In advance of the Steelers-Texans playoff game Monday night, a significant percentage of the attention has been paid to Houston’s defense.
Rightfully so. It’s No. 1 in terms of fewest yards allowed (277.2 yards per game) and second when it comes to points allowed (17.4).
The other side of the ball isn’t getting much discussion. That’s understandable because the Houston defense is so dynamic, while the offense is well short of that description.
At 327 yards per game, the Texans are 18th in the league. Their 23.8 points per game are 13th. At 108.9 yards per game, their rushing attack is 22nd, and at 218.1 yards per game through the air, their pass game is 14th. Working hand in glove with their stellar defense, that’s been good enough in a lot of cases, but certainly not enough to make anyone’s eyes pop.
The view is often painted very much the same when it comes to quarterback C.J. Stroud, who ranks in the middle-third of many passing categories for full-time NFL starters (keeping in mind he missed three full games and half of another with a concussion earlier this season).
Stroud burst onto the NFL scene in 2023, collecting NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. One of those games was a 30-6 smackdown of the Steelers. It featured 306 yards from Stroud on 16 completions for two touchdowns, no sacks, no interceptions and 111.2 passer rating in just his fourth NFL game.
CJ Stroud vs the Steelers:
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) October 2, 2023
16/30
306 Yards
2 TDs
16 rushing yards
ZERO picks
The FRANC7ISE continues to deliver and put on a SHOW in Houston ???????????? pic.twitter.com/S3j71aEhH4
After a step back from Stroud in 2024, those who know him well in the Steelers’ locker room see the same guy who left Ohio State after the 2022 college season and took the league by storm.
“He is a phenomenal leader. Great guy. Good teammate,” fellow Buckeye alum Jack Sawyer said. “A really good player, a competitor. When you are going against a guy like that, you have to throw everything at him. Make him second guess. And make him not on time. If he is always on time and on rhythm, he is one of the best to do it.”
One thing Stroud does well is get the ball to his top playmaker, Nico Collins. At 15.7 yards per catch, Collins is sixth in the NFL. He’s eighth in receiving yards with 1,117.
However, Stroud doesn’t force the ball to Collins in high-danger situations. He has just three interceptions over his last seven games. As a whole, the Texans have only 12 giveaways all year, the second fewest in the NFL behind only Chicago (11).
That’s in large part because if Collins is covered, Stroud is comfortable going elsewhere. His young Iowa State receiving trio of Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson has combined for 1,245 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“Got a lot of respect for C.J. Stroud and his body of work and what he’s been able to do in this league over a short period of time,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “They got some quality young eligibles in Higgins and Noel from Iowa State. They’ve done a nice job of growing and evolving over the course of the season. They’re certainly assets to their pass game and good supplements to Nico Collins.”
Then there’s Dalton Schultz, who has 82 receptions for 777 yards. Trey McBride (126) and Kyle Pitts (88) were the only two tight ends with more receptions than him this season.
Whatever Stroud is accomplishing in the pass game, he’s not getting much help at all from the rushing attack. Houston is 29th in yards per rushing attempt at 3.9. Sharp Football Analysis has the Texans at a 19.3% run-stuff rate, 26th in the league. Pro Football Reference lists the Texans 30th in expected points contributed by the rushing offense at minus-20.56.
“He has really good control of the offense. He does a really good job of finding the right guy,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Thursday. “They move the pocket. He does a good job when he is out of the pocket, throwing with accuracy. He gets rid of the ball. He is not a guy who holds the ball and makes a lot of turnovers. … He gives them an opportunity to win.”
With that defense on Houston’s other side of the ball, just a small opportunity may be all it takes. And, based on the last time the Steelers saw him, Stroud is much better than that.
“He’s a quarterback. They’ve got O-linemen. We’re D-linemen,” defensive tackle Keeanu Benton said this week. “We’ve got to get the quarterback through the O-linemen. Same thing. Just football.”
Well, if it’s always that easy, you’d think the Steelers would’ve managed at least one playoff win since 2016-17. They haven’t.
And if they don’t do better against Stroud on Monday night than they did during his rookie season, that streak will continue into 2026-27.
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