What is C.J. Stroud’s best trait as the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans?
Is it his 63.9% completion rating?
How about his limited turnovers and high-end touchdown ratio?
Maybe it’s his leadership in the huddle despite being only a second-year standout under center.
All those could be qualities needed to help Houston advance to its first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, but another trait stands out as the top asset in the eyes of former Texans coach Gary Kubiak.
“I was extremely impressed. The first thing that jumps out to you is that he can make any throw at any time,” Kubiak said during a recent appearance on The Locker Room podcast with Landry Locker. “It doesn’t take a lot of effort for him to flip a ball 30-40 yards down the field with people around his feet and those type of things. Those are just God-given talents that are really really special, when you watch him, you see that. To me, you never see any panic in him when things are going on — that’s a tremendous sign.”
Kubiak, who served as the Texans head coach from 2005-2013, knows what makes quarterbacks tick. Before joining Houston following a stint as the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator, Kubiak spent time training names like John Elway and Steve Young.
After his tenure in Houston, Kubiak joined forces with Peyton Manning to win Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos in 2015. He also helped Joe Flacco return to Pro Bowl form with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014, so quarterback is his mantra.
Stroud, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year after helping the Texans clinch their first division title in four years, put together a campaign to remember. Not only did he become the youngest passer to win a playoff game, but Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to lead the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio and passing yards per game.
But Stroud faces a similar struggle most talented rookie passers meet when entering their second season. The sophomore slump is real and could be why Houston struggles to emulate similar success this fall.
Kubiak said the most towering task for young quarterbacks is going from being the hunter to the hunted. Everyone has a year of film now and will use the weak points as an advantage in preparation.
“When you’re a play caller, everybody’s studying your tendencies and those types of things,” Kubiak said. “So you, as a play caller, have to check yourself. You have to have people that help you. You have to scout yourself just like you scout your opponents and that’s something that you have to address each and every year because you constantly change to get better.”
Kubiak mentioned that not everything falls on the quarterback. Having the proper supporting cast to pick up the pieces is essential for championship-caliber teams, especially if injuries begin to stockpile.
During Kubiak’s first season in Denver, the Broncos turned to Brock Osweiler to lead the offense after Manning suffered a foot injury. Osweiler secured six wins in the starting role, but the offense featured two Pro Bowl receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, plus a top-ranked defense.
With Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Joe Mixon, and Dalton Schultz as part of his arsenal, plus a potential top-10 defense headlined by Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. , Kubiak can see a similar vision for Stroud under one of his former players-turned-coach.
“DeMeco [Ryans] continues to get the football team better around him and that’s the best friend a quarterback can have around him – a good football team,” Kubiak said.
The Texans return to NRG Stadium for training camp beginning on July 18.
