In his first preseason game, Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was greeted by Bill Belichick.
Stroud played two series in the Texans’ 20-9 victory against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, completing two of four passes for 13 yards with an interception and a sack. He added two 6-yard scrambles.
“Kind of a crazy opportunity to be able to go out, my first NFL stadium, my first NFL game, and just a lot of things that I’ve been through to just get to that moment,” Stroud said afterward. “It was very unique. Of course, I wish I hadn’t made one error on one particular play, but other than that, I think I performed well.
“It felt good to be hit again and get back into the groove.” That’s what I believe preseason is for.”
The rookie quarterback was under attack from an offensive line that was mostly made up of reserves. On three dropbacks, the Pats officially pressed Stroud, the No. 2 choice in the 2023 NFL Draught, frequently forcing him off his place. According to Next Gen Stats, New England blitzed Stroud on 60% of his dropbacks.
“I thought it was good for C.J. to go out and get some live reps, get some real looks,” said DeMeco Ryans, the Texans’ first-year head coach. “I thought he moved well, went to the right spot with the ball a couple of times, and it was nice to see him move out of the pocket and try to make something happen there.”
“We know we have some things to clean up in the beginning, and I don’t want him to have to move as much, but we all have things to clean up and improve on.” But I felt it was a fantastic first trip for him since it gave him a nice look at live action.”
Davis Mills, a third-year veteran, came in for the third drive and did a better job of getting the ball out fast to escape pressure, something Stroud has to improve on. The Texans’ offence was more fluid under Mills, which was expected versus backups considering his 26 starts. In four drives, Mills completed 9-of-12 passes for 99 yards and a score with no sacks.
Two preseason games remain, but Ryans must decide whether to let Stroud learn on the job, relying on potential, or open the season with the more seasoned but less dynamic Mills at quarterback.
With defenders in his face, Stroud seemed to be a rookie in the making.
Stroud touched the ball and stared down receiver Tank Dell on his interception, bringing safety Jalen Mills straight to the play for the pick. It’s a learning experience for the newcomer. He can’t look at a wideout while surrounded by NFL safety. The play was over when he patted the ball.
Facing a Patriots defence with one of the league’s deepest rushing units and a bunch of backup offensive linemen is a daunting job for any first-year quarterback. Stroud felt more pressurised in two series in his first preseason play than he did in full games at Ohio State. The youngster demonstrated that he has a long way to go in terms of processing, which should improve with additional repetitions.
“Of course, I’m not overjoyed with how I played,” Stroud said. “I didn’t get to play a lot, but I just wanted to get my feet in the water, learn from my mistakes, and keep growing.”
In a quick trip on Thursday, Stroud got his feet wet. It was not a nice sight. Moving ahead, the concern is how he recovers.
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