The Houston Texans suffered a 26-23 loss on Sunday night against the Detroit Lions despite holding a 16-point lead at halftime. The collapse was a combination of several factors, but it was Texans’ second-year quarterback, C.J. Stroud, who took the blame after the game.
Speaking with reporters, Stroud said that his failure to get the offense going and put points on the board in the second half was the main reason behind the devastating loss.
“Definitely should have won this game,” Stroud said. “My job is to lead the offense to score points, and I didn’t do that today. … We really should have put them away after the first half. It’s really on the offense.”
Stroud and Texans offense played great in the first half. Stroud had 164 passing yards and a touchdown while Houston was up 23-7. However, the 2023’s second-overall pick ended up throwing for just 68 yards in the second half while also having two interceptions.
Meanwhile, the Lions shook off their quarterback Jared Goff’s five interceptions in the first three quarters to stage an unlikely comeback that was capped off by Jake Bates’ 52-yard field goal.
The Houston Texans have been struggling as of late, with the loss against the Lions being their third in the past four games. They are still at the top of the AFC South with a 6-4 record and have a comfortable lead over the second-place Indianapolis Colts (4-6).
Stroud, on the other hand, has been struggling to replicate amazing performances from his rookie year. He is completing 62.9% of his passes while throwing for 2,371 yards and 12 touchdowns. The former Ohio State product already threw six interceptions after having just five picks last season.
