C.J. Stroud doesn't sound like he's taking an ounce of accountability addressing fans booing

The Houston Texans did not give their fans a pleasant gift on Christmas Day.

The Texans were trounced in a humiliating 31-2 loss against the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. Houston’s offense failed to score a single touchdown, and their only points of the game came from the defense stuffing Ravens running back Derrick Henry in the end zone for a safety. 

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked five times for 35 yards, and he finished with just 17 completions on 31 pass attempts for 185 passing yards. As it became evident that the team was on its way to a second consecutive loss, the crowd at NRG Stadium began to boo their home team.

C.J. Stroud had a vague response to being booed by fans

During his postgame press conference, Stroud was asked about being booed by the fans.

“People are entitled to their opinions and they care about the game,” Stroud said, via ProFootballTalk. “Their emotions matter, so I understand. This is not my first time and it probably won’t be my last. This is not something to internalize and point the finger at yourself but it is something that you can use to motivate you, to not want those moments anymore. I got plenty of football left in my career hopefully, God willing, and I know this is going to be a story I’ll tell one day that helps me in the long run. It’s part of life. You hit a lot of valleys and you have a lot of mountaintops. It’s a cliché, but there’s not sunny days if there aren’t days with rain. So, this is a rainy day, but at the end of the day, the sun will rise up tomorrow and we have another crack at this thing next week and keep rolling.”

While Stroud didn’t outright say he disagreed with the fans regarding his performance, there is an implication that comes with saying that they “are entitled to their opinions.”

The Texans still had an opportunity to cut Baltimore’s lead down to one score in the third quarter, but Stroud threw a costly interception on the opening drive of the second half. A few plays later, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scampered into the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown, sinking Houston into a 24-2 deficit. It was Stroud’s eighth interception in the last seven games.

Stroud was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he rewarded Houston with a magical season in his first year. Stroud was named the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the Texans to a 10-7 record, a division title and a 45-14 win against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card Round.

Stroud hasn’t been able to repeat that success in his sophomore season. After throwing just five interceptions in his rookie season, he now has 12 interceptions through 16 games this season. His statistical performance is worse across the board — he has a worse completion percentage, fewer passing yards, fewer touchdowns, more interceptions and more sacks.

Although the Texans will win the abysmal AFC South division once again, Houston is unlikely to find any success in the postseason if Stroud keeps playing the way he has been.