EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- When Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud’s helmet struck the hard, wet artificial turf Sunday afternoon, the force of the hit caused his head to bounce off the ground.
The blow delivered by New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams left the Pro Bowl candidate and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner in visible pain and groggy. Stroud was helped off the field by trainers and went to the locker room as he was placed under the NFL concussion protocol and replaced by backup quarterback Davis Mills.
Losing Stroud, who can’t return to play until he passes a baseline neurological exam, returns to practice and has no more concussion symptoms, represents a significant blow to the Texans’ playoff hopes. Stroud entered Sunday’s 30-6 loss to the Jets as the NFL passing yardage leader with 3,504 yards along with 20 touchdown passes and five interceptions, reviving a losing franchise into a contender.
“I was just telling somebody, he’s really like the light of our team,” Texans tight end Brevin Jordan said. “He’s a guy that’s came in here, brought a lot of moxy, a lot of swag, and to see him go down it’s tough. But it’s football, get ready to get back to it, next man got to be up, got to be ready to go.”
Williams hit Stroud with a lot of force, arriving late in the pocket as the second overall pick in the draft and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State delivered a pass.
Stroud passed for a season-low 91 yards as the Texans’ offense skidded to an abrupt halt without injured wide receivers Nico Collins, Tank Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz. His status for Sunday’s road game against the Tennessee Titans is now in doubt.
“C.J. will be in concussion protocol,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We’ll see how he progresses throughout the week.”
The hit was late, but didn’t draw a flag. Following the game, Williams, one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL, made it clear on social media he had no ill intent against Stroud.
“I pray CJ is ok, everyone know I’m not a dirty player or trying to hurt a great, Elite QB like him or any player in the league,” Williams wrote. “I play hard and I play fair. Again I pray CJ is ok and wish him nothing but the best.”
Stroud’s injury immediately drew concern from teammates, who knelt in prayer beside him.
Stroud was on the ground for a while in the fourth quarter before steadying as he was helped to his feet and jogging off the field. He went inside the blue medical tent before going to the locker room for further evaluation. Then, the Texans announced he was being evaluated for a concussion.
Stroud was sacked four times and hit six times overall. He was under heavy duress Sunday. He was under pressure on 40 percent of his dropbacks, according to NextGen Stats. It was a rough day all-around for the Texans’ offense against an excellent Jets defense as Stroud completed just 10 of 23 passes.
“On the hit with C.J., we’ve got to block it better,” Ryans said. “We can’t allow them to get to our quarterback. We’ve got to block it better up front.”
When Stroud was replaced by Mills, the former starter completed 1 of 5 passes for four yards. He went 1 for 1 for 18 yards against the Denver Broncos when Stroud was evaluated for a concussion and quickly cleared.
The Texans had only 135 yards of total offense. Without Stroud, the Texans’ entire team felt the impact of his absence.
“Super tough,” Mills said. “I love that man. Obviously, it’s tough seeing him go down. I know the team felt that. The team wants to go out there and play for him. I’ve just got to step in and make sure there’s no drop off when I come in and play, like I tried to do at the end of this game. It’s just a tough day
“Of course, nothing changes in my terms of preparation. Going into the offense, even as the No. 2 this year, I’ve been preparing every week like I’m going into the game to start. So, I don’t think there should be any change in preparation. Hopefully, C.J. is going to be great and will bounce back from this. Regardless of what happens, I’ll be ready to go.
The Texans’ only score was on a Devin Singletary touchdown run. Then, practice squad kicker Matt Ammendola missed the extra point.
The prospect of playing without Stroud, even for a week, is a lot for the Texans to absorb
“Man, a lot,” Singletary said when asked about the impact of losing Stroud. “That’s our guy. That’s our leader. We’re all rallying behind him. Now, we’ve just got to be there for him. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious and we get him back soon.
The Texans have leaned heavily on Stroud during their resurgent season. He has led a pair of game-winning scoring drives and played a large part in boosting their relevance.
Texans wide receiver Robert Woods spoke briefly with Stroud after the game to check on him.
“I didn’t see the hit, just saw him on the ground,” Woods said. “Very instrumental to our offense being able to have an explosive passing game. It’s tough when we lose 7, but hopefully it’s not too serious. Davis is a great quarterback, able to make all the throws.
“First things first, it’s always prayers up that it’s nothing serious, but it’s always tough when you have a player go down, especially a quarterback, a leader of this offense, but we’ll see what it is. But, full confidence in Davis, if needed.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- In another setback for the Texans’ struggling passing game, wide receiver Nico Collins left the game Sunday with a strained calf not long after he eclipsed the 1,000 receiving yard milestone for the first time.
Losing Collins is a big deal for the Texans. He has emerged as one of their most improved and productive players. Collins’ injury occurred one week after rookie standout wide receiver Tank Dell broke his left fibula and was placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery.
Collins leads the Texans with 60 receptions for 1,004 yards and six touchdowns. Collins wasn’t available for interviews after the game, but he was walking fine and appeared to be in a good mood. His leg will undergo imaging scans on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
“Unfortunately, Nico had a lower leg injury with the calf, and we lost him for the game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Of course, it hurts when one of your best playmakers is not there, right? It hurts us, but this game it strictly came down to, credit to the Jets. Their players, they made plays.
“They made plays and we didn’t. You go out and you play that way, you don’t make plays, you don’t deserve to win the football game. So, we didn’t show up and make enough plays to win and when you play like that, that’s what will happen.
Playing without him on Sunday at rain-soaked MetLife Stadium as well as injured tight end Dalton Schultz during a 30-6 loss to the New York Jets, the other wide receivers didn’t do an adequate job of replacing him. Tight end Brevin Jordan led the Texans with three receptions for 35 yards. Wide receiver Noah Brown had zero catches on five targets. Wide receiver John Metchie III had one catch for six yards on five targets. Rookie wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson had two catches for 15 yards on three targets with a 31-yard catch nullified by his offensive pass interference penalty.
Veteran wide receiver Robert Woods had one catch on three targets for a loss of two yards.
And rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion.
“It’s always tough losing Tank, Nico, C.J., anybody on our team, but we have to make adjustments and rotate guys and still make those plays,” Woods said. “Nico went down, but next guy up. Hutch was asked to have a bigger role. Guys were moving around. I feel like, at the end of the day, we’re all capable of making a lot of plays and filling those roles.”
Collins, Dell and Schultz have been Stroud’s most frequently targeted options this season.
The prospect of playing without Collins for an extended amount of time is a tough scenario for the Texans.
He missed one game earlier this season due to a similar calf injury.
The Texans fell to 7-6 with this loss. It’s a major setback in the crowded AFC playoff hunt
“I think everybody in this building is going to step up starting tomorrow,” Woods said. “Everybody is focused on this team’s success. We’ve got a great group of guys to be able to flip this thing around and get to work and get back on track next week. We’ve got Tennessee, playing pretty well. Just got to go out there and get a win.
“Every game is important, especially at this point. It is a tough one to lose on the road, one that we were expected to win coming into this, with how we prepared. So, every loss is tough, but this one is a tough one on the road. We have guys to rebound and get this thing back on track. We’ve been here before. We know how to flip this thing around and we have the right guys in the building to do so.”
The Texans also lost linebacker Blake Cashman and nickel Tavierre Thomas to hamstring injuries, and rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr. left the game with an ankle injury. All are expected to get imaging work Monday.
“It’s tough, we lost a lot of guys today,” Ryans said. “It’s tough losing Blake, Blake has been a guy we can count on on defense and he’s stepped in, he’s earned the right to play more snaps for us and with him going out, that definitely hurts us on defense.”
At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Collins has 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash. He has been dominant at times. He had a career-high 191 receiving yards on nine receptions in a win over the Denver Broncos and has built a strong chemistry with Stroud. He entered Sunday ranked third in the NFL with 431 yards after the catch.
“Nico is a great route runner, great at the point of the catch and he’s stepped into a role that I’ve challenged him on in being a leader and things like that, and he’s done a great job with that,” Stroud said last week. “So, I’m excited to see his future and be there with him, and I’m really happy for him. That’s my brother and I love him.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790