C.J. Stroud, Texans offense continues to sputter: 'Everybody’s going to talk crazy and say we suck'

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The Houston Texans’ offense still can’t find the fast lane.

The C.J. Stroud-led unit got off to a good start Monday night, putting up 10 first-quarter points, but shuffled its way through the final three stanzas, eventually falling 20-19 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It marked the sixth game with 20 or fewer points since Week 15, 2024, tied for the most in the NFL over that span, including playoffs.

The offseason changes haven’t yet clicked under new coordinator Nick Caley. After falling to 0-2, Stroud preached patience.

“Everybody’s going to talk crazy and say we suck and we’re this and that,” he said via the Associated Press. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to stay together and … be honest and have hard conversations. But I think right now we need more confidence as an offense, just confidently playing better together. I think that’s a big thing.”

The offensive line overhaul has produced marginal improvements. The unit isn’t as woeful as last season, but it’s not a force and still suffers unseemly breakdowns. Stroud’s rapport with his revamped wideout crew continues to be a work in progress, going 13-of-24 for 207 yards and a TD on Monday. No Texans receiver had more than three grabs. Stroud took three sacks — Houston fell to 3-8 since the start of 2024 when the QB takes at least three sacks.

Caley, who took over for a fired Bobby Slowik this offseason, hasn’t provided Stroud any answers, and his offense has been stuck in the mud for two weeks. There have been little to no misdirection plays or creative bends. And his play selection in the red zone was highly questionable on Monday.

“We didn’t make the plays we needed to make, and that’s the summation of this game,” coach DeMeco Ryans said.

The Texans’ 28 points scored through two weeks are an NFL low. Despite a defense that has given up just 34 points, the seventh-fewest, the Texans find themselves one of 10 winless teams entering Week 3.

“You can make a bunch of excuses, but we’re just not getting it done, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters,” Stroud said.

Houston has a chance to turn things around swiftly with back-to-back division games against the Jaguars and Titans the next two weeks.

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