was said and done. Stroud’s head coach, DeMeco Ryans, knows his quarterback is beating himself for his rough outing, but he provided him with an uplifting message shortly after Houston’s season came to an end.
DeMeco Ryans Throws Support Behind C.J. Stroud
The Texans entered this game beat up on offense, which was already going to make things on Stroud. Nico Collins and Trent Brown both were unable to play, and early in the contest, Stroud lost tight end Dalton Schultz to a calf injury. Woody Marks and Tytus Howard suffered injuries along the way, too, but they were able to return to finish out the game.
Still, the impact all these absences had on Stroud was tough to ignore. He struggled to get on the same page with any of his pass catchers, and that was assuming he had time to actually throw the football, which was often not the case. The immense pressure Stroud was facing on virtually every play was a big reason why he played so poorly in this one.
Ryans knows that Stroud is going to get battered by the media and the fans for his play in this one, as that’s typically what happens when you throw four interceptions in a do-or-die game. However, he voiced his support for Stroud after the game, noting how much better he played in the second half, even in the adverse situation he found himself in.
“C.J. is our guy,” Ryans confidently said after the game. “I believed that he could come back out in the second half and flip it. I believed that he could play better, and he did that in the second half, he did play better. We had some positive drives there in the second half. I believed that he would do that, and he did that.”
Texans Head Back to the Drawing Board After Loss to Patriots
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL wild card playoff game.
While Ryans is sticking with Stroud for now, the Texans have to be at least somewhat concerned with his play under center. After a standout rookie campaign, Stroud has looked nothing like that player over the previous two years. The offense around him has some flaws, particularly on the offensive line, but Stroud is regressing rather than improving, which is a very concerning development.
Chances are, Houston isn’t going to give up on Stroud just yet, but he’s going to have to show improvement in 2026 in order for the team to invest in him as their quarterback of the future. For now, though, the Texans will be focused on finding a way to upgrade their roster in an effort to give him the best shot at succeeding when he returns to action next year.
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