One of the biggest surprises of the 2025 NFL season has been the Houston Texans getting off to an 0-3 start. With the Texans losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10 on Sunday, there are many questions about the offense.
The offense has yet to score 20 points in a game this season. A lot of struggles have to do with quarterback C.J. Stroud and the play calling. He has completed 64.0% of his passes for 599 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has also rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries and zero touchdowns, along with averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Is it time for the Texans to bench Stroud in the meantime or he does he need to work through his struggles?
Houston Texans Should Not Bench Quarterback C.J. Stroud
Stroud was great during his rookie season, but he struggled during his second season. Many of those struggles have appeared once again during his third NFL season. Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports went over different topics about if it is an overreaction or not. One topic is should Stroud's starting job be under fire in Houston. Kerr said,
"The season already appears to be going off the rails for the Texans, who are off to an 0-3 start and sit in last place in the AFC South. Houston should be a better team than this, and Stroud should also be better, as he finished 25 of 38 for 204 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions (66.1 rating) in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars.
The Texans have just 38 points through three games, as Stroud has two touchdowns to three interceptions for a 76.9 rating during this stretch. His interception with 27 seconds left in a 17-10 game was brutal for the offense, as pressure came from the outside and his pass was tipped as soon as he let the ball go -- a microcosm of the flawed offensive line around him.
This is why Stroud has thrown 15 interceptions since the start of 2024 and has an 85.6 passer rating with just 7.0 yards per attempt. The Texans' offensive scheme is not helping their franchise quarterback; instead, it's putting Stroud in situations where he has to be Superman to win games.
Stroud is a good quarterback. The Texans have failed to help him succeed since his rookie year."
Houston will next play against the Tennessee Titans (0-3). The loser of this game will drop to 0-4. The Texans' defense has not been the problem this season. Stroud and the offense need to play with more urgency.
The backup quarterback is Davis Mills and things wouldn't change much with this offense if he was under center. What they need is a true offensive identity. Once that can be figured out, Stroud can regin his form once again.
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