‘We’re really close .. can’t lose your mind,’ how 0-2 Texans, C.J. Stroud are keeping perspective despite rough start

HOUSTON – A big-picture perspective involving the Texans’ stagnant offense has been as elusive as touchdowns for an overhauled group that underwent drastic changes during the offseason.

There has been a general sense of alarm, distress and frustration from a fan base that entered the season with high hopes for the two-time defending AFC South champions.

Despite the dismissal of oft-criticized offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, replacing him with Nick Caley, unveiling a brand-new offensive line after trading five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and bringing in multiple new wide receivers, the offense is stuck in neutral.

If there’s a rock bottom lower than the current state of the offense after two games, the winless Texans surely don’t want to descend to that level.

The Texans are the lowest scoring offense in the league, averaging just 14 points per contest. They are the only team in the NFL that has yet to score a red-zone touchdown. Despite struggling mightily to move the football or find the end zone, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl selection, is maintaining optimism.

“We’re really close,” Stroud said. “We’re like one or two plays away from winning tight games against good teams and we’re only two weeks in. So, we’re still building, still growing, still getting used to playing with one another. So, we’re very close.”

“Of course, it’s not ideal. But, you don’t cry about it and be a Debbie downer. I don’t know. There’s a time and place for that. I think two weeks in, can’t lose your mind, but also can’t be too relaxed. So, it’s a little bit of a balance.”

They rank last in the NFL with a 22.2 percent conversion rate on third downs. A rough start has led to an 0-2 record and a pivotal road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in the Texans’ first divisional game of the season.

Despite watershed changes to every aspect of the offense, including not having Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon due to foot and ankle issues that landed him on the non-football injury list with Nick Chubb his primary replacement, nothing is really clicking in any category of offensive football.

It’s a head-scratching time on Kirby Drive. It’s definitely not a time for complacency. If anything, they’re doubling down.

“I’m always putting pressure on myself to be urgent and try to get things done, I never want to let anything fester,” Caley said. “That’s how I’ve been. That’s how I was raised in this profession and that’s how I’ll continue to be. I don’t think anybody’s ever satisfied with anything. None of us are satisfied. We all want to play at our best. We have good people on this team coaches, players and that’s what we’re going to do. It’s a race to get to continue to get better.

“The process to me is as important as anything. That can’t be wrong, that’s got to be in line, and I feel confident in that. We just got to play more consistent. We got to play cleaner. We got to play with better fundamentals. I have to do a better job early on and getting us going, too. We can all collectively do that. As long as we just keep working, I believe in what we’re doing, and I believe in the people in this building.”

It was yet another heavy moment of frustration for the Texans’ sputtering offense, off to an early, ugly start to the season.

Players shook their heads and clenched their fists after a prime scoring opportunity was squandered.

Arguably, there was no more head-shaking moment about the Texans’ overhauled and ineffective offense than failing to score on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a head-scratching 20-19 loss Monday night at NRG Stadium despite three shots at their one-yard line.

“You can make a bunch of excuses, but we’re just not getting it done,” Stroud said. “At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”

A promising drive early in the fourth quarter, one that could have grabbed the momentum back and reclaimed the lead, evaporated into nothing. Zero points.

After wide receiver Nico Collins picked up a first down at the Buccaneers’ one-yard line after being tackled by Jamel Dean, the offense couldn’t budge a stout defense. First, Chubb was stonewalled by massive Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea for no gain after left offensive guard Laken Tomlinson got shoved backwards.

A lob intended for Collins, a returning Pro Bowl wide receiver, was just a bit off and glanced off his outstretched hands incomplete. An overthrown pass on fourth down ended the drive.

What was that?

“We ran the ball, obviously, stuck in a run and didn’t really gain much on it at all,” Caley said. “Then, it got into a third down situation and at that point, have a lot of confidence in the guys that we have on the team. So, I called a red-zone, low red-zone play that we have a lot of belief in and it didn’t work out.

“I feel confident in the process. It gets to fourth down, same thing we call a low red zone, call it third or fourth down play. It didn’t work out the way we wanted. So, got to assess those things and move on and learn from it. I can do better. We all can do better. So, moving forward and trying to grow.”

There’s no where really to go but upward.

It’s hard to imagine the offense being much worse, short of suddenly turning the football over more frequently. That’s one of the few things that hasn’t gone awry for the Texans.

The Texans’ trend on offense has been a downward spiral.

They have scored 20 of fewer points six times since the 15th week of the regular season last year, including the playoffs. That’s tied for the most in the NFL during that run.

There are far too many long down-and-distance situations due to penalties or pass protection breakdowns.

“I think there’s been a lot of growth,” Caley said. “Sometimes, if you sit there and live with the results and stuff, there is an element to that, obviously, but the process is more important. What I’ve seen a growth in is starting fast. I thought we started with the right intent, the urgency in and out of the huddle, cleaner operation, good communication on the sideline.

“There was a good intent by all of our guys on the sideline. We had really good focus and energy. I thought the fundamentals have improved from Week 1 to Week 2 and I just think it’s about finishing those things and finishing drives; finishing plays a little bit better and just striving to do that.”

Stroud has been sacked six times for 62 lost yards. He has completed 32 of 51 passes (62.7 percent) for 395 yards, one touchdown and one interception for an 85.0 passer rating.

Having slot receiver Christian Kirk, a proven complementary presence who can catch the football cleanly and make people miss in the open field, should provide a boost to the offense.

“Christian is a really, really good player and a special person,” Caley said. “He’s smart. He’s versatile. So, we’re excited to get him back out there and go from there. Not build up any expectations other than for him to go out there and play at his best and compete. He’s got a great spirit about him. So, excited to have him back out there.”

The Texans have converted just 4 of 18 third downs, 1 of 2 fourth down and are 0 for 3 in the red zone.

That’s the difference between winning and losing.

They’re six points away combined in the opening two games.

The overhauled offensive line finally has its original depth chart alignment they settled on during training camp: left tackle Aireontae Ersery, who improved against Tampa Bay after a rough debut with one sack and five pressures allowed with two quarterback hits, left guard Laken Tomlinson, who allowed 1 1/2 sacks and five pressures against the Buccaneers, Jake Andrews back at center from a high ankle sprain, right guard Ed Ingram and right tackle Tytus Howard. Howard has clearly been the Texans’ top offensive lineman.

Do they understand the blocking assignments?

“They do, they work hard at it,” Caley said. “We spend a lot of time on the protection. We got a great room of good people that care, and we’ve made steady strides from the jump. Is it perfect all the time? No. Are there technique things that we got to clean up at times? Yeah, at all positions, of course. But I’m happy with where they’re at. They show solid understanding and awareness when we’re on the practice field.”

Not involving Collins in a more creative way is simply bad.

He has been targeted 14 times, most on the team, but has just six catches for 77 yards and one touchdown. He’s averaging 38.5 yards per game after having 1,000-yard receiving seasons the past two seasons.

“I got to take advantage of my opportunities,” Collins said. “I got to continue to get open, create separation. I can’t wait to go out there and have fun. Continue to get open, lot of things going on, but we need to go out and be us.”

Are the Texans truly close? What’s it going to take?

“Yeah, I do, we’re right there,” Collins said. “It comes down to finishing and straining.”

Despite some explosive plays from rookie wide receivers Jayden Higgins (one catch for 28 yards) and Jaylin Nole (53-yard punt return) and running back Woody Marks (one catch, 37 yards), the Texans don’t utilize them much.

“Yes, those guys have done a really good job,” Caley said. “We have opportunities. I think a lot of our guys can do really positive things with the ball in their hands. I’ve been pleased with all those guys, and I’ve said that before and that’s the truth. So, we just got to keep continuing to get better and working at those things.”

Stroud, a former second overall pick and consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State, appears to be pressing a bit as he adjusts to a new offense and additional responsibilities and ownership of the offense.

“I can always be better,” Stroud said. “I told DeMeco the other day, if anything he sees or anybody sees I can be better in, let me know. I think my process has really been good lately. I see the field well, putting the ball where it’s supposed to be, with the coverages and whatnot.

“I didn’t really get a ton of reps with some of the guys we’re getting in the game at receiver. So, that’s a little bit of a challenge, but I think that’s one of my biggest things is being the coach on the field and taking that step, and it takes time. It’s not overnight.”

It’s been another year of struggles for an offense stuck in neutral.

What is the answer? Stroud isn’t at the podium necessarily to explain the nuances of an offense in flux.

“I’m kind of getting used to that whole idea, like you’re the hero or the zero,” Stroud said. “Then when you’re not doing well, everybody’s questioning your process, your meeting time, your this, your that. That’s exactly what y’all’s job is and it’s respect. I always try to give y’all respect and honor y’all’s job.

“I have my own reasoning and idea on how the season is going and that might be different from other people. So, I don’t really have an ill will or an idea on each side. It’s all separate to me. Whatever we’re doing in the locker room or on the field doesn’t trickle to y’all. Whatever people are questioning or like media, fans, what they’re saying is different from what’s coming in the locker room.”

It was emblematic of how the Texans’ offense hasn’t gotten better despite retooling the offensive line after trading five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and installing four new starters.

The Texans’ offense scored its first touchdown of the season in the first quarter on a great throw by Stroud and an outstanding, acrobatic catch by Collins in the first quarter. However, they went 0 for 2 in the red zone, are 0 for 3 in red zone opportunities through two games and are the lone team in the NFL that has yet to score a red-zone touchdown.

“We didn’t have any space,” Ryans said. “We didn’t move anybody off the line of scrimmage, which is what I saw. So, getting hit in the backfield and went to try to throw the ball, thought we had some matchups. I thought we had the opportunity to hit Nico in the corner there but the ball was out of bounds. Yeah, tried to run the ball in, we got knocked back and we couldn’t get the ball in.

“We tried to find Nico there a couple times, to get the ball, and we just didn’t connect. We didn’t make the plays we needed to make. That’s the summation of this game. The NFL is going to come down to a two-minute drive in the fourth quarter. Are you making plays or not? We had multiple opportunities to win that game and we didn’t make the plays we needed to make.”

The Texans went 2 for 9 on third down. They rushed for just 84 yards on 19 carries. Under heavy duress and already sacked a combined six times through two games, Stroud completed 5 of 11 passes in the second half for a 68.8 passer rating. In the first half, he went 8 for 13 for a 121.0 passer rating and one touchdown.

Added pressure caused Houston to throw for 76 yards in the second half compared to its 131 in the first half. Stroud was 8-for-13 passing with a 121.0 quarterback rating in the first half compared to 5-for-11 and a 68.8 rating in the second half.

“Everybody will talk crazy: ‘We suck, we this, we that,’” Stroud said. “At the end of the day, we got to stay together and mesh well. Be honest and have hard conversations, but right now we need more confidence as an offense, at least.

“Confidently playing better together, I think that’s a big thing. We haven’t played together, a lot of us, so the more confidence we build I think the better we will be off.”

The Texans, two games behind the undefeated Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South division Houston won the past two seasons, mustered just a dozen first downs overall, 13 less than the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers built a time of possession advantage of 37:09 to the Texans’ paltry 22:51.

They had only 266 yards of total offense, compared to the Buccaneers’ 360 yards. And Stroud completed just 13 of 24 passes for 207 yards and a 97.0 passer rating. It was a far cry from his five-touchdown comeback win he engineered over the Buccaneers two years ago during his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

“I have to look at the film,” Ryans said when asked about Stroud’s performance. “Obviously, we go out on offense, it’s a collective effort. We go two-for-nine on third down, what do we expect? If we can’t get the ball in at the goal line, what do we expect is going to happen? Everybody on offense has to make plays.

“Defense, we got to make a play there. We had multiple opportunities at the end of the game to close it out. We got to tackle better and we got to make the plays. It’s no magic secret or any secret sauce. We got to stand up and make the plays. If you want to be a big-time player in this league you got to show up and make plays.”

The Texans entered this season with heavy ambitions of making a serious playoff run after going 0-6 all-time in the AFC divisional round, including falling short to the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens under Ryans’ direction the past two seasons.

Despite a blocked punt from fullback Jakob Johnson, a dynamic 53-yard punt return from rookie Jaylin Noel, four sacks of Mayfield, who outdueled Stroud from an accuracy and production standpoint, it simply wasn’t good enough.

The offensive line isn’t what it needs to be, at least not yet, not good enough to beat good teams like the Los Angeles Rams and the Buccaneers.

“We had communication issues up front,” Ryans said. “They got us on some blitzes, things that we’ve seen, we work on. We have to look at the film to see what those issues were. We got to, of course, not have those and make sure we’re picking things up the right way.”

The Texans also need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and figure some things out. They’re off to a rough start and need to right the ship starting this week on the road with their first AFC South divisional game of the season at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“It’s a young offense,” Stroud said.

The Texans briefly held a 19-14 lead on Chubb’s 25-yard touchdown run, but Stroud was sacked on a two-point conversion attempt. Instead of a seven-point lead, it was just a five-point edge.

Mayfield converted a key fourth down, busting through an arm tackle attempt by linebacker Henry To’oTo’o. Six plays later, running back Rachaad White won the game for Tampa Bay on a touchdown run with six seconds to play to cap a 80-yard, 11 play drive. Ballgame.

Do the Texans have enough on offense to orchestrate Caley’s game plans?

“We got the guys we need,” Ryans said. “We just have to execute better.”

Bottom line: The Texans are faltering. This isn’t the kind of performances they had envisioned. They’re 0-2. That’s the reality of their situation. It’s time to assess things and start climbing upward.

“It’s no hole,” Ryans insisted. “We lost the game. We lost two games, games we should have won. To win games you got to play better. You got to coach better.

“It starts with me. I got to coach better. We got to play better and execute better. You got to go win games. You’re not going to be given games. So, we got to find a way to make those plays.”

What’s the overriding message to the team from Stroud, a team captain, after this rough start to the season.

“Stay together, stay committed to one another, trust in one another,” Stroud said. “The sun will rise in the morning. It’s not the end of the world. At the same time, we all get paid a service, to do a job, and we got to get those jobs done at a faster rate.”

Days later, Stroud declined to be introspective about how he feels the season is going. The answer, though, is fairly obvious. It’s not good, at all. Being 0-2, especially for a playoff contender with ambitions of a Super Bowl, is a cold slap in the face.

“I’ll probably keep that to myself,” Stroud said. “I don’t really want to. It’s my business.”

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