by: Barkley Truax 3 hours ago BarkleyTruax
Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back in the pocket during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Texans QB CJ Stroud hit his head hard on the turf after taking a massive hit by Broncos CB Kris Abrams-Draine in the second quarter on Sunday. Stroud was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. He was later ruled out of the game.
Stroud was attempting to scramble on the play and wasn’t able to slide in time to avoid the hit. A flag was initially thrown for a potential illegal hit on Abrams-Draine, but after review it was found that no contact was made to the head or neck area and it was picked up.
Davis Mills was brought in after Stroud exited the game and led the Texans to a field goal to give Houston a 6-0 lead. Stroud left the game after leading his offense to a field goal during the opening drive.
The slow start for both offenses was expected, as the Texans and Broncos feature two of the NFL’s best defenses this season. Houston’s defense came into this game giving up the least amount of yards per game with 266.9.
Meanwhile, the Broncos have recorded the most sacks in the NFL — coming into the day with 36.0 tackles. That’s 10.0 sacks more than any other team in the league this season, and is a big reason why the Broncos have won their last five games.
For Stroud, he finished the game playing 6 of his 10 passing attempts for 79 yards. Heading into the game, Stroud has completed 66.8% (155-232) of his passing attempts for 1,623 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to five interceptions.