HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans were looking for answers. From 2020 to 2022, the franchise had 11 combined wins while trying to turn around its trajectory.
Insert C.J. Stroud.
In search of stability at the position, the Texans selected the quarterback out of Ohio State with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft. But coach DeMeco Ryans & Co. knew Stroud couldn't do it alone. As much as winning falls on the shoulders of the quarterback, he also needed an environment that could breed success.
"The biggest thing they've done a great job with is they put him in a position to be a piece of the team, not necessarily save the franchise," an AFC executive told ESPN. "He's able to play complementary football and not just put the entire organization on his back."
Stroud threw to a group of future first-round receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson in his 45 collegiate starts. So he knew what having effective pass catchers -- such as Nico Collins and Tank Dell -- could do.
The Texans had a proven tackle duo in Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard and traded for right guard Shaq Mason to help protect their franchise QB.
They used draft capital gained from trading quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns in 2022 to address gaps, and they hired a coaching staff they believed could bring out the best in Stroud.
In Year 1, the plan led to Stroud helping the Texans win the AFC South title and earn a trip to the divisional round of the playoffs. He also led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6) with 23 TDs and five interceptions. Going into Year 2, general manager Nick Caserio spent $244.3 million in guaranteed money in the offseason, the fifth most according to ESPN Research, to build on 2023's success.
Stroud is 18-12 as a starter (including 1-1 in the playoffs) as his team heads into the final month of the regular season. The Texans (8-5) sit atop the AFC South with a two-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) and have swept the regular-season series.
"It all starts at the top with C.J.," Ryans said. "When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him."
But it's been more than that in Year 2.
The Texans' foundation centers on a sound rushing attack led by running back Joe Mixon, whom they traded for in the offseason, and a defense that ranks sixth in total defense (308.5) and holds opposing teams to 22.2 points per game (12th). Still, the coaching staff has empowered Stroud by making it clear the Texans are his team. That message gets passed through the entire organization.
It hasn't always been perfect around Stroud, but his success shows the foundation is something to build on. He's outpaced fellow top-five picks from his draft class in Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (No. 1) and Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (No. 4), who both were benched at different points this season. Even though Stroud's passer rating has dipped from his first season (100.8) to his second (87.9), he ranks 10th in passing yards (3,117) this season for an offense that is 11th in scoring (23.7 points per game). But the pieces around Stroud have helped develop him into a quarterback who can lead the Texans to playoff contention yearly.
That's why Houston has an opportunity to clinch the AFC South if it defeats the Miami Dolphins on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), paired with a Colts loss to the Denver Broncos.
"[Stroud's] had a really good year," Caserio said ahead of the Texans' Week 14 bye. "He's fourth in the league in yards, or fourth in completions. I mean, he's ahead of [Chiefs QB Patrick] Mahomes in some categories [such as yards]. ... He's made a lot of progress."
THE PIECES AROUND Stroud start with the playmakers. From his first OTA, the quarterback believed Collins was a "superstar" -- despite having 927 receiving yards and three touchdowns going into Year 3.
Since Stroud's arrival, Collins' numbers have skyrocketed. In the past two seasons, he ranks sixth in the league in receiving yards (2,129) and second in yards per game (92.6). In Stroud's rookie year, the duo had a passer rating of 133, which ranked first among pairings with at least 70 attempts. Dell also had a standout rookie year and finished with 709 yards and seven touchdowns.
In an aggressive 2024 offseason, Caserio traded for Mixon and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and he re-signed tight end Dalton Schultz.
Collins and Diggs became the go-to options for Stroud. He had a passer rating of 104 and completed 73% of his passes when targeting Diggs, who had 496 receiving yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending right knee injury in Week 8.
Collins led the NFL in receiving yards (567) through the first six weeks, but he landed on the injured list after Week 5 because of a strain to his right hamstring, causing him to miss five games.
Collins, who leads the league in receiving yards per game (104) this season, has helped open holes for Mixon, and the running back has been a benefit to the passing game. In the Texans' 23-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13, Collins had his best game since coming back from injury (11 catches for 119 yards), and Mixon had 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown for the sixth straight road game. Mixon's streak is the longest in history, surpassing Tiki Barber (2004) and Derrick Henry (2020), according to Elias Sports.
"It's helping out tremendously," Stroud said. "A lot of times where they're trying to take me and Nico away, or Tank or [John] Metchie or Robert [Woods], and then we're able to run the ball. And then there's times where they try to take away Joe, and then we're able to pass it. We're starting to get that rhythm and just got to keep it going."
CASERIO HEAVILY INVESTED in the offensive line in 2023 by trading for Mason and signing him to a three-year, $36 million extension, and extending Howard to a three-year, $56 million deal.
This came after signing Tunsil to a three-year, $75 million deal. The Texans also selected center Juice Scruggs (second round) to pair with 2022 first-round pick and left guard Kenyon Green in the 2023 draft. As a result, the unit has a cap hit of $51.8 million this season, per Roster Management System, fifth highest in the NFL.
The starters on the offensive line, other than Mason, suffered injuries in Year 1, but the replacements provided sound pass protection for Stroud. His average time before throwing was 3.04 seconds, third longest. He was pressured on 35% of his dropbacks (16th), and the time to pressure was 2.8, sixth slowest.
In 2024, the unit hasn't matched its price tag. Stroud has been sacked 41 times, second most, and pressured on 39.5% of his dropbacks, third most, and his time to pressure is 2.57, fourth fastest among starters.
Tunsil is the bright spot. He's eighth in pass block win rate (92%) among left tackles and 14th among tackles, according to ESPN Analytics. Mason, Scruggs and Green have given up 22 sacks combined, and they have struggled with communication on blocking stunts. Green landed on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury after Week 9, so Scruggs has shifted to left guard and Jarrett Paterson became the starting center.
"It's a growing thing that happens every year for most teams," Howard told ESPN. "It's really the first time this group played in the regular season together, so some growing pains. Just have to keep improving."
ON THE OPPOSITE side of the ball, the defense has been effective. Since 2023, it has given up 21 points per game, 12th fewest, and is ninth in yards allowed per game (321). The unit is tied for the fourth-most interceptions (30) and has forced 48 turnovers, third most, and scored 134 points off the turnovers, eighth most, according to ESPN Research.
"We want to play fast, physical on defense," Caserio said. "Everything starts with swarm. It's about running. It's about getting as many hats to the ball. It's about getting the ball carrier on the ground. As long as DeMeco Ryans is the head coach, that philosophy is not going to change."
Practicing against Ryans' defense has helped Stroud prepare for games. After practices during his rookie year, defensive backs constantly shared tips with him about how they're playing specific coverages to prepare him for game days.
This season, the defense is second in interceptions (16), second in sacks (42) and third in pressure rate (38.5%).
Ryans knows the offense has to score to give a team its best chance to win, but he believes 20 points is more than enough. In the Texans' 32-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, the offense scored 20 points.
"Offense gave us enough points to win the game so that starts with the defense," Ryans said. "[We] didn't do enough to stop them. We didn't stop the run, and we didn't run the ball well, and we gave up way too many points on defense."
COACHES ARE CAPABLE of making or breaking the development of young quarterbacks. The Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in 2020, but it wasn't until he was under coach Mike McDaniel in 2022 that he became a Pro Bowl quarterback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, a former No. 1 overall pick in 2018 for the Browns, spent time in three places (in less than a year) before landing in Tampa Bay. Under coach Todd Bowles, Mayfield became a Pro Bowler and led the Buccaneers to the NFC South Division title and a playoff win.
"Having the right coaches is understated," an NFC executive told ESPN. "Baker Mayfield is the perfect example of that. He's on his fourth team. He just got with the right coach, and he got in the right situation. Now he's thriving."
Ryans paired Stroud with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, whom he'd worked with for six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Slowik's scheme is viewed as quarterback friendly.
Slowik emphasizes communication with Stroud and their connection has led to Stroud having the NFL's second-most passing yards (7,225) since Week 1 of 2023.
Slowik, quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson and senior offensive assistant Bill Lazor pride themselves on a feedback loop with Stroud. Johnson and Lazor cut up film for Stroud to study and he sends it to his pass catchers to keep everyone on the same page.
"[Lazor and Johnson] have been huge for me, and they've been huge for C.J.," Slowik told ESPN. "Just having two guys that devote as much time as they do to that, and have the experience that they have. That's massive for both of us."
Though Stroud has a group chat with his playmakers to break down defenses, he makes sure to relay the information to Slowik so he can incorporate it into the game plan. At halftime of the Texans' 41-21 Week 6 win over the New England Patriots, Stroud and Slowik discussed the voids in the Patriots' defense over the middle and how to exploit them with in-breaking routes to Diggs.
Coming out of halftime, Stroud and Diggs connected for a 10-yard touchdown and a 26-yard completion, both over the middle of the field.
"A lot of the conversations, we're instilling confidence in certain plays," Slowik told ESPN. "So it's always really at the forefront of my mind. In between series, we're always having a conversation about things like that. We had a conversation at half. We knew the hole was wide open. We were just waiting for the right time to call the play and let it rip."
The Texans have had a sound process to build around Stroud, but even that doesn't guarantee success for a quarterback or a team. Out of the 11 quarterbacks drafted in the top five since 2020, only the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow (33-30-1), Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels (8-5), Tagovailoa (37-23) and Stroud have winning records.
"Sometimes you miss," the NFC executive told ESPN. "You look at the Jets, I think they actually had a good process. They obviously missed on Zach Wilson [in 2021], and it hurt. It's still a game. It's still not guaranteed."
The Texans believe they hit on their quarterback and intend on continuing to build around him with a goal of reaching the franchise's first Super Bowl.
"[I'm] happy with what he brings to the table," Caserio said. "Glad he's our quarterback. I wouldn't want anyone else leading this team."