Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a career-high three interceptions in Sunday’s 21-16 win over Arizona, but that won’t slow the dynamic rookie. In athlete parlance, shooters shoot.
“Man, Steph Curry don’t ever stop shooting,” Stroud said after the game, via the team’s official website. “I’m going to keep letting it ride. And I’ve got no shame in my game. I’ve definitely got to be smarter. No confidence is taken away from me. I’m going to keep letting it fly.”
Stroud’s initial interception occurred amidst three touchdown drives, helping the Texans to a 21-10 lead by halftime. His next two interceptions happened in the last two possessions, giving the Cardinals an opportunity for victory. However, DeMeco Ryans’ defense consistently halted their progress. Despite Stroud’s three interceptions, Arizona failed to score any points.
“Personally, I felt our ball throws were quite solid,” commented Stroud. “I don’t judge my performance based on three plays, thinking, I’ve had a terrible game. However, I do acknowledge that I can’t allow that many turnovers. I managed to throw for 300 yards again, scoring two touchdowns. So, while I don’t believe I did poorly, I’m aware that I must reduce the turnovers,” said Stroud.
In Week 11, Stroud had three INTs, which is more than the two he had in his first nine career games.
Cleaning up is considerably simpler after a victory than after a defeat. Stroud has been throwing late interceptions for two consecutive weeks, yet in each game, the Texans have remained strong and emerged victorious. This is the modus operandi of successful teams. They find a way to secure a win even after making a mistake.
At this point, it’s not accurate to dismiss Ryans’ club as just a fluke or lucky. Although they’ve had a favorable schedule, aside from their letdown against Carolina, Houston has demonstrated they have the capability to execute the necessary plays to secure victories.
“Regarding C.J., we persist in emphasizing his positive contributions,” stated Ryans. “We’re discussing a young individual capable of advancing the football. Miscues and unsuccessful plays are inevitable, but the pivotal factor is how you react to those situations.”
On Sunday, Stroud earned his fourth game this season with 300-plus yards passing and two-plus passing TDs (ties him for the third-most such games by a rookie QB in NFL history, behind Justin Herbert and Andrew Luck). Stroud’s 336 pass yards in Week 11 moved him into fourth place for most passing yards in a player’s first 10 career games with 2,962 — trailing only Patrick Mahomes (3,185), Justin Herbert (3,015) and Andrew Luck (2,965).
