C.J. Stroud is pointing the finger at the biggest culprit for Texans woes: Himself

The Houston Texans really hit the lottery with C.J. Stroud. Not only did he show that he’s ready to be the franchise quarterback after a Rookie of the Year campaign that saw him win a playoff game as well. He’s showing the leadership skills you want in an NFL quarterback too.

Following the Texans’ divisional loss to the Tennessee Titans, Stroud said what needed to be said after this season has been vastly different than his rookie season. 

"I've got to practice better and play better," Stroud said, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston. "It's no secret. I haven't been playing well personally, for my standard. I have a couple good drives and plays here, but it's up and down.”

C.J. Stroud taking accountability is the best thing for the Texans and why the woes won’t last long

Last season Stroud was riding the high of being not just the best rookie quarterback but one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league. What made him such a dangerous quarterback to face was he didn’t turn the ball over. 

His ball security and not forcing throws, which is typical of a rookie coming into the NFL, was the biggest positive for him. It’s why they were able to win the AFC South, whooped the Cleveland Browns in the wild card round and why they were extremely excited for his sophomore season. 

But this year, Stroud hasn’t been as careful with the ball. He has seven interceptions already, compared to last year when he had just five all season. That shouldn’t be a surprise as teams have figured out how to take away some of the looks he had last year. 

Defenses have adjusted and that’s why Stroud claims he needs to practice better. Be more prepared for the different shells and disguises he’ll see on game day. 

The most important thing is he recognizes he needs to play better. The other thing is he needs help from his offensive line. He was sacked 38 times all of last year. He’s been sacked 35 times this year already. 

But Stroud isn’t pointing fingers at anyone else and that’s what you’d expect from your franchise player. He could easily blame a multitude of reasons as to why the Texans don’t look as good or even better than last year. 

Instead, he’s putting the onus on himself. And it could actually work too. Because if he prepares better and plays better, maybe he can make some better decisions on offense to get them being explosive like they were a year ago.