‘It’s no secret I haven’t playing well, for my standard,’ Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud picked off twice in loss

HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud sailed the football well past his intended target, a misfire past the outstretched hands of wide receiver John Metchie III that was picked off by Tennessee Titans cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr.

In another passing sequence gone wrong for the Texans’ struggling Pro Bowl quarterback, Stroud didn’t get enough air under a pass to open wide receiver Nico Collins, his go-to guy. Instead of a completion, Stroud was intercepted by leaping linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr.

It was that kind of mistake-filled day for Stroud as he threw his eighth and ninth interceptions of the season during a 32-27 loss to the Titans. He was sacked four times in the second half, including being sacked in the back of the end zone by outside linebacker Harold Landry to put the game away and prompted plenty of social media jokes at his expense calling him C.J. Orlovsky after ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, who infamously was chased out of the back of the end zone for a safety during his playing days.

Stroud is no punchline, though. He’s one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL when he’s on his game. Lately, largely because of an unstable, unsafe pocket, there’s been a regression in his play. He has been sacked 42 times this season, four more than his entire rookie total when he joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the NFL in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Over the past five games, Stroud has completed just 58.0 percent of his throws for 1,212 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions for a 75.9 quarterback rating. On Sunday, he completed 20 of 33 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns and the aforementioned interceptions for a pedestrian 78.7 passer rating.

Stroud acknowledged his shortcomings and was accountable for his mistakes in a miscue-filled game for the entire team as penalties, including an illegal shift that nullified a second touchdown pass to Collins, and a stagnant running back as Joe Mixon was held to 22 rushing yards on 14 carries, were also major factors in the setback.

“It’s no secret. I haven’t been playing well personally, for my standard,” Stroud said. “I have a couple good drives and plays here, but it’s up-and-down. For me, I feel like it starts with practice and comes to the game staying focused. I’ve been focused. I watch as much film as anybody. Sometimes, it just doesn’t go your way.

“I’ve got to be hard on myself and realize that games can come down to me making plays. I didn’t make enough, and I gave up the ball twice today. I’ve got to just be better, and I know that.”

What happened on the interceptions?

Stroud, as always, had the answer. The solutions to what’s ailing the Texans’ slumbering offense are more elusive, though.

Stroud and the Texans got off to a hot start as running back Dameon Pierce set the table with an 81-yard kickoff return to start the game followed by a touchdown pass to former Ohio State teammate Cade Stover from 19 yards out on the opening play from scrimmage.

It went downhill from there.

With the score tied at 17-17 after a Stroud touchdown pass to Collins in the back of the end zone and a field goal from kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn from 28 yards, the same distance he would miss a potential game-tying kick in the final minutes, Strouf was looking for Metchie while throwing from the Texans’ 14-yard line. Metchie was open, but the throw was errant. The interception led to a 56-yard Nick Folk field goal to give the Titans a 20-17 halftime lead.

“The first one, couldn’t really see Metch,” Stroud said. “I tried to put it in the window, and we just weren’t on the same page. Can’t do that right there. That’s giving them points which ultimately led us to lose.”

On the interception from Murray, Stroud needed to put more air under the football to lob it to the 6-foot-4, 222-pound No. 1 wide receiver.

“The second one, just got to put it a little bit higher,” Stroud said. “If I get it to him, Nico has a lot of space to run. Just two mistakes that I made that can’t happen.”

For Stroud, his 60.6 completion percentage marked his fourth-lowest of the season.

He now has six interceptions since the seventh game of the season.

His passer rating of 74.7 during that span ranks second-to-last among all NFL starts.

Last season, Stroud passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.

On the illegal shift penalty on Mixon and Dell, Stroud took the blame again.

“I got to give the play better and make sure guys are on the same page, and even when we break the huddle, still communicate a little bit and make sure everybody’s doing what they’re doing,” Stroud said. “But it was my fault.”

Stroud, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, hasn’t had a 300-yard passing game since October.

He’s on pace to finish the season with 4,073 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His average yards per attempt of 7.2 is lower than last season’s 8.2 as a rookie. His passer rating is 12 points lower than his rookie mark.

“Everybody has to look at themselves in the mirror and try to get things fixed,” Stroud said. “That will be the plan this week. Practicing and getting better.”

Ultimately, the Texans have a 7-5 record and have reached a crossroads in their season. They’re leading the AFC South division, but they’re not playing at all like a team that would be expected to make some noise in the playoffs.

“You can point at a lot of places, but I always point at myself,” Stroud said. “I’m the leader of the offense. I’ve got to get us rolling, get our rhythm, we’ve got to find a better way to end the first half, and start the second half better.

“That ultimately starts with me in taking care of the football and getting into a rhythm. Running the ball well, getting us into the right reads, and the right looks. I would say that’s how we’re going to get better is I’ve got to be better.”

In the first half, Stroud completed 11 of 17 passes for 149 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a 107.2 passer rating.

In the second half, he passed for 98 yards and was sacked four times and threw one interception.

The Texans finished the game with just 12 first downs and went 3 for 13 on third down.

Is it the pressure in the pocket?

“Not much,” Stroud said. “I would say I’ve been pretty comfortable. Today, I was pretty comfortable. We went three quarters without a sack. Then, the fourth quarter, had a couple. Some of them were my fault.

“I would say I’m not really too affected by them. I try to sit in there as best I can. When it’s not open down the field, then I try to take off and make a play. Just be smart with my legs as well, but I don’t really let it affect me too much.”

The Texans travel to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, then they have a bye before difficult games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

“I mean, you tell me, I don’t know,” Stroud said. “That’s all I know how to do is practice better, play better, meet better, do everything better. When it comes out like that, it’s not fun, but it’s part of the game. We use it as one game out of the year, that will teach us a lesson.

“Sadly, we have to learn right now. It will teach us in future years. For me, I’m going to use this as a time where I need to look at myself in the mirror and get better.”

The Texans have been outscored by 44 points in the second half this season.

“We have to create positive plays,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Too many times, whether it’s run or pass, we have a negative play which just kills our drive. So first things first, how can we sustain positive plays and build drives? Too many drives were stalled out before we could even get started.”

The Texans are two games up in the division. They can still reach their goals of winning the AFC South division and making a playoff run. In order for that to happen, they have to improve and that includes their star quarterback.

“I’m not going to hold my head down, I’m going to keep my chin up, chest high,” Stroud said. “I’m still a great player, but I’ve got to put better stuff on the field.”

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