Travis Hunter made NFL history, but the Jaguars still left London with a loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Travis Hunter produced the kind of two-way performance Jacksonville hoped to see when it selected him second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jaguars still lost, but Hunter's day in London was historic.
Hunter caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence early in the fourth quarter, then intercepted Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud in the end zone on the Texans' next drive. He became the first NFL player since Brian Dawkins in 2002 to record both a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game.
The Jaguars ultimately fell 34-31 when Houston kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made a 49-yard field goal as time expired. Hunter's rare contribution helped Jacksonville stay within reach, but the Texans got the final points.
Hunter finished with four catches for 59 yards and the touchdown. His interception was his second of the season and came with Houston threatening to extend its lead.

#hunter

Travis Hunter made himself known on both ends of the field during the Jacksonville Jaguars' game against the Houston Texans.
Although the Jaguars suffered a 34-31 loss against the Texans, Hunter showed why he is capable of playing on offence and defence in the NFL, as he had a receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter and on the very next defensive possession, the 23-year-old intercepted a pass by C.J. Stroud.
Hunter finished the game with four receptions for 59 yards and 1 TD, while on the defensive end, he had three tackles and the crucial interception that gave the Jaguars hope to win the game.
They entered the fourth quarter down by 10, but with Hunter's two big plays, the Jags managed to tie the score. In the end, the Texans took the victory with the help of a 49-yard field-goal from Ka'imi Fairbairn on the final possession.
This was the Jaguars' second loss of the season, but fans were excited to see the two-way star Travis Hunter shine for the team.

#field #fourth #quarter #defensive

Travis Hunter's wild Wembley day showcased the two-way star's immense talent, even in a losing effort.
Hunter caught a touchdown pass and picked off a C.J. Stroud pass in the other end zone in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville's 34-31 loss on Sunday.
There were hiccups, too, including a costly pass interference call in the red zone.
Still, the second-year player showcased why the Jaguars made the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
"He definitely helped put us in a position to win that game today," coach Liam Coen said.

#hunter #stroud

I'm living proof of the saying that "kids keep you young." My wife and I don't need social media. We've got multiple social barometers living in our house. But my usual reaction to every new trend or slang that enters their lexicon ("cooked" and "tuff" have been the new favorites) is skepticism. Before I try to figure out how much attention I need to put into what has them hyped, I try to figure out how serious they are about their enthusiasm.
Sunday's fantasy football action left me in a similar spot. We didn't get many massive box score performances from our stars. Instead, Week 6 was about our mid- and late-round picks or waiver-wire acquisitions. And with some giving us repeat results, the storylines coming out of Sunday should have us adjusting how we approach fantasy free agency on Tuesday.
Both Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Stroud were hooping all morning. They were the perfect pivot from whatever we had to watch on TNF. But as I was watching the Texans offense, a couple of things stood out.
what a throw from Stroud, too. pic.twitter.com/fz4EbOAKvT https://t.co/2MaTqWpPgd
First, Stroud's command of the offense was at an all-time high. Jacksonville came into the game with the 12th-highest pressure rate. Houston had a twofold response. It used an extra lineman on 35.6% of its plays (a season-high), and Stroud was getting rid of the football in 2.31 seconds (a season-low). The result was not only his lowest pressure rate (8.6%) but also his highest EPA per dropback (0.35). More importantly, the Jaguars' defensive measures, which included blitzing Stroud on 31.4% of his dropbacks, didn't stop him from throwing the ball.

#fantasy

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — As first impressions go, the new-look Buffalo Bills under Joe Brady opened the season looking much like the team previously coached by Sean McDermott.
And that's not an altogether good thing.
Josh Allen was a near one-man offensive show in a 36-31 win at Houston that featured eight lead changes, including four in the final quarter. He threw two TD passes and had two rushing for his 25th four-touchdown career outing; improved to 24-8 when topping 300 yards passing; and pulled out the victory with his 26th game-winning drive.
Breathtaking as the performance was, it was also reminiscent of the recent past with Allen once again required to patch over the defense's deficiencies. This was one of the reasons the Bills changed course in January by firing McDermott after Buffalo's defensive dud in a 33-30 overtime playoff loss to Denver.
Though on Sunday the defense came up with a victory-sealing stop on Greg Rousseau's strip-sack of C.J. Stroud with 9 seconds remaining at the Bills 18, it marked one of the few times Buffalo got the Texans off the field.

#allen #four #orchard

The season opener is a game quarterback C.J. Stroud will probably want to forget.
While he had 274 passing yards and two touchdowns, he also had two fumbles, including one on the final drive that doomed the Houston Texans in their opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Stroud is already focusing on turning the page to Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"It's part of the NFL," Stroud said. "You have to be able to learn from your mistakes and then go onto the next week and try to get a win. We have a tough Bengals team coming in here. They're really good. We have to be on our P's and Q's, try to win that game. We'll fix our issues by tonight and tomorrow, turn the page and keep moving forward. One thing that DeMeco [Ryans] said in the locker room that I agree with is, we're going to keep our chins high and our chests poked out. We did a lot of positive things, do we wish we won it? Yes. But at the end of the day it's a long season.
"You have to give us a little bit of credit there. I think I second his message with that."

#stroud #game #page #texans

There is only one way to describe Greg Rousseau's effort for the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Texans in Week 1: Game changer.
The Bills (1-0) took a 36-31 win on the road in their season opener in Houston.
The Texans' offense soon won't forget Rousseau any time soon.
Rousseau dominated the game. Despite Buffalo's shortcoming on defense by allowing 31 points, Rousseau consistently stood out.
Rousseau had four tackles, including two for loss, five quarterback hits, with two strip sacks including the game-winning takedown of Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. Rousseau knocked the ball out of Stroud's hand and it was scooped up by linebacker Terrel Bernard with only seconds left on the clock.

#bills #soon #including

Josh Allen's dramatic winning drive sends strong message to rest of AFC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Buffalo Bills needed Josh Allen to rescue them one more time. Their franchise quarterback delivered.
Allen directed a 96-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to lift Buffalo to a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans. He completed the comeback by finding Joshua Palmer for a 34-yard touchdown with 1:36 remaining.
Houston still had an opportunity to answer, but Greg Rousseau forced a C.J. Stroud fumble near the Buffalo goal line to secure the victory. It was an early-season reminder that defeating the Bills requires more than taking a late lead. Opponents must finish the job without giving Allen another meaningful possession.
Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores, accounting for four of Buffalo's touchdowns in the win. His final touchdown throw was made possible by a missed opportunity from the Texans.

#drive #yard

The Houston Texans host the Buffalo Bills in Week One this season, and they'll be looking for their third consecutive home victory over Buffalo in the series between these two AFC foes. Buffalo lost close games at NRG Stadium in each of the last two seasons, dropping a 23-20 decision during the 2024 season and a 23-19 contest last year.
For Houston, much of their success against Buffalo has come thanks to their stifling defense. Houston manages to harass quarterback Josh Allen in ways that most of the NFL has been unable to duplicate. Can the Texans do that again? If so, the Bills could be in a heap of trouble.
In order for Buffalo to come out with a win on Sunday, they'll need to do a better job dictating the game to the Houston defense than they have in he past. However, they'll also need to put themselves in good situations by limiting what could be a very potent Texans offense, as well.
Here are five Texans to watch this Sunday against Buffalo.
_____________________________________________________________________________
QB C.J. Stroud

#houston #texans #bills #defense

The Buffalo Bills will open the 2026 NFL season in a place where they have struggled to find success in recent years: on the road against the Houston Texans, who boast one of the league's stingiest defenses.
Since coming to the Bills as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh Allen has led the Bills into Houston four times. And in all four prior matchups, the Bills couldn't pull out the win.
Sunday will mark the third consecutive season where Buffalo has traveled to Houston, and today's edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by sharing the key matchups to watch and positional ***** ysis as the Bills look to snap that streak and begin the season with a big road win over a fellow playoff participant from last season.
Check out the ***** sments below and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments section.
Linked below: Breaking down the key story lines to watch, including dissecting the approach new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will take to contain the Texans; how Joe Brady can better position Josh Allen and the offense for success against a Texans pass rush that sacked Allen eight times in last year's loss; why starting right tackle Spencer Brown thinks things will go much differently against Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, two of the game's premier pass rushers, now that both Brown and starting left tackle Dion Dawkins are fully healthy; how Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb need to generate more pressure on Texans QB CJ Stroud than the Bills have their last two trips to Houston (one total sack); and more!

#last

Many fantasy football managers will employ a late-round TE strategy going into their drafts. Once you get past the handful of elite options at TE, things get pretty flat pretty quick. With that in mind, Yahoo **** ysts Hayden Winks, Justin Boone and Scott Pianowski give you their favorite sleeper tight end for the 2026 season.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
If you want the most terminally online deep sleeper, Ferguson is your guy. The 2025 second-round pick played in the most absurd role in tight end history last year under coach Sean McVay. Ferguson largely played a vertical receiving role in 2- and 3-TE sets as a downfield receiver in disguise. His average depth of target was 17.9 yards downfield. Only Tyquan Thornton, Alec Pierce and Kyle Williams were targeted more downfield!!! That will boggle the mind. Fast-forward to this year, the Rams need better talent at "WR," and Ferguson could be the answer based on what he provided last season. Davante Adams was dangled in trade discussions open to the public after a down season beyond the goal line, and trading for Tutu Atwell on Aug. 27 is never a great sign for the rest of the room. There's a chance (25%) that Ferguson is viewed as the team's WR3 this season. McVay's done crazy things like this before with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and 3-TE sets. — Hayden Winks
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The loss of a true breakout receiver in Jayden Higgins will have significant ramifications on the Texans' passing attack. Nico Collins is an elite top target, with Jaylin Noel and Kayshon Boutte as quality contributors. However, fantasy managers shouldn't sleep on Dalton Schultz. The veteran tight end seems like a boring pick, but he's quietly coming off a strong fantasy campaign where he averaged the 11th-most points at his position over the final 13 weeks. That included finishing tied for third in receptions among tight ends (82) and sixth in receiving yards (777). With Higgins sidelined for the season, Schultz now has a chance to be C.J. Stroud's No. 2 target once again. You're not going to impress your leaguemates by taking the 30-year-old Texans tight end. But if you somehow miss out on the top-13 options at the position, Schultz is in the next group of high-end TE2s who could easily end the year as a fantasy TE1. — Justin Boone

#tight #schultz #downfield

Kayshon Boutte has been a member of the Houston Texans for less than two weeks but the wide receiver said he is already building a relationship with C.J. Stroud.
"We get together after practice, kind of start building that timing," Boutee said Wednesday. "Different quarterback for me, a different receiver for him. So as long as we on the same path, that's the goal at the end of the day."
Boutte and Stroud don't have months to slowly grow their on-field bond. The Texans acquired Boutte last week in a trade with the New England Patriots for safety Jaylen Reed and a seven-round pick in 2028.
ALSO SEE: Jayden Higgins posts message after season-ending injury
But Boutte said he is building trust with Stroud every day. He also added that he doesn't think chemistry is a tough thing to build for a receiver. It's all about the amount of effort you put in with your quarterback, he said.

#stroud #receiver #different #kayshon

NFL seasons don't always offer a great sample size to figure out which players have the chance to be long-term starters or stars. But decisions need to be made quickly.
There are more than a few young players whose careers could go either way this season. Some are looking at potentially hitting free agency next year, with no idea if they'll break the bank or be largely ignored. Here are the top 10 players facing make-or-break seasons:
Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!
The Texans haven't yet signed Stroud to a big extension. That's because since a magical rookie season, Stroud has turned into a big question. His playoff performance in a divisional-round road loss to the Patriots, when he threw four interceptions, brought about even more skepticism over whether he can be a franchise quarterback. The Texans have a championship-level defense. If they don't come close to a deep playoff run, it'll reflect poorly on Stroud and make a decision on his future even tougher.
C.J. Stroud had a miserable performance in the playoffs as the Texans lost to the Patriots. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

#texans #players #Patriots #seasons

The Houston Texans close out the preseason Friday night against the Carolina Panthers, but fans should not expect to see C.J. Stroud or the rest of the team's top names on the field. Head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed the Texans will sit their starters in the preseason finale, turning this game into one final audition for players fighting to make the 53-man roster. After a full week of joint work against Carolina, Houston appears comfortable letting the starters shift their focus toward Week 1.
That doesn't mean Friday night is meaningless. The final preseason game is where depth charts get settled, roster bubble players make their last push, and young guys try to give coaches one more reason to keep them around. For Texans fans, it's also one last chance to see where the back end of the roster stands before cutdown day and the real season arrives. The stars can wait, but with roster spots on the line, there should still be plenty of urgency in Charlotte.
The Texans' final preseason game kicks off at 6:00 p.m. CDT Friday evening, and fans here in Houston can tune in with Sling TV.
What: Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers - Preseason Game
When: Friday, August 28, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. CDT

#final

For those wondering on who will suit up in Game 3 of the preseason, it's the names fighting for roster spots on the Houston Texans.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that said no starters would play in Friday's preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. Several key backups, including quarterback Davis Mills and defensive Jadeveon Clowney, also will likely rest and begin to prepare for Week 1's matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
This shouldn't come as a surprise since Houston has rarely played starters outside of a quarter in recent years. Given that the Texans usually have two joint practices before games, most of the work is done there, so there's little for Ryans and the staff to see.
This offseason, the Texans were cautious with several key players, electing not to play them at all. Even quarterback C.J. Stroud, who still is looking for a massive contract extension entering the new campaign, only played in one drive, which led to a scoring opportunity for second-year running back Woody Marks.
Most of the defensive starters have not played in any preseason games this year, including Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Will Anderson Jr., Henry To'oTo'o and Calen Bullock. On offense, David Montgomery, Dalton Schultz and Nico Collins were all sidelined in preparation for the new season.

#quarterback

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It had almost become routine.
Houston Texans edge rusher Danielle Hunter would make a move past a Carolina Panthers offensive tackle. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young would be surveying the field. And Hunter would sack him.
Meanwhile, on the second field, the Texans' offense was having the same success. It started with the offensive line, which gave quarterback C.J. Stroud enough time to carve up the Panthers' defense.
He had two touchdowns on the day, and played turnover-free football.
"We put on a dominant performance today," guard Ed Ingram said. "That's what we came to do."

#texans #hunter #quarterback

Here is everything Houston Texans rookie tight end Marlin Klein said following Houston's preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, including talking about his transition from college to the NFL, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry and his relationship with quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Question: On his comfort level
Marlin Klein: "A lot more comfortable, to be honest with you. Being here for a couple months now and being in Training Camp and having those first two games under my belt, the first four weeks of Training Camp, it has been a blessing. I love it down here and I hope I stay here forever."
Q: On if he's used to the heat yet
Klein: "I don't think you can get used to it. But, I played at Michigan so I'm kind of used to the cold right now but I'm adapting."

#used #training #texans

Texans 'long-shot' prediction could be end of C.J. Stroud's time in Houston originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Texans, heading into the 2026 NFL season, have a lot on the line with their quarterback C.J. Stroud. His struggles to end the 2025 season were brutal and have left his future somewhat uncertain.
But at least for now, he's the Texans' starting quarterback. Stroud has another chance to prove his 2023 rookie season wasn't a fluke, and that the struggles of the past couple of years aren't actually who he is. But what if he struggles again?
ESPN's Dan Graziano shared a "long-shot" prediction that explores such a scenario and the fallout it would bring. Stroud flopping in 2026 could lead to a mid-season benching and likely the end of his Texans career as well.
"Long-shot outcome: Stroud totally flops in Year 4," Graziano writes. "Either because of injury or ineffectiveness, he finishes the season on the bench as Davis Mills steps in to replace him."

#texans #long #shot

Hull City Official Line-ups:
Kostas Tzolakis, Lewie Coyle, John Egan, Semi Ajayi, ***** el Mendy, Ryan Giles, Regan Slater, Matt Crooks, Mohamed Belloumi, Oliver McBurnie, Elliot Stroud
Manchester United Official Line-ups:
Senne Lammens, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu, Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha
1':

#egan

The Houston Texans needed to make a move after losing Jayden Higgins for the 2026 season, but the team's initial response feels underwhelming. Houston is signing veteran NFL wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones, but neither player looks capable of truly replacing what Higgins was expected to bring to this offense.
There is a reason why both of those players were unsigned in late August; they aren't good enough to be on NFL rosters. The Texans needed to do more than this to help C.J. Stroud and the rest of the offense.
MORE: 4 NFL players with most pressure entering 2026-2027 season
Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) warms up before an AFC Divisional Round game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Higgins wasn't simply another receiver on the Texans' roster. The second-year wideout was expected to take a major step forward and become an important part of the passing game alongside Nico Collins.

#jayden #season

Manchester United begin the 2026-27 Premier League away from home. They visit newly promoted Hull, who are full of excitement after their epic promotion last season.
Today at the MKM Stadium, the best league in Europe returns to the spotlight with these confirmed line-ups:
Hull City: Tzolakis, Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Mendy, Giles, Crooks, Slater, Belloumi, Stroud, McBurnie.
Manchester United: Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha
Amad Diallo and Mason Mount are not playing today. Rashford is on the bench.

#league #today #Europe

C.J. Stroud's bizarre pregame routine leaves Texans fans scratching their heads originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Preseason games bring back football in action after a long break, but they are popularly not appealing for the results. The Houston Texans took on the Las Vegas Raiders in a preseason matchup, but somehow CJ Stroud's warmup session got the attention instead of the game itself.
It was his first live game action of the summer after sitting out the previous week's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Before the Texans' preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 20, 2026, cameras caught Stroud performing an unusual-looking warm-up routine. Standing on the field in a Texans shirt with earbuds in, he held both thumbs up in front of him and rapidly shifted his eyes left and right between them.
He then moved his thumbs into a vertical position and tracked them up and down with the same quick eye movements. Stroud finished with a few other hand gestures and a thumbs-up near his face.

#game #sporting #vegas #action

What channel is Texans vs. Raiders on today? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch NFL Week 2 preseason game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After positive reviews in his NFL preseason debut, top overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza will be in the spotlight once again as the Raiders travel to Houston to face the Texans on Thursday.
Though Kirk Cousins will once again get the start in this game and presumably Week 1 of the regular season, Mendoza is the player NFL watchers want to see as the Heisman Trophy winner continues his adjustment to the pros. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown last week against the Cardinals and should get another extended look in Week 2.
On the other side, Houston figures to roll out C.J. Stroud for his first action of the preseason after riding with Davis Mills and Graham Mertz last week. Mertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in the loss to the Chargers, leading the team to sign veteran Brett Rypien this week for additional depth.
Both teams will do their best to avoid another injury like that one tonight while still getting in key reps. Here's all you need to know to tune in and watch the preseason Week 2 game.

#texans

The Houston Texans are now on watch for an update on Jayden Higgins.
The second-year wide receiver left practice Tuesday with what appeared to be a lower-body injury suffered during team drills against the Las Vegas Raiders. In the red zone, Higgins was going for a pass when he fell to the ground and looked to be writhing in pain.
Multiple players on offense, including quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Nico Collins and fellow receiver Xavier Hutchinson, came over to check on Higgins as he lay in the grass. Being attended to by trainers.
While a cart came out to transport him, Higgins got up on his own power. He did not return to practice and was still being checked on by the medical staff when practice ended.
"No update at this time with Higgins," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after practice. "They're still evaluating him for a leg injury."

#receiver #update #wide #still

Here's everything Houston Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud said following joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders, including his thoughts on the practice in general, the emergence of Fernando Mendoza and the stability of the run game beinging an upgraded entering 2026.
Question: On his thoughts on practicing with the Las Vegas Raiders
C.J. Stroud: "I thought it went great. I thought we made a lot of plays. Of course, all our mistakes, you can clean up. But I thought we moved the ball very well, ran the ball great, threw the ball great, took care of it for the most part. At the end, I have to do better there, but I think overall, we had a really good day."
Q: On RB David Montgomery and RB Woody Marks as receiving threats
Stroud: "I think they're both great out the backfield."

#great #ball #thoughts #think

Fantasy football managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who's actually being slept on can be difficult.
With that in mind, let's shine the spotlight on some players available in the late rounds or even off the waiver wire who could surprise in 2026.
Over the next week, I'll revisit my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position — starting with quarterbacks.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Stroud hasn't been able to fully replicate his year-long rookie season production, when he was the QB11 averaging 18.5 fppg. However, full season stats can be deceiving.

#join #smarter

Texans land emergency QB to back up C.J. Stroud after season-ending injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Texans took a brutal hit to their quarterback room before the regular season even kicked off. During their preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Texans fell 27-7. But the loss got much worse when third-string quarterback Graham Mertz limped off late in the second quarter after a 9-yard scramble.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans later confirmed that Mertz tore the ACL in his right knee. The injury officially ends his 2026 season before it could even get started, forcing the franchise to place him on injured reserve.
The sixth-round pick in 2025 had yet to see a regular-season snap for Houston and was working as the QB3 behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills. Against the Chargers, he went 4-for-7 for 23 yards before the injury. This is the second time he's torn an ACL, having previously injured his other knee during his final year at Florida Gators.
Mertz's injury left Houston with just two healthy quarterbacks for the rest of the preseason. It forced Mills to stay on the field for a lot of unexpected, extended snaps. Since the Texans still have two exhibition games left and desperately need extra arms to handle practice reps, the front office didn't waste any time bringing in a veteran.

#season #houston #stroud #chargers

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud likely still has a bad taste in his mouth from how last season ended.
In Houston's first playoff game, the Texans won despite Stroud's five fumbles. In their second playoff game against the New England Patriots, they could not overcome Stroud's four interceptions.
Even though the season ended in a downward spiral for Stroud, he is not letting last season affect his preparation for this year. During the early stages of training camp. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has seen a more confident Stroud who's willing to take ownership of the offense.
"With C.J., what I'm seeing show up is just a guy who's confident in what he's doing," Ryans said Friday. "That's how everything has looked better because again, it's year two in the system. Anytime you're doing something for the second time around, you're more comfortable with it. Come training camp, we're able to install and add volume to our offense more so than we were able to do the first year and rightfully so. Everybody's just getting started, it's new, it's fresh and we're trying to see what everybody does well. C.J.'s done a great job of taking ownership of the offense. He's really communicated to his guys, getting everybody on the same page and you're seeing a confident player."
Ryans also mentioned that Stroud's ability to create separation with his legs should be more of a weapon this season.

#texans #stroud #season #year

Houston Texans star's recovery milestone draws praise after career-threatening 2024 injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Texans have waited nearly two full years to see this moment, and on Wednesday it finally arrived at training camp. Wide receiver Tank Dell put on full pads and ran routes for the first time since a devastating 2024 knee injury nearly ended his career.
The milestone comes after a long, uncertain rehab that included multiple surgeries and an entire lost season on the sideline. Dell's return is still very much a process, but Wednesday marked real, visible progress toward getting back on the field.
Video of the recent practice circulated quickly on social media, showing Dell running routes and catching passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud during individual drills at camp on Wednesday afternoon in Houston.
Dell worked mainly in receiver drills and was held out of team periods like 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 contact work during Wednesday's practice, a deliberate choice made by the coaching staff. He shifted to side work with a trainer once his individual reps were finished for the day at camp.

#wednesday #camp #milestone #nearly

Baker Mayfield made his feelings about his contract clear when he told reporters last week that he was feeling "disrespected" and "undervalued" by the Buccaneers.
But with Mayfield pledging to be focused on "all ball" going forward, General Manager Jason Licht is not concerned about the state of things between the front office and the club's quarterback.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Licht said the team still feels Mayfield is a franchise quarterback.
"Well, I'm not going to get into the specifics about the contract and all that stuff. But yeah, we think he is," Licht said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "We love Baker. Our feelings for Baker haven't changed."
Licht also seemed to be understanding of Mayfield's comments from last week.

#baker #contract