SEATTLE – C.J. Stroud is scanning and seeing the field with eyes wide open and a growing knowledge of an emerging offense hitting a growth spurt.
And the Texans quarterback is enjoying the view and recent body of work from an offense that discovered a new rhythm, chemistry and timing in the wake of a rocky start to the season.
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The former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl selection compared the state of the offense to an iPhone continually upgrading with new apps and ideas.
It’s a quest for improvement as the Texans adapt to a new-look offense and playbook installed by rookie offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
“I think every week I get better,” Stroud said. “I think as an offense we understand what fits for us and what doesn’t work that we’ve tried. So, it’s all about just adjusting week to week, upgrading our iPhone, upgrading our ideas. So, I’m all for that and I think it’s just been good because we’re able to get some games under our belt where we play good and I just want to keep that going. It’s just every week getting better.”
Now, the Texans’ overhauled offense that includes new running backs Nick Chubb and Woody Marks along with five new starters across the offensive line faces a more difficult test against a sound Seattle Seahawks defense ranked sixth in scoring defense and second with 20 sacks.
During a two-game span and winning streak, Stroud sparked the offense with six touchdowns and zero interceptions while completing 81 percent of his throws in victories over the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks.
A common thread to the creative bent in the collaboration between Stroud and Caley: involving more players with targets spread out around eight different skill players against the Ravens.
Plus, Stroud, who recently made a joke that flew over a lot of heads about slowing down since his high school days, scampered for a 30-yard run in Baltimore in a 44-10 blowout win that marks the Texans’ first road win over the Ravens in franchise history.
“I think we’re starting to find our identity, being versatile,” Stroud said. “A lot of guys touched the ball against Baltimore, I think that’s a good thing. So, some things we can keep up, keep up our tempo and getting out the huddle, just operational things is good. So, keeping all that stuff up.”
What has separated the Texans from their winless three-game stretch to start the season: a more productive running game, cutting down on turnovers with zero over the past two games, less penalties and much better pass protection.
“I think we’ve executed better,” Caley said. “We’ve gone forward more consistently. We haven’t beat ourselves nearly as much. We played with better fundamentals. I think we’ve given ourselves a chance to play on time, to be efficient and operate the gameplan the way that we genuinely intended to do so.”
At the start of the season, there was a lot of sloppy play and players appeared indecisive. Stroud missed several open throws he normally routinely converts. There was a learning curve to start the year, which is understandable given how much watershed change has been implemented with the offense since firing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik after last season and trading five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders.
Stroud devoted some of his time during the bye week with a critical eye about what was working with the offense and what needed to be shelved.
It’s obvious that the misdirection plays designed by Caley, power running game and Stroud’s accuracy are all major factors in the uptick of productivity.
“I think I’ll just keep that kind of to myself on what we think, but there were some things where I think we can build upon and there were some things that I think we shouldn’t do anymore,” Stroud said. “We should just move on, try some other things. I thought what we did coming to practice last Wednesday was really helpful to work on some of the things that we need to work on from just a big-picture standpoint as an offense instead of just against Seattle or against San Fran or whoever we’re going to play. It was good for us as a whole to just fit what we need.”
Although the Texans are 20th in total offense, 22nd in scoring, 16th in rushing offense and 19th in passing, they’re clearly on an upswing.
They’ve combined for 70 points over the past two games.
And Stroud has a league-high 139.2 passer rating and 81.8 completion percentage during that span for his best two-game output for those categories as well as touchdown-to-interception ration in his three-year NFL career.
“C.J.’s doing a nice job just being decisive,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Taking what’s there, getting the ball out to a lot of different guys, making really good decisions. That is what’s allowing him to play well for us.”
For the season, Stroud has passed for 1,076 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions for a 102.4 passer rating. He has completed 70.8 percent of his throws. He’s on pace to finish the season with 3,658 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. For his career, Stroud has 8,911 yards, 51 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
“He has seen the field well,” Caley said. “He sees the game the right way, he’s into it. I think just being able to establish a rhythm, being able to play good and not be in long yardage situations like we were, obviously, early in the season, more than we ever wanted to be. His approach and process really hasn’t changed drastically.
“He’s been consistent and steady. I think we just collectively have to play consistent football and that’s the best thing we can do to help ourselves and is getting off on the right start. To your question earlier, he’s been consistent and steady as a person.”
What hasn’t changed regarding Stroud, a former second overall pick, Heisman Trophy finalist and consensus All-American at Ohio State, is his even-keel perspective.
Stroud declined to soak up the praise from the past two weeks.
It was only a few weeks ago that he was being heavily criticized with many national and local pundits questioning whether he’s good enough to take the Texans to the next level after consecutive AFC divisional round playoff losses.
“You can be the hero or the zero,” Stroud said. “You can be doing the same things in previous weeks and it just finally works. But it takes time. New offenses, new schemes, new coaching with new quarterbacks. All these different new things that we’ve had this year, it just takes a little time to roll.”
Where the Texans are getting better is reacting faster, dictating the action and not playing timid. There’s an obvious flow and momentum.
Keeping it up is the priority.
“I think you’ve just got to keep the confidence,” Stroud said. “There’s no good player in this league that is not confident in what they can do, or good coach that is not confident in what they do.”
The Texans may need to speed up their process against the Seahawks.
They sacked Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence seven times last week.
Between Byron Murphy II, Tank Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald rarely feels the need to blitz. The Seahawks traditionally get home with a variety of line stunts.
“They’re good in the run game, also in the pass game with the stunts that they run,” Ryans said. “They don’t have to pressure much because they get a lot of pressure with their front four guys, so it’ll be a huge challenge for us, challenge for our offensive line this week.”
The Texans need to maintain their commitment to the run against a stout Seattle defense ranked fifth against the run and second in rushing yards per attempt with a 3.3 average.
“The things that worked the past couple of weeks offensively is us being able to stay committed to the run game and run the football,” Ryans said. “When you can run the ball, you can sustain drives. That’s the key. That’ll be the key for us moving forward. If we can do that. we can control the line of scrimmage, get positive plays in the running game.
“That allows Caley to be able to open up the playbook and call whatever he wants, whatever he’s installed that particular week. Everything is at his disposal when you can stay on schedule. That’s what has been working the past two weeks.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com