C.J. Stroud struggled badly during the Houston Texans’ 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman believes that could bring about a moment of reckoning for the Texans as they look to get over the hump with their 24-year-old old quarterback.
‘DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio, they’ve got some tough decisions they’ve gotta make about this team on the offensive side of the ball,’ Aikman said, referencing Houston coach and general manager combination.
Aikman went onto detail the trouble the Texans have endured attempting to replicate the success Stroud enjoyed as a rookie. He noted the team tried to jumpstart the young signal-caller by parting with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik following the 2024 NFL season, but that still didn’t help Stroud regain his rookie-season form.
‘C.J. Stroud has been chasing his rookie success for the last two years,’ Aikman opined. ‘He’s not been the same player. We’ve not seen the development from him. There’s a reason for that, and it has to be addressed.’
Stroud certainly was a star as a rookie. He was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year after completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led the Texans to a seven-win turnaround and a playoff win, inspiring hope he could bring the franchise to new heights.
Instead, Stroud has stagnated, getting the Texans to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons but never advancing past the divisional round. And during this year’s postseason, Stroud struggled mightily, turning the ball over a whopping seven times across two games and posting a passer rating of just 51.77.
‘You just can’t overcome that kind of quarterback play,’ Aikman said when discussing Stroud’s performance during the 2025 playoffs.
C.J. Stroud stats vs. Patriots
It’s hard to argue with Aikman’s assessment when analyzing Stroud’s performance against the Patriots. Stroud threw a whopping four interceptions – including a pick-six that gave the Patriots a lead they wouldn’t relinquish – failed to complete 50% of his passes and posted a passer rating of 28 in Houston’s 28-16 loss.
Below is a look at Stroud’s full stats from the Jan. 18 game:
Comp./Att. (%): 20/47 (42.6%)
Passing yards: 212
Passing TDs: 1
Interceptions: 4
Yards per attempt: 4.5
Passer rating: 28
Times sacked: 3 (19 yards lost)
Carries: 2
Rushing yards: 11
Stroud’s four-interception performance was just the 16th in a playoff game since 2000. Justin Herbert was the last quarterback to throw at least four picks in a single playoff game before Stroud. The Los Angeles Chargers achieved that ignominious mark in his team’s 32-12 loss to the Texans in the wild-card round of the 2024 NFL playoffs.
But even despite Stroud’s dismal performance – particularly in the first half – Ryans didn’t consider benching Stroud in the second half.
‘C.J.’s our guy,’ Ryans told reporters after the game. ‘I believed that he could come back out in the second half and flip it. I believed that he could play better, and he did that in the second half. He did play better. We had some positive drives in the second half. I believed that he would do that and he did that.’
As long as Ryans continues to have faith in Stroud, he figures to remain the Texans’ starting quarterback. Still, it will be interesting to watch how the Texans effort to build around the 24-year-old as they look to bounce back from a third consecutive divisional-round exit.