It's safe to say that the Houston Texans have not had the start to the 2025 season they had envisioned. No Texans fan was expecting this team to be 0-3 to begin the season, and most of this disappointment has come on the offensive side of the ball. The Texans are dead last in points scored and have the fourth-fewest total yards through the first three games of the campaign. This coming against the Rams, Bucs, and the Jaguars - not necessarily a murderer's row of opponents- has only made matters worse.
When a team's offense struggles in the NFL, all eyes immediately turn to the quarterback. CJ Stroud is no exception. After being at the center of a ton of criticism last year, Stroud hasn't done much so far to make Texans fans feel better about the future. While he is saying and doing all the right things as the leader of a struggling team, the Texans' problems extend far beyond Stroud.
Texans' Problems Extend Far Beyond QB CJ Stroud
On Wednesday, Texans insider DJ Bien-Aime reported that Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans met this week. In this meeting, Stroud apparently took responsibility and admitted that he "needed to play better".
While this is positive leadership from Stroud, this is not all on the young signal-caller. Stroud's admission shouldn't exonerate the front office, Ryans, or new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
The Texans made significant changes on the offensive side of the ball this spring, especially in terms of wide receivers and the offensive line. Houston put a ton of focus on revamping the o-line, and currently starts four newcomers: Aireontae Ersery, Laken Tomlinson, Jake Andrews, and Ed Ingram.
Yet, the unit has been inconsistent and disappointing so far, receiving a 49.2 pass block grade on Pro Football Focus, the 27th-best mark in the league. They have allowed eight sacks through the first three games of the season. Tomlinson and Ersery, who started all three games, have received 45.9 and 49.9 offensive grades on PFF, ranking near the bottom of their respective positions in the league.
This isn't to mean that Stroud is blameless. His frustrating lack of development since his rookie season is obvious. His passer rating of 76.9 places him firmly in the bottom ten of starting QBs through three weeks. He has been nowhere near the level he has to be to give the Texans the best chance to win. However, the team and the coaching staff have to help him as much as he needs to help them. While he has been doing a good job taking accountability, the others need to follow suit for the Texans to salvage this season.