- 24 minutes ago
C.J. Stroud puts on an absolute clinic overseas! Sean Pendergast and Clint Stoerner break down the Houston Texans' wild 34-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
From Foster Moreau’s two-touchdown showcase to Stroud picking apart Jacksonville’s blitz packages, the guys dive into how No. 7 bounced back from a rare interception to lead Houston to a game-winning drive. Plus, calls from across Texans Nation on whether Stroud can keep carrying this offense without a consistent run game.
From Foster Moreau’s two-touchdown showcase to Stroud picking apart Jacksonville’s blitz packages, the guys dive into how No. 7 bounced back from a rare interception to lead Houston to a game-winning drive. Plus, calls from across Texans Nation on whether Stroud can keep carrying this offense without a consistent run game.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00D.J. takes the snap, fires left side of the end zone, and caught!
00:04Moreau, his second of the day, and the Texans are back in front of Jacksonville!
00:09Not known for his pass-catching ability when he was signed,
00:16but boy, has he gone to work in that area and has become a big-time red zone threat.
00:23Yeah, Foster Moreau, two touchdowns today,
00:28and we're going to give the signature player of the game to C.J. Stroud today,
00:32brought to you by Kima Boardwalk.
00:33Kima Boardwalk, the perfect family getaway.
00:35C.J. was, other than the interception that he threw that would have put the Texans up two scores,
00:40C.J. was just spot-on all day.
00:4224-34, 312 yards, three touchdowns, including the one that you just heard right there before the half.
00:47To get the team down there to score and answer before the half was absolutely huge,
00:53especially considering they were getting the ball to start the second half.
00:55It was really funny, Clint.
00:58Right before the play to Moreau there on the touchdown, the Texans were running.
01:03It looked like they were going to throw that exact pattern to Moreau, but it got blown dead.
01:07I think maybe Jacksonville called a timeout or something like that.
01:09So C.J. just kind of still tossed it out there.
01:12Foster Moreau reached out with one hand and just grabbed it casually.
01:15Didn't count.
01:15The whistle had blown.
01:16And then when he throws the actual pass to him, when it's a live down, that's exactly what Foster Moreau
01:22does,
01:22but he does it with the defender draped all over him and holding his left arm.
01:27It was an amazing catch and an incredible ball placement by C.J. Stroud.
01:31Ridiculous ball placement once again.
01:33Great catch.
01:34He's talking about just receiver-friendly.
01:36The way that he throws the ball, the touch that he has the ability to throw it with,
01:40it's just super receiver-friendly.
01:42And you saw that with Foster Moreau.
01:44Great catch.
01:45You know, Foster Moreau is a, and I'm guilty of this, is an underrated part of this offense.
01:51I mean, if he's going to be able to do things like we've seen him do the last couple of
01:54weeks
01:54in the red zone area and particularly goal line offense type stuff,
01:58you're just talking about a super valuable guy.
02:00Hand in the dirt is an extension of the O-line in the run game, obviously.
02:05You know, as much boot action as the Texans do, as much emphasis as they put on just being right,
02:11be where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be there,
02:13and then obviously in the red zone, the ability to do all the run block things
02:17and then also go make plays like you made today, that is a, I don't care what offense you're on,
02:25I don't care what kind of scheme you're running, that is a tremendous weapon to have in your offense.
02:29I'm not making Foster Moreau, Rob Gronkowski by any stretch of the imagination,
02:33but having that guy in your offense is a big plus.
02:36Absolutely. Absolutely.
02:38All right, let's hit the phone.
02:40713-572-4610.
02:42And let's start it off in Sharpstown.
02:44Talk to Felix.
02:45Felix, you're first up on Texans postgame.
02:47Welcome in.
02:49What's happening, boys?
02:51Just winning football, man.
02:53Man, winning football games overseas in the morning.
02:57It feels great, man.
02:58I am so impressed with how our offense did today.
03:03I think more than anything that stood out today was, other than CJ's ball placement,
03:07those blitzes, man.
03:08Whenever they were blitzing, I was just laughing at the Jaguars, like,
03:11hi, we got y'all.
03:12And I don't think I've said that in the four years that I've been watching the Texans play with CJ.
03:19And it was just so impressive to see.
03:21And it was just an amazing game.
03:23I just really do need the defense to step up a little bit more.
03:27It's a little concerning, man.
03:29But I think offense is doing great.
03:32Yeah, CJ was eating up those blitzes, man.
03:35Yeah, look, I think that's one of the biggest, most impressive parts.
03:39To me, the off-the-field stuff, the body language everybody was talking about early in the season,
03:44like how that shifted in what appears to be like the alpha leader and the more vocal guy,
03:49even to D'Amico and to Kaylee.
03:52That piece is the most important to me, but off-the-field.
03:54But when you look at the on-the-field stuff, the ball placement has been so elite
03:59that it's hard to not lead with that.
04:01But when you look at the offense that he's in and what it actually commands,
04:05when you go back and you look at his rookie year and how he became rookie of the year
04:10and how special he was, he led the league in passing yards per game and fewest interceptions.
04:15It was an efficiency.
04:16It was all good, but there was definitely an efficiency to it.
04:19When you look at this year's C.J. Stroud, it's very similar to what we saw that year
04:23in terms of efficiency.
04:24But to the caller's point, he's spot on.
04:27The one difference that we've never seen with C.J., to be honest with you,
04:30we never saw it with Deshaun.
04:33Like when Deshaun was really good in this system or a similar system,
04:36we never saw him get to that point.
04:38It seems like C.J.'s graduated to a point where he's got answers
04:42for all the different pressures more times than not.
04:44And it is a well-oiled machine right now, y'all.
04:47No doubt.
04:48Anything else, Felix?
04:51Another thing that impressed me was what happened after the interception.
04:55Man, I knew that C.J. wasn't going to go 17 games without interceptions.
05:00I don't think any QB has done that.
05:02And so I knew the interception was bound to come.
05:05But when it happened, I said, okay, C.J., how are you going to respond?
05:08This is the first interception he throws since that Patriots game
05:10that we all know what happened.
05:11And he could have easily crumbled and, you know, started getting PTSD
05:15and everything like that.
05:16But I feel like he responded well and that he just kind of said,
05:19okay, shake it off, let's go next play.
05:21And I think that's another thing that super impressed me today.
05:25And I'm just happy for him, happy for the team.
05:27And let's get it next week too.
05:28Yeah, sounds good, Felix.
05:30We appreciate the phone call.
05:31Yeah, I would say that the two, you know,
05:33C.J.'s only turned the ball over three times this year.
05:35The two fumbles in the Buffalo game in the interception today.
05:40The first fumble in the Buffalo game came on the first possession of the season.
05:43He went on to throw for however many yards and put up 31 points
05:47and give the team a chance to win that game.
05:49The second fumble came at the end of the game.
05:50You don't have a chance to respond to that.
05:52The game's over.
05:53And then today he throws the interception.
05:55How does he respond to that?
05:56He drives the team down and gets a game-winning field goal
05:58out of the whole thing.
05:58Yeah, not only that.
05:59That's really encouraging.
06:00Yeah, Sean, not only that, he stood over on the sideline
06:02and watched the defense let the Jaguars tie the game up
06:08after immediately following his interception.
06:11And so you look at that and you go, okay, now it's an opportunity.
06:14He's been given a few opportunities this year.
06:18Not a few, several in a sense of it's only been six games.
06:22I mean, he's really – he's been given several opportunities
06:25in the fourth quarter to go win a game or give us a lead.
06:27And with the exception of that, like you said, the fumble
06:31at the end of the Buffalo game, with the exception of that game,
06:35he's been really good in those moments.
06:37No doubt.
06:37All right, let's go back to the phones.
06:40Let's go to Umbel.
06:41Talk to Troy.
06:42Troy, you're up on Texans postgame.
06:43Hey, thank you guys for taking my call.
06:46Let me just say this.
06:47I know CJ had a great bad playoff game last year,
06:50but people remember the man is just in his fourth season as quarterback.
06:55We had two different offensive coordinators,
06:57no consistent running game, and no offensive line.
07:01I'm not going to say bad offensive line.
07:03Well, we can say that.
07:05He hasn't had no real offensive line.
07:07This year, this dude on pace for almost 4,500 yards
07:10and only three interceptions.
07:11Now, we know that's highly unlikely.
07:13But for the first time, the Texans, I mean, they kind of said,
07:16okay, look, since we cannot run the football,
07:18obviously we can't run the football consistently.
07:21We have enough weapons.
07:22And the offensive line, I got to give them praise today.
07:24But CJ Stroud, not to be under really no pressure
07:27and no sacks against a defensive line that good as Jacksonville,
07:31I can't help but praise those guys today.
07:33And that's what happens when you give CJ Stroud time,
07:36and any good quarterback will make average receivers look good.
07:39So he's just been playing with Nico and a bunch of cast of characters.
07:44Now you've got Marvin Harrison.
07:45When he gets implemented to the offense more,
07:49the offense is going to get better.
07:50The defense, like my man said, is a problem.
07:53I thought by now the defense would have corrected some things by now.
07:56But there's some troubling things in that defense,
07:59particularly in the middle of the field that Houston has not solved.
08:02And until they solve that problem,
08:03the defense is going to be going the same way.
08:06It's going to be offensive shootouts for Houston game in and game out.
08:09There's no way I thought this game here, a division game,
08:12which always close to a good game,
08:14will be a wide open game like this.
08:17With the defense is really not doing anything much to stop the offenses
08:21all game long.
08:22So it was just a great win for Houston.
08:24They had to have it.
08:25If they can get to 500, man, anything could happen.
08:28They're very capable of doing that right now.
08:30But CJ, I'm glad you're playing.
08:33You're going to get your money.
08:34And let's get this thing done.
08:35Thanks, man.
08:35All right, thanks, Troy.
08:36Appreciate it.
08:37Yeah, you know, as far as the defense goes today, yeah, I mean,
08:41it obviously wasn't great.
08:42Trevor Lawrence threw for over 300 yards.
08:44I thought the tackling was poor.
08:46And you can't blame the conditions, the field conditions for tackling,
08:51you know, in terms of, like, when you got guys wrapped up
08:54and they're just working their way out of your grip.
08:55Like, it's, you know, there are footing issues that come with tackling.
08:58I get that.
08:59But I thought some of the tackling today was just, like,
09:02condition independent type sloppy.
09:04The part where I'll pause on the Texans' defense a little bit just to,
09:09you know, in terms of getting really worried about it, you know,
09:13oh, my God, are they – is the elite defense never coming back?
09:17Is that the – it just seemed like the pass rushers today on both sides
09:20had a hard time getting footing in those conditions.
09:22No sacks for either team.
09:24And we know that that's what fuels the Texans' defense.
09:27It is Will Anderson and Daniil Hunter and Genevion Clowney,
09:30to a lesser degree, getting after the quarterback.
09:32If they can't do that, then that's – they're mortal, you know,
09:37as we saw today.
09:37Well, that is going to be interesting, I think, moving forward, Sean.
09:41Because today, look, the field conditions clearly impacted both sides of the football,
09:46really, across the board.
09:47It was a messy day.
09:49And when the offense knows where they're going and the defense doesn't,
09:52and then you add slippery conditions to the formula,
09:55that typically means big points are going to be put up.
09:58And that's exactly what we saw.
09:59I do think that there's a bigger picture.
10:03I was hesitant to agree or buy into the thought that, you know,
10:08that after a few weeks, you know, D'Amico Ryan's defense has been figured out
10:12and everybody has the answers to the test.
10:14But I'm getting there.
10:16I'm getting to a point where I'm not going to lean into, oh, well, it's injuries.
10:22Oh, well, you know, you got this great quarterback you played.
10:25And then you can add today with Trevor Lawrence,
10:27and you can even add today with the weather of –
10:28like I believe that this defense is – they're going to have to mix some things up.
10:33I do think there's something to the middle of this field
10:36just being absolutely hammered.
10:38I do believe that there's something to, you know,
10:41the opponent being able to run the ball at least in a complimentary,
10:45if not better, manner.
10:47And so you can't always rely on like today's game would have changed drastically
10:52if Bullock would have got that interception that he got his hands on.
10:54Not the one he actually did later in the game.
10:57The one towards the end of the game.
10:58Yeah, I mean, like you can't – we can't live in a way of –
11:02in hindsight going, well, man, if Bullock would have got that interception,
11:05we'd have won that game.
11:06Then we're talking about – we're having a totally different conversation.
11:09That's just not reality.
11:10As good as his defense is, as much of a ball hawk as Bullock is,
11:13that's not a reality.
11:14I do think there's something to D'Amico needing to mix things up.
11:19And we watched today's film.
11:21Maybe they did mix things up, and it just didn't work to their advantage.
11:24But whether it's a pressure, adding guys to the rush to get pressure,
11:29or it's a coverage, you know, change.
11:31I know they're pretty stagnant in that quarters look every snap,
11:34and they move down to some middle closed stuff.
11:36But I do wonder if there's room there to mix things up.
11:41Because right now, man, it seems like the middle of that field
11:43is just getting attacked.
11:46It's getting peppered.
11:47Yeah.
11:47The kill zone's dead, man.
11:48Yeah.
11:49Kill zone's dead.
11:50All right, let's take another call here.
11:51Let's go to Seabrook and talk to Chris.
11:53Chris, you're up on Texans postgame.
11:55Welcome in.
11:56Hey, thanks, guys.
11:58Great must-win game today, I must say.
12:00I just had a question.
12:02I'll listen in for you guys to answer.
12:04You know, Reid Blankenship went down with a pretty gnarly concussion.
12:09I saw against Tootin, he had a wide-open field tackle
12:13that he just completely whiffed on.
12:15Did you all feel more comfortable with Stewart?
12:17And after he came in, he made a couple plays.
12:19Just wanted to get you all thoughts.
12:21Yes, is my answer.
12:22Yes, and I hate to pick on somebody
12:25who's going to be in concussion protocol, obviously.
12:27I don't.
12:27I don't have a problem talking about it.
12:28Well, yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:29No, I'll talk.
12:31I'm happy to talk about it.
12:32I guess it's my way of saying get well soon,
12:33Reid Blankenship, as a human being.
12:35But yeah, I think if they had announced
12:40that M.J. Stewart was going to be the starting safety
12:43this week in London, replacing Reid Blankenship,
12:45and Reid Blankenship was just going to be a depth piece,
12:47then I would have had no problem with that.
12:49You know, M.J. Stewart is a solid vet that makes tackles
12:53and knows where he needs to be,
12:55and Reid Blankenship has had trouble in those areas so far.
12:57Well, I think, to me, just watching him play.
13:00I mean, when Reid, most of the time when Reid's getting beat,
13:03it looks like there's confusion.
13:05It looks like he doesn't know that he's responsible
13:09for that part of the field,
13:10or he doesn't read the route, you know,
13:13the releases and the route combinations,
13:15and yada, yada, yada.
13:16It looks like there is a fish out of water,
13:19like, uh-oh, I'm not real sure what I'm supposed to be doing.
13:22I don't know who the more skilled player is
13:24between him and M.J. Stewart,
13:27but I know when M.J. Stewart gets in there,
13:29immediately he's covering like a blanket downfield.
13:31Hell, I think it was Parker Washington somehow.
13:33They got Parker Washington on a safety.
13:35He was, down near the end zone.
13:36Down near the end zone, and he made it.
13:40I saw the two, and I thought it was Stingley.
13:42I'm like, oh, wait, it's M.J. Stewart.
13:44Well, and the thing is, there is, look,
13:46I'm not saying he covered him like a blanket.
13:47Hell, he's a safety.
13:48But he did put himself in position
13:50to where the quarterback said, okay,
13:51I got to make a perfect throw if I'm going to get it.
13:53This is not a throw in the ocean.
13:54No.
13:55And that's really all you can ask from a safety
13:57in that point.
13:58You look at the touchdown,
13:59the one-handed touchdown from the tight end from,
14:02from, uh...
14:03Berger, from A&M, from Berger.
14:05You look at the touchdown that he made.
14:06I mean, you couldn't have asked the tight end,
14:08I mean, the safety to play that any better.
14:09So when you look at a very small sample size
14:13of M.J. Stewart playing this year,
14:14it sure seems like he's putting himself in position
14:17to, at the very least, make it difficult
14:19on the quarterback and the pass catcher
14:21to execute said route and said catch,
14:24where it just, it looks like Reed gets out of,
14:27you know, out of pocket,
14:28and, I mean, it just turns into a throw in the ocean.
14:30Well, and it has a ripple effect on everybody
14:32because everybody's trying to cover for him.
14:34Yeah, yeah.
14:34You know?
14:35And the first play of the game,
14:36or first drive of the game,
14:37I don't know if it was the first play,
14:38but the first drive of the game today,
14:40you know, the seam route,
14:41he's sitting up on the roof,
14:43like in a quarters look,
14:44and they're clearly rolling Bullitt to the middle
14:46and him down in some fashion.
14:49And, I mean, he, like it's,
14:50I don't even know that he was necessarily wrong
14:53on that play
14:54because it looked to be some kind of zone.
14:56It didn't appear to be a man,
14:58but was he supposed to collision him
15:00to allow Bullitt to get over the top?
15:01Was he supposed to stay a little bit deeper?
15:03Was he supposed to be outside versus inside
15:05or vice versa?
15:06It just looks,
15:09with Reed Blankenship,
15:10it just looks like he's unsure.
15:12And you cannot,
15:13you can't play in the league, period,
15:14if you're unsure,
15:15but you damn sure can't play
15:16in the secondary in this defense
15:19with as much disguising and moving as they do.
15:21You can't,
15:22you just can't play in this league.
15:23Not against a team with this weapons.
15:25Yeah, and then there's the opponent.
15:26Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:28No, you're absolutely right.
15:29Not in any game,
15:29but especially a game like this.
15:31All right.
15:32Sean Pendergast, Clint Sterner with you.
15:34It is Texans postgame.
15:35We'll have our drive of the game coming up
15:37when we come out of the break,
15:37and we'll take more of your phone calls.
15:39713-572-4610.
15:42Texans win today,
15:4334-31 over the Jacksonville Jaguars
15:46in London.
15:47A last second,
15:48Kiami Fairbairn field goal.
15:49This was a fun morning.
15:50Let's have some more fun.
15:52We're with you to about 2.30 today
15:53here on 95.7 The Fan.