Levis didn't play better than S2roud. His defense did.The Titans ol sucked and Levis was able to hang in there and make plays after being beat up all game long. Why couldn't Stroud hang in there and do the same?
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Levis didn't play better than S2roud. His defense did.The Titans ol sucked and Levis was able to hang in there and make plays after being beat up all game long. Why couldn't Stroud hang in there and do the same?
If his jaw was as tough as it was pretty he'd be in the HOF
But he had a top 5 defense that held the opponent to 20 points.
DisagreeLevis didn't play better than S2roud. His defense did.
I thought that was always making fun of the S2 results with a good quarterback.Talk about not letting things go….still calling him ‘S2roud’ pretty much sets that table.
I really don’t think he looks at it that way. More like a dig.I thought that was always making fun of the S2 results with a good quarterback.
It’s hard to tell if CJ has made any real strides this year. I keep hoping this season, this system, and this OC will sharpen his pocket awareness and decision-making. But honestly, I’m just not seeing it. His accuracy seems to have taken a step back compared to last year, and his decision-making with the ball has been noticeably worse.
This guy Cossell knows of what he speaks…
Ok.. but still pretty good season for him. Surely you agree a decent oline and a dozen or so better OC calls and Stroud looks better. Not saying he needs to be better at some things.It’s hard to tell if CJ has made any real strides this year. I keep hoping this season, this system, and this OC will sharpen his pocket awareness and decision-making. But honestly, I’m just not seeing it. His accuracy seems to have taken a step back compared to last year, and his decision-making with the ball has been noticeably worse.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5998805/2024/12/17/nfl-qb-stock-report-rankings-c-j-stroud-texans/Houston Texans sensation C.J. Stroud had a chance to solidify himself this season among the NFL’s elite class of quarterbacks.
The No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft was an easy choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year. During training camp, The Athletic asked coaches and executives which three quarterbacks they’d take to start a franchise from scratch, with Stroud appearing on 16 of 27 ballots. Only Patrick Mahomes received more votes.
Instead, Stroud’s projected jump has been on hold. He hasn’t been bad this season, but his performance has dipped — and so has his standing in these rankings. This is the first time Stroud has found himself outside of the top 10. One executive said Stroud has been “not playing anywhere near (as well as) last year” when he was so dominant that he dramatically accelerated the Texans’ rebuild by leading them to their first AFC South title in four years.
Two statistics stand out. First, Stroud led the NFL in 2023 with 273.9 passing yards per game, but it has dropped to 232.0 this season, ranking 17th. He also led the league as a rookie by throwing interceptions on 1 percent of his passes, but that’s doubled to 2 percent (16th in the NFL) this season.
“I don’t expect C.J. to be a guy who dips and will continue to struggle,” a second executive said. “I think he’ll figure it out, and they’ll figure it out as a team. They have enough weapons. The way they’ve run the ball will take pressure off him.”
Stroud’s issues have stemmed from protection problems on the offensive line. He’s already taken more sacks this season than as a rookie (45 to 38), and he’s been sacked on nearly 9 percent of his dropbacks, an increase of about 2 percent.
“He’s getting the s— beat out of him,” the second executive said. “He’s been getting hit all year. When C.J. is under pressure, the play is going to drop off. When you’re not comfortable and don’t trust what’s around you, that’s not surprising as a young quarterback. I don’t think he’s regressed. I think he’s just sped up with the progressions and the throws, and that hurts accuracy.”
The hits can be impossible for even the best quarterbacks to overcome, let alone the younger signal callers who are still developing. When the Texans lost three of four earlier this season to the Lions, Jets, Colts (win) and Packers, Stroud took 18 sacks and was hit 17 more times.
Of course, it also hasn’t helped that top receiver Nico Collins missed five games with a hamstring injury, star wideout Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 and running back Joe Mixon missed three early games with a high ankle sprain.
So no, Stroud hasn’t dazzled the way he did as a rookie, but it’s also understandable. Add in the defensive adjustments that young quarterbacks face, the lack of pass protection and the injuries around Stroud, and it’s been enough to rock his typically steady composure.
“People in the scouting community were interested to see how this offense and the player would adjust in Year 2 when teams had a year to study, adjust and learn what he does well and what he struggles with,” a third executive said. “Now it’s up to the offensive staff and the player to adjust if they can.”
It’s also fair to point out that Stroud isn’t the first quarterback to deal with protection and injury issues. But at this stage of his career, that’s a common confluence of factors that result in temporary quarterback regression.
“It’s learning how to deal with that,” the second executive said.
All the while, the Texans still wrapped up the AFC South division title with three games to play. They beat the Bills in Week 4 and lost to the Packers and Lions by a combined five points, so they’re not too far off. Their next two games, against the Chiefs and Ravens, could change the entire perception around the Texans’ playoff chances.
However the rest of the season plays out, no coach nor executive surveyed by The Athletic this season believes Stroud’s rookie year was a fluke. This season is viewed as growing pains for a quarterback who can still mature into one of the league’s best players.
"He's getting the s--t beat out of him," the executive told Howe. "He's been getting hit all year. When C.J. is under pressure, the play is going to drop off. When you're not comfortable and don't trust what's around you, that's not surprising as a young quarterback. I don't think he's regressed. I think he's just sped up with the progressions and the throws, and that hurts accuracy."
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NFL Exec: C.J. Stroud is 'Getting the S--t Beat Out of Him'; QB Hasn't Regressed
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud's production and efficiency have taken a dip in his second season in the NFL, but one executive told Jeff Howe of The…bleacherreport.com
I wouldn't have thought it was that bad, but yeah... he doesn't handle pressure as well as other QBs.
Wow, not really surprising, but I didn't think he was this bad.
I'm watching the 1st pass play.
Found this review of Fisher’s game against Miami, they are falling over themselves to praise him.
How he comes up with the analytics:
An update to the analytics:
I just saw the chart. Didn’t do a deep dive to check the validity.
But it is something that has been said the past 2 years. Slowik calls some plays that makes people scratch their heads.
This is the right take IMHO, Stroud was broken by crappy OC and OL, but he is now playing broken, very worrying to watch.
What did you do different in posting those two tweets?
At least he owns it
Guys won’t respect his answer here. Saying you didn’t have any energy is a terrible excuse.Its not just about his inability to hit a moving target, or his ability to navigate a pocket, though those are bad, to me it's about his body language, his leadership on the field. He sulks and gets rattled and then shuts down. It's all mental.
I don't think Stroud forgot how to throw a football, but I think he is rattled and doesn't have the mental fortitude to overcome the on the field adversity.
This is where I’m at with him. He doesn’t have the cojones.Its not just about his inability to hit a moving target, or his ability to navigate a pocket, though those are bad, to me it's about his body language, his leadership on the field. He sulks and gets rattled and then shuts down. It's all mental.
I don't think Stroud forgot how to throw a football, but I think he is rattled and doesn't have the mental fortitude to overcome the on the field adversity.
And he admitted he was tired. I don’t see how that’s any different than Richardson tapping his helmet.This is where I’m at with him. He doesn’t have the cojones.
That’s Absurd.This is where I’m at with him. He doesn’t have the cojones.
But see this is funny b/c last year he was 1 of the best in the league against the blitz. So basically what folks in here are saying that all of a sudden the kid has forgotten how to read defenses. Makes no sense.This right here.
I was watching this and my wife walked by and said awww, he sounds like he needs a hug.
Well to be fair, this isn’t the same team that started the season. Matter fact the supposed “5 head monster” of CJ, Nico, Diggs, Dell and Mixon only played together in what 4 games? Mixon went out for a few games early then Nico missed a couple after Mixon came back, then we lost Diggs shortly thereafter. Diggs was on pace for a little under 1000 yds and 8 total TDs before he went out. Nico might be leading the league in pass yds had he not missed like 3-4 games. There was also a point where Mixon had a streak of 100 yd games.The whole team got cocky.(coaches included)
Have the success then
Added hunter,mixon,diggs etc etc
They are getting humbled now
Last year he was oneof the best in completion percentage. Not so much today. Did he forget how to throw accurate passes?But see this is funny b/c last year he was 1 of the best in the league against the blitz. So basically what folks in here are saying that all of a sudden the kid has forgotten how to read defenses. Makes no sense.
He also had the nerve to be upset at being associated with being a game manager. He said he is a “game changer.”If his descent in performance continues into next season, it's over for him here. He's not even a good game manager at this point. He's had two games this year in which he cracked the 300-yard mark. He's had five games in which he didn't his 200. It's not great.
Last year is not this year.But see this is funny b/c last year he was 1 of the best in the league against the blitz. So basically what folks in here are saying that all of a sudden the kid has forgotten how to read defenses. Makes no sense.
And I say that that’s absurd to come to that conclusion.Lol.
I say It’s absurd that he doesn’t have any.
Are you saying he doesn't need to get better, or that he needs to play better than he has this year?It would be 1 thing if we were solid in all the other phases of offense except the passing game. It’d be 1 thing if his TD/int ratio was flipped and things like his completion % actually reflected that he was the chief issue. It’d be 1 thing if his coaches, teammates and/or other players around the league were losing confidence in him and were expressing it publicly ala Jared Goff’s last years in LA, or even Will Levis this year.
But none of this is happening. The offense as a whole in blocking, run game, playcalling and creativity has sputtered ALL season from day 1. His teammates and coaches all still rally behind him feverishly and his numbers, while down are still largely in the green.