The Patriots beat the Texans on Sunday, 28-16, to advance to the AFC championship game and continue a dream season in New England. On the other side, it was a pretty awful end to the year for Houston. The Texans’ touted defense did everything they could to keep the team alive but the offense’s inability to produce anything at all was too much to overcome.
It was a day to forget for Houston and especially for C.J. Stroud. The 24-year-old quarterback threw four first-half interceptions, which both set a new NFL record for postseason turnovers and helped put the Texans in a hole they wouldn’t be able to climb out of. He finished the day with only 212 yards passing, completing 20 of his 47 attempts. Stroud did record one TD throw by the end but it stands in stark contrast to his four picks.
As the game wound down in the final minutes with the Texans down multiple scores, the ESPN cameras caught Stroud’s look of deep sadness while sitting on the sideline.
C.J. Stroud on the sidelines ❄️ pic.twitter.com/rQJq1ZzcS4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 18, 2026
It was a very tough day for the young QB. Stroud clearly had trouble gripping and throwing the ball in the snowy, wet New England weather. Once the Patriots started to get consistent pressure the two issues compounded and resulted in a complete collapse from the signal-caller. Every player will have a bad day, but the divisional round of the playoffs is a tough time to have a bad day. And for it to not only be a bad day but a truly disastrous one... It’s hard to blame Stroud for looking as down as he does there.
The Texans seem like a team on the up-and-up due to the youthful age of their key pieces and the sheer dominance the defense enjoyed this year. Stroud will probably have a chance to redeem himself after today’s brutal showing. But for now disappointment is the reigning feeling, and it’s written all over his face.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cameras Caught C.J. Stroud’s Sad Look on Sideline After Brutal Showing in Texans’ Loss .
