Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud entered this year’s NFL playoffs regarded as one of the better signal-callers left playing in the chase for the Super Bowl. One of his strongest qualities? Taking care of the ball. Stroud recorded 10 total turnovers this year for Houston, throwing eight picks and losing two fumbles in 14 games. His ball security helped lead the Texans to a big second-half turnaround and they entered the postseason on a nine-game winning streak.
But once the playoffs started, everything completely changed. Up against the Steelers in the wild-card round, Stroud suddenly couldn’t hang on to the ball to save his life. He threw an interception and recorded five fumbles (two were recovered by the opposing side) to total three turnovers on the night. It didn’t end up mattering; the Houston defense so thoroughly dominated Pittsburgh that the Texans walked away with an easy 30-6 win. But it wasn’t a good start to the postseason—and wound up a sign of things to come.
