Here’s everything Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stoud said ahead of Week 14’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Question: On things he can build on coming off his first game back
C. J. Stroud: “All around there’s always things you want to clean up. Communication, execution, all the little things, ball placement, you can always tweak things and get better. So, just get better as the weeks go on.”
Q: On playing against Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and if there’s a rivalry
Stroud: “It’s always cool to go play in K.C. against a team who’s been really great for the last couple years. I’ve been a fan of Pat for a long time. He’s a heck of a player. It’s really cool, being about five years ago I was in high school watching. Now you’re competing against those guys. I don’t really think we have that. I don’t really know him too well. But I think he’s a heck of a player. Any time you get to share a field with some legendary guys, you just try to gain their respect and move from there.”
Q: On what’s cool about playing Kansas City
Stroud: “The environment, how loud it is, the crowd. Their fans are always talking crazy and saying some crazy stuff. It just makes it more fun.”
Q: On if there are challenges of playing in a cold environment when he hasn’t played in it for a while
Stroud: “No, I think I’m still used to it. It wasn’t that long ago that where I was playing in the cold. So, I try my best to stay warm. But I don’t really think it really… For some guys, maybe. But I’m grateful that I went to Ohio State [University] and played in some of those environments.”
Q: On if there were any unique ways players stayed warm when he was playing at Ohio State
Stroud: “When I was at Ohio State, we weren’t allowed to really do that type of stuff. But when you live in the cold, it doesn’t make it… When you’re playing, it’s not as bad. On the bench you’re fine because you have the heaters. But the one thing that’s hard is TV timeouts. Sitting out there is when it gets colder. Then warm-ups are always hard, but once you get past that, it’s kind of… When you’re playing, it’s normal. As long as it’s not super windy. But I don’t have any… Plus, I think it would mess up my grip for the ball.”
Q: On Kansas City Chiefs DE George Karlaftis and Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones
Stroud: “He’s a heck of a player. He’s a legend. He’s a Hall of Fame guy. He’s really good. [George] Karlaftis, somebody I played against in college and played against last year. He had a really good game this last year. We’ve got to be really good up front. We know that every game the better we establish a line of scrimmage, the better we play as an offense. So, it’ll be good for us.”
Q: On the things that make Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo unique as a play caller
Stroud: “He gets really creative with his blitz packages and his personnel. He has some really talented guys on the outside, where they could mix spots. Some of them can be at nickel and go play corner[back] or play safety, be at corner and play safety. Then, Trent McDuffie is one of the best in the league and has been doing it for a long time. I think ‘Spags’ is somebody I have a lot of respect for and does a really good job of making it hard on you.”
Q: On how important it is to have wide receivers that block in this offense
Stroud: “It’s really important. It’s a testament to those guys and how much they care about their teammates and how bad they want to win. You can have the opposite, where some guys are not trying to block and running around it. But I think every single guy we have from top to bottom in our [wide] receiver room wants to do their job with the highest ability, and blocking is a part of that. So, I think that springs our guys to get more yards and makes our run game even more efficient. I think it’s dope and I love to be a part of that. Maybe one day I’ll be out there blocking, too. Davis [Mills] got a block against Buffalo, which I thought was good.”
Q: On if there’s anything he can take away from the two previous matchups with Kansas City
Stroud: “‘Spags’ is a heck of a defensive coordinator. Somebody who knows what he’s doing, knows how to get his guys in one-on-ones and messes with your protection rules and things like that. So, you got to be alert for that type of stuff. I think scoring in the red zone, scoring touchdowns, is going to be big. That’s every week. I think even up there we made it to the red zone a couple times and didn’t punch in seven [points]. So, I think that has to be a goal of ours is to do that better. I think that’s some things that I can take from last year’s game.”
Q: On if he’s personally more eager to go for it on fourth down
Stroud: “Not really. I’m good with whatever. Whatever coach decides or the guys up top. Whenever my number’s called, I try to make the play. But, if not, I trust the decisions that we go with.”
Q: On why this particular offensive line combination is clicking and playing well
Stroud: “A lot of talent, I would say. A lot of guys are finally getting the offense, getting the scheme. We’ve got some guys who have some experience up there. So, a multitude of those things. I think ‘Tae’ [Ersery] has really settled in, knowing how he wants to play and how to play in the NFL is a little different than college. I think he’s done a good job at that. Then, the rest of the guys have been solid all year, plugging and playing. Tytus [Howard], I think he’s having a Pro Bowl year in every position he’s been playing. Big Trent [Brown] coming in there doing his thing. Ed [Ingram], coming back off injury, has been doing really well up there, moving guys and has some crazy blocks. Then, Jake [Andrews], being super great with communication and working his tail off each play to get his job done. I think it’s a multitude of effort, talent and experience. I think that’s why they’re doing pretty good.”
Q: On if this Texans team is built for the Kansas City environment
Stroud: “Yeah, I would say every game you go in expecting to win and wanting to win. I think it all goes back to preparation and how confident you walk in those stadiums. Our preparation has to be even better than last week because every game gets bigger and bigger and bigger. So, it’s exciting times. I think everybody knows that and knows what’s at stake. So, it’s just trying to rise up to those levels and going 1-0 every play.”
Q: On if there’s anything the offense is still trying to unlock or if they’re trying to master what they already have unlocked
Stroud: “Probably both, more so on the side of mastering what we’re doing. But every week you have game plan ideas, and you got to try your best to execute at the highest level because you’re not going to get a bunch of practice reps at them, which is something I’m kind of used to being in [Ohio State University Head Football] Coach [Ryan] Day’s offense in college. But I think now we’re doing a little bit of both, which is really cool. I think mastering what we’ve been doing is how you stay on the field, execution on third down, those types of things, is mastering the offense. So, a little bit of both.”
Q: What are the best things about WR Nico Collins as a player?
Stroud: “There’s a lot of things. There’s a bunch of things as a teammate that I think stands out to me. But as a player, I would say routes and how fast he is. I think people don’t realize how fast Nico gets up and gets down up the field. But I think his route detail has gone up to the roof since I’ve been here. The work that he’s put in to get to his depth and do the right things and then, of course, his yards after catch ability is amazing. But I think it really starts with his speed and establishing his dominance down the field of being a deep threat but also being dominant in the short game as well.”
Q: On if he won any friendly bets between him and WR Nico Collins about the Ohio State vs. Michigan game
Stroud: “No, we didn’t bet.”
Q: On his success at completing passes while under pressure
Stroud: “I would say the guys outside getting to their depth and running detailed routes is a big part of that. Then, up front, getting the IDs right and knowing who I’m hot off of or knowing the situation as best as I can. I would say it’s a testament to that. But I just try to make a play.”
Q: On what is going to make former Ohio State Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach Brian Hartline a good Head Coach at the University of South Florida
Stroud: “Congrats, ‘Hart’. I didn’t know that. That’s cool. ‘Hart’ is somebody who played the [wide receiver] position, played at a high level, played in the league and he knows how to relate to everybody. I think what’s cool about ‘Hart’, he doesn’t fake who he is. He’s going to be who he is through everything. He’s really one of the main reasons that I went to Ohio State. He recruits at a very high level and knows what to say, how to say it. He is always honest and that’s something that I appreciate him for is his honesty. So, I think he’s going to do great. I can’t wait to see him flourish as a head coach. I think he’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait to see it.”
On if TE Cade Stover was a good student
Stroud: “I’ve been around Cade ever since I’ve been 18 years old. He listens to almost everything I tell him to do and vice versa. That’s my brother. If he tells me to jump off the bridge, it’s probably for a good reason. So, I will go do it.”
Q: On the biggest reason the team has been able to close games as of late
Stroud: “I would say scoring touchdowns in the red zone is probably the biggest thing and being able to do it at a high level. Even on Sunday, there was a lot of things we could have fixed there. We missed probably two down there. It’s never just the last drive or the last play. It’s always plays before that. So, cleaning those things up. Sometimes you’re not… It doesn’t work out that way. There’s times in the last two years where we’ve been great at winning close games where we probably should have lost and something happened to where we didn’t. We end up finding a way to win. So, when it doesn’t happen, you don’t change anything. You keep the process and then the production comes as you keep going. So, I think that’s something that we’re going to do and have been doing. So, I’ll just keep that going because every game in the NFL usually comes down to one score. It’s all about execution at that point.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: What did Texans C.J. Stroud say before Week 14 battle vs. Chiefs?
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
