How C.J. Stroud believes a ‘wakeup call’ is happening with Texans and a need to ‘get back to having fun’

HOUSTON – Reflecting in prayer, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud leaned heavily on his faith for an answer to what’s affecting more than the defending AFC South champions’ recent decline in play.

Deeply religious, Stroud often prays for strength and guidance in his daily life. It’s a source of inspiration for the 23-year-old California native and former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Stroud reached an eye-opening conclusion during a long weekend, days after an embarrassing setback on national television against the New York Jets. This realization circled back to enjoyment of the game. Stroud felt like something was missing in terms of intangibles as the defending AFC South champions dropped to 6-3 for the season in the wake of a 21-13 defeat to a Jets team that entered a Thursday night primetime game on a five-game losing streak.

“Really just prayer, just spending time with God,” Stroud said. “The three days off was very nice to find time for your soul, your body and your mental. I believe that is where it kind of came from and there are so many things going on in this world and we are called to be the light.

“It is an entertainment business, and we are called to entertain but you can also have fun while doing it. I think that is something as a team that we can do better, I just have more fun, celebrating. You have a smile on your face right now, you are having fun while doing your job. We can do the same.”

During the loss to the Jets, Stroud was under heavy duress. He completed just 11 of 30 passes for the lowest completion percentage of his career for 191 yards as he averaged just 3.5 yards per attempt. A strong-armed former second overall pick from Ohio State, Stroud was on the ground a lot. Way too much. He was sacked a career-high eight times by a fast, aggressive Jets defense. He was hit 11 times overall.

And the Texans generated just six first downs on 17 third downs, a 35.3 success rate. They were 1 for 4 in the red zone, including an ill-fated Wildcat play call from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as Stroud lined up at wide receiver and was covered by cornerback D.J. Reed. Lined up in the shotgun formation, standout running back Joe Mixon threw incomplete. Later on the drive, kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn banged a 27-yard chip shot off the left upright for a missed field goal.

After the game, Stroud acknowledged he was embarrassed. He emphasized that finger-pointing wasn’t the answer to the problem.

“I would say I would have more fun,” Stroud said. “I have to realize that God has put a great talent in me, and I am not playing for anybody else, first and foremost. I am playing for Him, but then I am playing for my family, then my teammates. I have to remember that. I have to remember my priorities and I can be joyful while suffering as well. That is something I plan to do is just have more fun.

“Be joyful in those moments because when you are in these trials and tribulations, it teaches you things about yourself and it teaches you to lean on Him. That is what I plan to do is just lean on his strength and he has never forsaken me yet, so I plan to keep going and just have fun while doing it. There are things I can get better at, fundamentally wise, for sure. Just getting the ball out of my hand and things like that but ultimately, I believe it is just having fun and being joyful while doing it.”

Stroud’s positive attitude is commendable. And the Texans hope his leadership will be instrumental to righting their season after losing two of the past three games.

The days of talk about a five-headed monster of Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz and Mixon are long over.

Collins missed the past four games with a hamstring pull and is now eligible to return against the Detroit Lions for a pivotal Sunday night game at NRG Stadium. He is questionable and was limited Friday in his only practice of the week. He was the NFL receiving yardage leader before he pulled his hamstring against the Buffalo Bills on a long touchdown catch.

Diggs is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Dell has picked up his game the past two weeks with Collins and Diggs out of the lineup. He caught six passes for 126 yards against the Jets with a season-long catch of 50 yards. He has 10 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown on 13 targets over the past two games.

Schultz has 26 catches for 244 yards, a 9.4 average, with no touchdowns. He’s on pace for 49 catches for 461 yards, pedestrian numbers after being signed to a three-year, $36 million offseason deal.

Mixon has excelled with four consecutive 100-yard rushing games with at least one touchdown.

Slowik, a popular head coaching candidate last offseason, has been the subject of criticism.

“We got to execute,” Stroud said. “I wouldn’t be able to call too many plays too if guys are not doing assignments. We all have to get better too. It is not just a cop out like that, everywhere around we all have to be better.

“We know that we know we can help him. He knows he can help us. But, at the end of the day, the sun rises the next day, and we can all get better and have those conversations and get it fixed. I believe we have the team too to be really special and we can get it fixed and we will.”

One of the biggest challenges the Texans face against a 7-1 Detroit squad are their extremely talented safeties: Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.

They’re instinctive and rangy and the scourge of quarterbacks trying to throw over the middle of the Lions’ secondary.

Joseph has six interceptions and one touchdown. Branch, a former first-round draft pick from Alabama, has four interceptions

“Two really dynamic players,” Stroud said. “Branch, I played him in high school and All-American Bowl. I have seen him play and he has always been a great playmaker, somebody who can sniff the ball out and the same thing with Joseph. So, you have to be ready for that and be on our A game.”

The Lions rank third in the NFL with 16 takeaways, fourth in red-zone efficiency (43.5 percent) and first in third-down defense (29.9 percent). Branch and Joseph are instrumental to the Lions’ success story under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s tutelage.

“Branch and Joseph, really two really good young players and they do a great job of taking the football away,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I think they have about 10 interceptions between the two guys. So, you talk about guys who play tight coverage. In the back end, they do it really well with their man coverage. You can just tell the guys are well-coached. Aaron does a great job with those guys. And Branch and Kerby, you leave it up there, they can go attack the football. So, we’re well aware of those guys.”

A lot of football comes back to emotion.

Stroud has noticed some differences around the team once Diggs was lost for the season.

“There has been a lot of conversation around that had to be had,” Stroud said. “I have been able to have some great conversation with leaders and the captains on the team. We do miss Diggs and his vocal leadership, but that is where I step up. Dalton has stepped up, and Joe, Azeez [Al-Shaair], Jalen [Pitre], Will [Anderson Jr.]. We have got a lot of things worked out and it is looking better for us, for sure.”

A year ago, the Texans became a division champion by believing in themselves and following the lead of Stroud and Ryans in their first season in Houston.

They went 11-8 and won one playoff game.

The way the Texans have faltered in the second half this season hasn’t been a good way of handling adversity.

When opponents have grabbed the momentum, as the Jets did last week after halftime, the Texans haven’t been able to respond adequately.

“I think one thing I have learned is that the other team makes plays, too.” Stroud said. “We have to not only respond but withstand the surge. Especially when we are at an away game. An away game, I feel like we are a little dead in the second half because we don’t have the crowd with us. I believe that we just have to honestly keep the swag, keep the juice, on the sideline we have to be more pumped up.

“Everybody has to stand up and rooting each other on and celebrate. I think that is one thing we can do better, just have better celebrations. You see other teams, when [Jets wide receiver) Garrett [Wilson] caught that touchdown, the whole sideline is up celebrating. We just need to feel that energy. When the defense makes a big stop, we are on the field making them feel like the boys are balling because they are, and they have been. It has to be both ways and I really think that can bring more juice and more energy.”

Some of that emotion comes from the words of Mixon, who isn’t shy about making his presence felt.

Mixon often leads by example. He also will hold people accountable.

“Yeah, I expected that,” Stroud said. “Joe, last year when we played them, he had that dawg mentality, and he brought it here. That is something we needed, for sure. One thing I love about Joe, Joe will call you out. Joe will call me out, Joe will call his linemen out, Joe will call coaches out, he doesn’t care.

“Ultimately, that is what you want because at the end of the day we all came here for one common goal and that is to win. If that is hurting somebody’s feelings, we are grown men, we get paid to do this. So, you have to be able to understand it, take it for love because he really just cares about the game, and he cares about this team and his coaches. So yeah, I love Joe.”

As for the offensive line, the Texans are making changes.

Juice Scruggs is moving from center to left guard and Jarrett Patterson is his replacement at center, according to league sources.

The communication between Stroud and the linemen needed improvement. That’s been another focal point this week. They have to keep Stroud healthy and comfortable with a clean pocket.

“Yeah, I have had a lot of great conversations with them, and I believe sometimes it takes getting hit in the mouth, maybe getting hit in the mouth multiple times to wake up,” Stroud said. “I believe that this is a wakeup call for us to get things fixed and understand that if we give ourselves a shot and stay in the green, we move the ball really well, we just have to finish.

“We have to be able to lose that one bad play in a drive or those two bad plays with the penalties. It is always something, so if we can get rid of that, I believe we can really be great for our team. We already are, we are a really good football team. There is no time to hang our heads down, it ain’t that bad. We are going to figure it out, for sure.”

The Texans undoubtedly have a ton of potential. They have an excellent chance to win the AFC South again. To reach their goals of a long playoff run or make it to and win a Super Bowl, they obviously have to play a lot better football than what they’ve put on the field during the first half of the season.

“We’re in a good spot,” Ryans said. “I mean, right now, halfway point of our season, we’re in a good spot. We’re atop our division. Guys are playing good football and I’m very pleased with where our team is. We just have to go out and finish this second half of the season. But to be where we are right now, I’m very proud of the work that our guys have done no matter who we’ve had out there.

“Guys have just stepped up and made plays. We’ve lost some guys to injury, it doesn’t matter. Guys have stepped up, made plays and playing winning football. So, I’m excited to see how our guys continue to push and finish this second half of the season. I guess it’s this narrative like we’re just not a good team, but we’ve been in games. We just haven’t made the plays. It’s not from a matter of effort and those things, it’s a matter of being on the details and that’s what the league is about.”

Read more on the Texans:

• How ‘dynamic’ Texans RB Joe Mixon joined Arian Foster, Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith in statistical benchmarks in epic season
• Source: Texans signing guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. to practice squad
• Texans designate corner Jeff Okudah, defensive end Jerry Hughes for return from injured reserve
• Source: Texans worked out linemen La’el Collins, Tremayne Anchrum Jr, Ike Boettger, Jerome Carvin, DB Jason Taylor
• Texans rookie Jamal Hill honored by official proclamation in Georgia hometown
• Texans’ Kenyon Green dislocated left shoulder, to be placed on IR, Kendrick Green steps in, Will Anderson Jr. ankle hurt
• ‘I know I have to step up, I know I have shoes to fill,’ Texans’ Tank Dell in spotlight after Stefon Diggs’ torn ACL
• Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is the AFC Defensive Player of the Month
• ‘I’m just trying to be that light as much as I can,’ Texans nickel Jalen Pitre nabs first interception since rookie year

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com