AP Sports Editor
HOUSTON (AP) — CJ Stroud has faced criticism in Houston’s final games as the Texans endured a tough stretch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his good performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 victory against the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he leads and plays the way he does, our whole team feeds off him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I’m excited for his sophomore year. I think he’s showing a ton of growth, he’s in a really good spot for us physically and mentally. I really like where he is and can’t wait to see how he returns after the break.
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to place him fourth in the NFL with 3,117 passing yards this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week prior, for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, four more than he threw in 15 games as a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that stat and believe he’s grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could get back, but we’re happy that he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. … I wouldn’t want anyone else to run this team.
The Texans are able to win their division for a second consecutive season despite several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and senior wide receiver Nico Collins was out five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when he tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati helped the team deal with significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL with an average of 88.7 rushing yards per game and has totaled at least 100 rushing yards in seven games.
Stroud has continued to praise Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “At the end of the day, that’s what I want to be, too. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what football is.
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 lost tackles after accumulating 15 this season, which ranks third in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter was a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second behind Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break was much needed for a team that opened the preseason Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been working on this for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days after returning from bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we’re done with the Miami game, we’ll kind of turn the page to the next one. … We’re either going to win it or we’re not going to win it. I don’t want to oversimplify things, but it’s the truth.
The Texans will play this game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after receiving a three-game suspension for his violent blow to the head by Trevor Lawrence of Jacksonville, which resulted in a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular season finale against Tennessee.
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