The Texans started out strong against the Lions. Scoring in all of his first four possessions, CJ Stroud made it obvious that he was looking for nothing less than a win. Meanwhile, Jared Goff was struggling with interceptions, giving Texans fans the impression that a win was inevitable.
Advertisement
By the end of the first half, the Lions were trailing behind by 16 points, and Goff had three interceptions to his name, which gave the Texans even more reasons for hope. However, what happened in the fourth quarter turned the tables for both teams.
A 3-yard rushing score from David Montgomery and a 9-yard TD pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown cut the Lions’ deficit to just three points. Jake Bates then added three more points with a 58-yard field goal, evening the score.
In the clutch moments of the game, it became the kicker’s contest. However, Ka’imi Fairbairn of the Texans failed to take the lead for the team, leaving the Lions with a chance to score.
Jared then seized the moment by giving Jake Bates just enough room to secure three points and the victory with it.
Witnessing CJ Stroud lose his poise in the second half of the game, fans turned to X to vent their frustration. One such fan tweeted, “Stroud also has to be held accountable for his second half play.”
However, Stroud’s mother could not let the fan slander her son’s name on social media. She quickly re-posted the fan’s message and responded with just one word:
“Really?”
It was certainly a tough loss for the Texans, considering how big of a lead they gave up in the second half. They even failed to capitalize on Jared Goff’s five costly interceptions. But Stroud, being the leader that he is, shouldered the blame for the home loss.
CJ Stroud takes the blame
In his post-game presser, the star quarterback did not hesitate to take all the blame, despite the reporter asking him to put his finger on what the issue was. He said:
“I feel like this game was on me. Definitely, you gotta make the plays, you gotta make the throws, can’t turn the ball over in scoring positions. So yeah, I blame this on me. I gotta be better in those moments.”
Standing at a record of 6-4, the Texans still have to face some behemoth teams like the Chiefs and the Ravens moving forward. But they are still favorites to make the playoffs this year.
CJ, a mere sophomore in the NFL, has played a major role in this success. So, blaming him for a close loss doesn’t quite make sense, especially since the QB has the leadership qualities of a franchise quarterback.
