Texans’ CJ Stroud delivers hopeful message for Houston after NFL Playoffs exit
CJ Stroud has his eyes on the future.
The Houston Texans have been eliminated from Super Bowl contention after a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round, but for many of the team’s supporters, it’s just the start of better things for the franchise. Sharing that mindset with them is no other than rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who expressed his belief in the team’s future when he spoke to reporters during the postgame press conference.
Stroud had an amazing overall performance in just his first year in the pros. With Stroud orchestrating the Texans’ offense on the field, Houston managed to go 10-7 in the regular season and make it to the NFL playoffs for the first time since the 2019 campaign. Before Stroud landed on the laps of Houston, the Texans had three consecutive seasons with no more than four wins. It is safe to say that Stroud has given Houston a major boost, as excellently evidenced by his rookie numbers and the fact that Houston not only reached the playoffs but also scored a postseason win when they blasted the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round.
Stroud concluded the 2023 NFL regular season eighth in the entire league with 4,108 passing yards to go with 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Against the Ravens, the former Ohio State Buckeyes star quarterback went 19/33 for 175 yards and zero touchdowns. He was easily outshined by Baltimore star Lamar Jackson, but it’s not that hard to imagine for Texans fans, considering Stroud’s body of work in 2023, that the young QB will be much better going forward.
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Steven Sims delivers 67-yard punt return TD after signing off Texans practice squad
The Texans made a game-changing choice to sign Steven Sims off the practice squad earlier this week.
And it paid dividends quickly.
Fresh off the practice field, the 26-year-old wide receiver stunned the crowd in Baltimore with a 67-yard punt return touchdown, tying the Ravens at 10-10 late in the second quarter of their AFC divisional round game.
With 4:34 left in the first half, Sims caught the punt on Houston’s 33-yard line with the Texans trailing the Ravens by a touchdown.
In what looked like an effortless maneuver, Sims made a few stutter steps and then ran right up the middle of the Ravens’ punt coverage and into the end zone to tie the game.
The decision to move Sims only came after veteran receiver Noah Brown suffered a shoulder during the Texans’ wild-card round victory over the Browns.
Sims, who spent the bulk of the regular season on the practice squad, did appear in three games this year, making three catches for 25 yards.
He has five receiving touchdowns in his five NFL seasons and one on a kick return, but Saturday’s score was his first-ever touchdown on a punt return.
