A fast and perfect day for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and first-team offense against Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud trusted DeMeco Ryans’ plan, and it was a fast day of work in a crisp performance that should boost confidence heading into the playoffs.

Eleven days after an embarrassing Christmas defeat to the Baltimore Ravens as the Texans absorbed a stinging 31-2 loss with Stroud intercepted once, sacked five times, hit 10 times overall and missing open receivers, Stroud delivered a much stronger outing Sunday during a relatively meaningless regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

Heading into an AFC wild card round home playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Stroud orchestrated a picture-perfect opening script as he engineered an 11-play, 69-yard scoring drive capped by his two-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nico Collins.

It was an encouraging ending to the regular season for an offense that has had some rough moments this season.

“We enjoy being around one another, you know,” Stroud said. “So, just the opportunity to be around one another is definitely amazing because this year has been a lot of ups and downs, but we’ve always stuck together.”

One game after a game Stroud called one of the worst of his young career, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year completed all six of his throws for 50 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 141.0 passer rating.

That was that for Stroud and many starting players, as Ryans substituted liberally during the first half and second half to rest starters.

Stroud and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik collaborated well before backup quarterback Davis Mills substituted for him and played the remainder of the game, a convincing 23-14 road victory at Nissan Stadium.

“C.J., our first drive out, thought did a really good job of operating, running the offense,” Ryans said. “Guys operating in an efficient manner.”

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The game was punctuated by backup running back Dameon Pierce’s electrifying 92-yard touchdown run that’s the second-longest in franchise history and the longest run of the NFL season. A 36-yard scoop-and-score touchdown by defensive end Derek Barnett represented the other primary highlight of the game for the Texans as they pounded a three-win Titans squad into the offseason.

Pierce rushed for a career-high 176 yards on 19 carries.

Stroud and Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins, who went over 1,000 receiving yards for the season as Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon also eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing milestone, got into a fast rhythm as Collins caught four passes for 38 yards on the opening drive of the game.

By the time the Texans got on the scoreboard, they ran seven minutes and 17 seconds off the clock and set the tone for what Ryans hoped to see heading into the postseason.

Stroud has dealt with plenty of issues this season, operating under heavy duress as he was sacked 52 times, up significantly from 38 sacks last season.

The former Heisman Trophy finalist and second overall pick from Ohio State finished the season with 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during the regular season, down a bit from last season when he passed for over 4,000 yards to lead the NFL in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio with 23 scores and just five interceptions.

Nonetheless, Stroud has overcome adversity this season with the loss of two starting wide receivers, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, to season-ending knee injuries and playing without Collins for five games due to a pulled hamstring.

Now, Stroud has his team back in the playoffs again with a second consecutive AFC South crown and 10-win regular season.

What happens next remains to be determined, but Stroud has quarterbacked his team into the tournament where, as they say, anything is possible.

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