It wasn't entirely smooth sailing for C.J. Stroud in the Houston Texans' Week 13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but a win is a win. Given that Stroud hadn't been under center for the Texans in quite some time, it was a solid effort to be able to go into Indianapolis and score an important intra-divisional victory this late in the season.
Stroud and the Texans are the next visitors to Arrowhead Stadium, which is why Kansas City Chiefs fans watched the AFC South matchup with great interest knowing that Houston was finally getting its star quarterback back in the pocket after several weeks away.
Stroud was hit by Denver Broncos defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine during a Week 9 game that forced the Texans QB to leave the game and enter the concussion protocol. From there, Stroud would go on to miss the next three games. Fortunately for Houston, they managed to put together victories in all three—against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills—with Davis Mills standing in for Stroud.
C.J. Stroud is hoping he worked out the kinks in his return to the field from a concussion, just in time to face the Chiefs in Week 14.
The Colts matchup loomed as an important one for Houston, who are trying to claw their way into the playoff picture like the Chiefs, given that Indy stood atop the AFC South standings coming into Week 13. Stroud's return was a boost of good news for a surprising Texans team that's held it together after some hard times to complicate the divisional (and conference) picture.
The Texans, who are 7-5 overall, have a one-game lead on the Chiefs, who are 6-6, in the AFC, which makes their Week 14 clash at K.C. a must-win for both sides. The Texans are still behind the Colts and Jaguars, who are each 8-4, and it's hard to imagine 3 teams from the division making the postseason.
Stroud finished with 22 completions on 35 attempts on the afternoon in Indy with 276 passing yards and zero touchdowns. He also threw one interception. However, the unit put up 20 points, which was enough to edge the Colts while the Texans fierce defense kept the clamps on Shane Steichen's celebrated offensive attack.
After the game, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke highly of Stroud's return, acknowledging there were bumps but that he was quite encouraged by what he saw after nearly a month away.
"I thought C.J. did a really nice job coming back after missing a lot of time. I know some throws he would like to have back, but overall, I thought he managed the drives really well. We drove down… of course, we want to score on some of those. We’d get down and have to kick field goals. But overall, for him coming back not having played in a few weeks here, I thought he did a really nice job. If this is where he started, it’s only up for him, so I’m excited to see how he continues to progress.
Stroud is likely to look much better after getting a chance to work out the kinks against the Colts, but it's not as if the former Ohio State star will have to carry the team on his back. The league's top-ranked defense is doing the job, which means Stroud can focus on avoiding mistakes and staying efficient.