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C. J. Stroud led the Houston Texans to another win on Sunday, improving the team's record to 6-4 and setting up a crucial divisional game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12 for the division lead. But it was far from pretty.
The Texans did not score a single point in the second half, even though the team was able to move the ball well against a porous defense from the Arizona Cardinals. The 21-16 score was closer than it should've been - out of five second-half drives, C. J. Stroud threw two interceptions, the team kicked two punts and also had a missed field goal.
Even though he was happy with the win, C. J. Stroud made it clear during the post-game interview that he knows he can't commit so many turnovers - he also had an interception in the first half, totaling three for the day:
“This is a week I can learn from. I think I played pretty well, just can’t turn the ball over like that. My defense came up really big, [we] ran the ball really well, we actually threw the ball pretty well, just can't turn the ball over, but we can learn some lessons. I feel like we make games a little harder than we need to, and this week it was my fault. I can't turn the ball over but, I mean, these are wins we're gonna learn from.”
Can C. J. Stroud lead the Texans to the playoffs in 2023?
It's certainly possible. The Houston Texans (6-4) are just one game away from the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3), but perhaps more importantly, they won the first game early in the season.
The two teams will meet again in Week 12, and if the Texans prevail, they'll be the new AFC South leaders due to the tiebreaker's criteria - that is, of course, if both teams have the same result this week.
The Texans also have an easier schedule for the remainder of the season than the Jaguars. Considering how well C. J. Stroud has been playing, this isn't a dream that is impossible to reach. What a turnaround this has been for the Houston Texans.
