The worst part about this past Sunday for the Houston Texans was not the 30-6 loss to the Jets, but instead was the loss of their starting quarterback C.J. Stroud to a concussion. When the game ended, we got news that Stroud had been placed in the league’s concussion protocol, and he did not meet with the media after the game, as is league policy for a concussed player.
If indeed Stroud remains in the protocol come Wednesday this week, the first day that teams practice in a normal work week and the day teams must put to the first injury report of the week, he will again forego meeting with the media. Thus, we won’t really have any good gauge as to how Stroud is feeling, or if he will get cleared to play this Sunday against the Titans.
There’s absolutely no way to spin this, even coming off his worst game as a pro — losing C.J. Stroud, even for one game, could be the difference between the Texans’ making the postseason and missing the postseason.
Maybe Davis Mills, the backup to Stroud all season, has transformed his game somewhat since sitting under the Bobby Slowik learning tree (as opposed to the confusing mini shrub that was the Pep Hamilton learning tree in 2022), but we have no idea if that’s the case. Mills has thrown seven passes all season, five of them mopping up in Sunday’s blowout loss.
Hell, if we are to believe the Texans fans who voted in my poll on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday night, the people aren’t even in Mills’ corner! They’d rather see Case Keenum under center, despite the fact that Keenum has been the emergency quarterback all season:
If indeed Stroud can’t play this weekend, now comes the biggest test for offensive coordinator Slowik. He’s received plenty fo accolades for the rapid development of Stroud, enough so to where it’s masked his role in just how horrific the team’s running game is. Now, without Tank Dell (out for the season, broken leg) and presumably Nico Collins (calf injury) and maybe Stroud, Slowik will have to cobble together a plan to go get a few touchdowns this weekend.
Slowik’s work with Stroud has landed him on many a future head coach “hot list,” conjecture that may be a year premature, but hey, good for him. If Slowik puts together a winning offensive game plan with Mills under center and all of their high level weapons missing (oh yeah, Dalton Schultz has been out, too!), THAT will be his true coaching masterpiece this season.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
