Stroud is riding high, but not alone, in Houston
Confetti from an NFL weekend.
As podcaster/ex-scout/Chargers radio analyst Daniel Jeremiah likes to say when analyzing the New England Patriots…..”If you’re going into their store with the intention of buying a jersey, which one would you buy?”
In other words, the Patriots are in a brutal place, where nobody knows their names. They’re not just bad but anonymous.
The Houston Texans do not have that problem. As we speak, people with “Stroud 7” jerseys are beginning to jam the freeways, the bars and the buses of Texas’ largest city. The “Anderson 22” jersey will do some business, too.
The Texans figured on some star power this year, since they picked quarterback C.J. Stroud second and edge rusher Will Anderson third in the first round of the draft. They couldn’t have expected to be 5-4 at this juncture and one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South, after their 30-27 win at Cincinnati on Sunday. But that’s where they are, as they bring newfound credentials to the game, and stand unafraid to play anyone as long as they have Stroud flinging the pigskin and Anderson hunting anyone who is holding it.
With quarterbacks heading for the blue tents like earthquake victims, the league hungers for new stars. Houston got Stroud because Carolina used the No. 1 pick on Bryce Young. There’s little question that Young has the savvy and the instincts to play the position, maybe in the way Drew Brees did, but Young looks very slight, almost incongruous, on an NFL field. He is already getting whacked on a weekly basis, with no help in the backfield, and with no downfield threats. His sole reliable target is 33-year-old Adam Thielen, whom the Vikings cut loose.
Stroud is 6-foot-3. He can pinpoint a football on any body part of any receiver from nearly any place on the field. This was evident when Ohio State beat Utah in the Rose Bowl two seasons ago. Then, as if anticipating the questions that would be coming about foot speed, Stroud came within a missed field goal of leading Ohio State past Georgia in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal, a spectacular performance in a 42-41 loss. Stroud was 23 for 34 and threw four touchdown passes, and also ran 12 times for 34 yards, dodging future NFL behemoths as he went, and he didn’t have Marvin Harrison as a target in the fourth quarter.
Stroud might level off and Young might settle in. The other possibility is that Carolina will be mocked forever for passing up Stroud, who has thrown two interceptions in his first 318 NFL passes, and who leads the league with 291 yards passing per game. He also has 15 touchdown passes and is third in the NFL with 8.3 yards per attempt.
Anderson hasn’t put up big sack numbers, but he leads the team in quarterback hurries, with 20, and he’s opening up things for fellow rusher Jonathan Greenard. The third-round pick is Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, from the U. of Houston, and he has five touchdown catches. The fifth-round pick is linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, Anderson’s former Alabama teammate, and he seems to belong, too.
The Texans got the third pick because they traded the 12th and 33rd picks to Arizona, and threw in a first-rounder in 2024 that they got for hanging onto DeShaun Watson, through all of his self-inflicted travails, and finally trading him to the desperate Cleveland Browns.
They are coached by DeMeco Ryans, a former Texans star, and the 49ers’ defensive coordinator until this season. He obviously will be a Coach of the Year candidate. But the Texans are an example of how teams can quietly solidify before they begin winning. Last season Houston went 3-13-1. It also played Kansas City into overtime on Dec. 18, lost to Dallas by only 27-23 the previous week, and won two of its final three.
On Sunday the Texans fell behind 7-0, went ahead 20-7, and then desperately tried to bar the door against Joe Burrow. Shaq Griffin and DeAndre Houston-Carson, fresh from Baltimore’s practice squad, intercepted fourth-quarter passes. Sheldon Rankins, a former 12th-overall pick by New Orleans whom Houston signed as a free agent, used one of his three sacks to hold the Bengals to a field goal.
That tied the game, and Stroud was looking at 1:33 on the clock and one time out in his pocket, a cornucopia of resources for an arm like his. On third-and-six Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for 25 yards, and then Noah Brown, another Buckeye, took Stroud’s pass, stepped out of a tackle and got to the Cincinnati 20. As the clock hit zero, new arrival Matt Ammedola booted the game-winner. He was one of six NFL kickers to finish games with field goals on Sunday.
And with each victorious week, Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV surrenders one of the few remaining strands of his cover. It’s a tradeoff for which he is well-prepared. In this business, you want people to want the shirt off your back.
There was other confetti on this NFL weekend:
Cleveland 33, Baltimore 31
— The Browns (6-3) were supposed to struggle when they lost deluxe runner Nick Chubb in Week 2, but they’ve proved they can win shootouts and arm-wrestling matches alike. They trailed Baltimore, 24-9, in this one but Watson went 14 for 14 in the second half, and a 34-yard pick-6 by Greg Newsome moved Cleveland into position to win on Dustin Hopkins’ field goal at the buzzer.
— Jerome Ford is a fifth-round 2022 pick from Cincinnati who has 532 yards and gets 6.3 yards per carry. His 12-yard run followed Watson’s 16-yard scramble to get Hopkins situated to win it.
— Myles Garrett had a sack and a half for Cleveland and is the seventh player in NFL history to collect at least 10 sacks in six consecutive years. For Baltimore, Kyle Hamilton turned an interception into a TD 40 seconds into the first quarter, and the Ravens led 14-0 and seemed ready to blow out a third straight contender at home (after Detroit and Seattle). But they couldn’t hold a 31-17 lead with 11:34 remaining.
San Francisco 34, Jacksonville 3
— Left tackle Trent Williams and receiver Deebo Samuel got back in the lineup Sunday, and the 49ers rediscovered themselves. They also incorporated Chase Young, late of the Commanders, to join Nick Bosa on a pincers movement up front. The victim was Trevor Lawrence, who was sacked five times, hit 10 times and intercepted twice.
– It was Jacksonville’s first loss since Week 3 and San Francisco’s first win since Week 5. Both are 6-3. In the 3-game losing streak, Brock Purdy threw five interceptions and three touchdowns; on Sunday he threw three touchdowns and was not picked.
— The 49ers only led 13-3 at halftime, but left no doubt when they emerged for the second half. Purdy hit Samuel for nine yards, and George Kittle turned Purdy’s pass into a 66-yard touchdown. In his past two games Kittle has caught 12 passes for 275 yards.
Detroit 41, L.A. Chargers 38
— This time at SoFi Stadium, the brazen coach who went for it on 4th down wasn’t Brandon Staley. The Lions (7-2) were tied with L.A., 38-38, and had a fourth-and-two on the Chargers’ 26 with 1:40 left. A field goal would give Detroit a 3-point lead but would also give the Chargers a chance to win it, with one time out left. Dan Campbell chose to go for it, and Jared Goff hit Sam LaPorta for six yards, and Riley Patterson kicked the 41-yard game-winner.
— Maybe the Rams won a Super Bowl because they dealt Jared Goff to Detroit for Matthew Stafford, but maybe they wouldn’t have if they’d known Goff would blossom like this. He was 23 of 33 for two touchdowns, 333 yards and a 122.4 passer rating, and he and Amon-Ra St. Brown are seeing the game the same way. St. Brown caught eight of nine for 156 yards, a career-high, and has passed the 100-yard mark in four consecutive games. Overall Detroit had five plays of 33 or more yards.
— The Chargers (4-5) didn’t have a sack and permitted David Montgomery to run for a 75-yard touchdown. They did score touchdowns on their last five possessions, and Justin Herbert (27 of 40, 323 yards, four TDs, one interception) found Keenan Allen 11 times for 175 yards. Herbert has targeted Allen 67 times in L.A.’s last six games.
Minnesota 27, New Orleans 19
— The Vikings won their fifth consecutive game with a defense that’s getting overlooked by Joshua Dobbs’ weekly “This Is Your Life” episode. After Jameis Winston threw touchdown passes to Chris Olave and A.T. Perry, the Vikings had Ty Chandler’s 29-yard TD run called back because Brian O’Neill was holding. The Saints took over, but Winston’s career-long tendency to throw the ball to contrasting uniforms got him again. Mekhi Blackmon and Byron Murphy wrapped it up with interceptions.
— Derek Carr was knocked out of the game by the Vikings’ Danielle Hunter, who had three tackles for loss Sunday and has 14 for the season.
— Dobbs, in his first Minnesota start, scampered 29 yards for a touchdown and hit 23 of 34 passes for 268 yards and no interceptions. This followed his relief win last week, when he hadn’t taken a snap from Minnesota center Garrett Bradbury before he led the Vikings past Atlanta. By this week, Dobbs at least learned enough to find tight end T.J. Hockenson, who caught 11 of the 15 passes Dobbs aimed at him, for 134 yards.
Dallas 49, N.Y. Giants 17
— With Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor hurt, the Giants turned to Tommy DeVito, a rookie who played at Illinois and Syracuse and who lives with his parents, 12 minutes from MetLife Stadium. His meals are cooked, his clothes are washed, and presumably his bruises were treated after the Cowboys walloped New York for the second time this season.
— DeVito went 14 for 27 for 86 yards and two interceptions and suffered five sacks, and the Giants (2-8) managed only 192 yards. Their own ballyhooed pass rushers barely laid a glove on Dak Prescott, who threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns.
— Brandon Cooks caught nine passes for 173 yards, and CeeDee Lamb caught 11 for 151. In the past three weeks Lamb has 34 receptions for 400 yards. The Cowboys (6-3) blasted the Giants, 40-0, in the opener and have outscored the Giants, Jets, Patriots and Rams by 167 points in five games.
Pittsburgh 23, Green Bay 19
— Jaylin Warren has become the essential fourth quarter runner for the Steelers (6-3). His runs of 10 and 20 yards got Chris Boswell in position for a field goal that put Pittsburgh up by four with 5:14 left. Jordan Love moved the Packers to the Pittsburgh 14 but threw an interception to Keanu Neal, and then Damontae Kazee got the pick on Green Bay’s final possession.
— Warren, a 5-foot-8 running back whose third and final college was Oklahoma State, had 15 carries for 101 yards, both career highs. The previous week he had 88 in only 11 tries in a win over the Titans. Pittsburgh has had its two best running games of the season in those two wins, lifting some of the burden off quarterback Kenny Pickett.
— Green Bay (3-6) hasn’t scored more than 20 in a game since Week 2, and over the past three games the Packers are 3-for-13 in the red zone. An overlooked play was a blocked extra point by 33-year-old Patrick Peterson, the former All-Pro cornerback. That kept the Steelers ahead 17-13 and meant that Love had to hunt a touchdown instead of a tying field goal.
Denver 24, Buffalo 22
— The Bills continued their war against themselves, one that has taken them to a 5-5 stalemate in the standings. James Cook fumbled away the football on the Bills’ first play, and three other turnovers followed. On Denver’s winning drive, Will Lutz appeared to lose the game by missing a 41-yard field goal, but the Bills had 12 men on the field. Lutz then converted a 36-yarder. Denver got in range when Taron Johnson interfered with Jerry Jeudy on a third-and-10 incompletion.
— Josh Allen was intercepted twice and lost a fumble on a missed handoff to Cook. His QB rating was a dismal 59.3. In the last 10 games Buffalo has lost 10 turnovers with only two takeaways.
— Russell Wilson continued his career rehab by going 24 for 29 with no picks and two touchdowns, and Denver ran 71 plays to Buffalo’s 52. The same team that gave up 70 points to Miami in Week 3 has given up 68 in the past four games, three of which Denver (4-5) has won.
Arizona 26, Atlanta 25
— Kyler Murray is back within sight and on mind. The Cardinals were 1-12 when he was injured. They went through five sub quarterbacks. He returned Sunday, cashed a third-and-10 on a 13-yard odyssey that actually required him to run 74 yards, and then hit tight end Trey McBride with a 33-yarder to set up Matt Prater’s game-winning kick. The Cardinals improved to 2-8.
— McBride (eight catches, 131 yards) became the first Cardinals tight end to enjoy a 100-yard game since 1989 (Robert Awalt, with Gary Hogeboom throwing). Murray went 19 for 32 and brought Arizona back from a 14-3 deficit.
— The Falcons, for the third consecutive week, lost to a quarterback who was starting his first game of the year for that particular opponent. Taylor Heinicke got knocked out, so Desmond Ridder hustled the Falcons to a go-ahead touchdown before Murray took over. Still, Atlanta (4-6) did not have a play that went farther than 18 yards. Bijan Robinson continued his fine rookie season with 95 yards in 22 carries.
Seattle 29, Washington 26
— Geno Smith had 0:56 seconds left, two time outs in his pocket, a tie game and a full tank of gas. “Hit it,” said Ellwood. Smith tossed a 27-yarder to DK Metcalf over the middle, and Josh Myers kicked the game-winner. That’s how it is in the NFL, where about 22 teams are pretty much equal, and it often comes down to who has the time outs and the ball at the end. For Seattle (6-3), Smith has piloted a winning fourth quarter or overtime drive three times this season.
— Washington (4-6) had tied it on the arm of Sam Howell, the improving sophomore quarterback who drilled Dyami Brown, his ex-North Carolina teammate, with a 35-yard touchdown. Howell was 29 of 44 for 312 yards and no picks, and had three completions of 35 or more yards.
— Boye Mafe, part of Seattle’s excellent draft class of 2022, got a sack for the seventh consecutive game, a club record..
Indianapolis 10, New England 6
— In an unprovoked action against a trusted ally, the U.S. government inflicted bad football on Germany. The outcome could make for a long, interesting bye week in New England. Mac Jones’ late bid for a TD to Mike Gesicki was underthrown and intercepted by the Colts’ Julian Blackmon. Jones was aired out by offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, whom Tom Brady used to call “Teapot” for his capacity to boil over, and then was replaced by Bailey Zappe, who threw an interception after a fake spike.
— The Patriots are 2-8 and have scored 30 points in their past three games, all losses. Jones was 15 for 20 with an interception. They did run for 167 yards, a season high, but were 0 for 4 in the red zone. They still haven’t had a 100 yard rusher or receiver in a 2023 game.
— The Colts have struggled their way back to 5-5 and got a 75-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that proved to be enough. On that drive Jonathan Taylor converted two third-and-1s and then scored on a fourth-and-goal from the one. Indianapolis has given up 14 and six points after giving up 37, 39 and 38 in the three previous games.
Las Vegas 16, N.Y. Jets 12
— Interim coach Antonio Pierce is 2-0 against New York teams. It gets harder after this, but the former Giants linebacker has the Raiders (5-5) engaged. He also has made sure that Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams get the ball. Jacobs, the NFL’s lead rusher last year, had his first 100-yard game of the season (27 carries, 116 yards) and Adams was targeted 13 times by rookie QB Aidan O’Connell and caught six for 86.
— On defense Las Vegas stopped Breece Hall and clinched the win when linebacker Robert Spillane intercepted Zach Wilson, who was 23 of 39 and couldn’t get the Jets (4-5) into the end zone at all. None of their last 36 drives has ended with a touchdown.
— The Jets did get production from tight end Tyler Conklin, who caught all seven passes Wilson threw at him for 70 yards, but Vegas rookie Michael Mayer made a nice, snatch from seven yards out for the game’s only TD.
Tampa Bay 20, Tennessee 6
— It wasn’t much of an offensive line anyway, and now it’s banged up, and Will Levis paid the price for it Sunday. The Tennessee rookie was hit 13 times and sacked four times, and Derrick Henry (11 carries, 24 yards) couldn’t relieve the pressure.
— The Titans haven’t won a road game since last Nov. 17 (Green Bay). They had to kick a field goal on their first possession after Vita Vea sacked Levis on third down. Leading 10-3, Tampa Bay got control after an 80-yard third quarter drive in which Baker Mayfield found Mike Evans for a 22-yard touchdown.
— Tampa Bay broke a four-game losing streak and is now 4-5, still contending in the tepid NFC South. Evans caught six passes for 146 yards. The Titans are 3-6. In five different games, their passer rating has been under 70.
Chicago 16, Carolina 13
— The Bears (3-7) have their own first-round pick in 2024 and they also have Carolina’s, because the Panthers (1-8) traded for it last year and picked Young first overall. By winning, Chicago made that pick more valuable. At the moment they would pick second and third in that draft.
— That wouldn’t make them instant champions, but their defense continued to excel Thursday when it held Carolina, and Young, without an offensive touchdown. The Bears sacked Young three times and hit him nine times, with Montez Sweat and Justin Jones reaching him three times apiece.
— Carolina had 43 rush yards in 16 carries while D’Onta Foreman, a Panther last season, gave the Bears 80 yards. Tyson Bagent, the rookie subbing for Justin Fields, raised his record to 2-2 for Chicago with a low-risk, 20 for 33 night. The Bears’ longest play was 16 yards but they ran 70 plays to Carolina’s 55.