Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud on win-and-in game vs. Colts: ‘The time is now’.
The Houston Texans are a year ahead of where most projected beginning the season, with a postseason berth on the line Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Houston went all in on the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall and trading up to get edge rusher Will Anderson No. 3 overall. Couple those studs with a Coach of the Year-type season from DeMeco Ryans, young players like Derrick Stingley Jr., Nico Collins and others making significant advances, and the Texans are on the rise.
But Houston isn’t pleased with being ahead of schedule in their renovation. They want that playoffs bid.
“The time is now,” Stroud remarked, via the team’s official website. “It’s not next year. It’s not the year after that. It’s right now. We have the opportunity to control our own fate. I’m excited to do it.”
The winner of Saturday night’s Texans-Colts tilt is certain of a postseason spot — either an AFC South title with a Jacksonville loss on Sunday or a wild-card berth.
Regardless of the conclusion, what’s happening in Houston is a tremendous success — no ands, ifs, or buts about it.
Of course, appropriately, that’s not what they’re focusing on in the locker room.
“As our guys said, we didn’t come this far just to get this far,” Ryans remarked. “We have a lot to still play for that’s ahead of us.”
We’ve seen clubs “ahead of schedule” in a rebuild disintegrate in years following making an unexpected postseason bid — see: 2023 New York Giants. But with Stroud and a plethora of young guys carrying prominent positions and Ryans’ leadership, it feels like the Texans will have lasting power for seasons to come.
