Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud had a forgettable preseason debut. Not only did the No. 2 overall pick have just two drives against the New England Patriots in the 20-9 win, but they were quick and marred with mistakes.
Stroud gave analysts something to consider in his second preseason game. Despite the Miami Dolphins thrashing the Texans 28-3, Stroud played the entire first half and compiled a respectable stat line of 7-of-12 for 60 yards.
According to Garrett Podell from CBS Sports, Stroud ranked as the sixth-best rookie quarterback in the second week of preseason.
Stroud put significant improvement on display in Week 2 in comparison to his Week 1 performance (13 passing yards and an interception on two-of-four passing). He got much more run against the Miami Dolphins, playing the entire first half, which likely helped. His start was rocky as the Texans left his first drive without any points following a turnover on downs from the Dolphins 7. A delay-of-game penalty was followed by consecutive incompletions, but Stroud locked in later on.
The very next drive, Stroud completed some precision throws downfield, including this rollout throw below. He led the Texans on a 61-yard drive that concluded with the game’s only points via a 35-yard field goal.
a ++ throw on the move by CJ Stroud pic.twitter.com/NaRCoSqGZK
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) August 20, 2023
Stroud told reporters after the Dolphins game that he perceived the game as “slowing down” for him.
“Yeah, I think I’m taking steps every week,” said Stroud. “I’m starting to see the game. It’s starting to slow down for me, and I’m seeing things a lot more clean. In situations like that, the quicker I can get up there and diagnose the coverage, the blitz-look or whatever it is, the more dynamic this offense will be.”
The Texans finish their preseason slate Aug. 27 against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome.
