HOUSTON — Last Sunday’s disappointing 15-13 loss to the previously winless Carolina Panthers still stings for the Houston Texans.
Houston quarterback CJ Stroud isn't throwing anyone under the bus after Sunday's game. That's not how he operates, but after the game, he made the appeal for more explosive plays.
"I definitely think we have the talent to be explosive," Stroud said Sunday. "And I think we've shown that we're, if not a top-five offense, top-ten offense, we've showed it, and we can do it. We've just got to go out there and call it and run it and execute."
So how did that go over with the Texans coaching staff? That’s what Stroud was asked on Wednesday ahead of this Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Here was his answer.
“They (Texans’ offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and head coach DeMeco Ryans) are right on board,” Stroud said. “I think Bobby has done a great job of doing things like that. And half of that [is] we’ve got to get our running game together. You can’t do it without running the ball, so we’ve got to be able to run the ball better, but at the same time, we’re really special in a lot of areas, too. And Bobby and DeMeco are the first people to stand up and say that. And I know – that’s the thing about this league – you can’t let one game define who people think we are. Like, you all might have an idea, but we’re the players, you know what I’m saying? They’re the coaches. We’re going to figure it out as the Texans. So, I don’t think it was really taken to heart from anybody, and they know how much I want this, and as a team, they know how bad we want to be successful. So, this is an accountability-based business, and I think everybody is looking in the mirror like, ‘How can we fix these issues and do things the right way?’ And we’re excited to get that done. So, DeMeco and Bobby have really been the forefront of that, and for me, I’m the coach on the field doing the same thing.”
So it sounds like everyone's on the same page with the Buccaneers coming to town on Sunday. It’s a game you can see live on KHOU 11 Sunday at noon.