Here's everything Houston TexansquarterbackC.J. Stroud said ahead of Week 9's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, including his thoughts on how the team responded following the bye week.
Question: On game planning against the Los Angeles Chargers
C.J. Stroud: "You put on the tape. I put on their tape and their defense, they make plays. They make it really hard on some really good offenses they play. They played really good against the Bills, played really good against the Seahawks, against Denver. They played against some good offenses and done some good things. It's the NFL, you have great players every week, so you have to be prepared."
Q: On how his mindset has changed from his rookie season to now
Stroud: "I really don't see it, so I don't know.
But to me, it really doesn't matter. In the flip of a coin, people would not like me again or think that I'm doing playing however. I just try to focus on whatever's in front of me. If that's a meeting, a walk-through, a practice and that's really where it's gotten me to where I'm at now, to be playing well so far. I know just a little distraction or a little unfocused tendencies can get you to not be playing well because this league is that good. I'm really just trying to focus on one day at a time, one thing at a time. Even if that's getting away from the building during the Bye Week and focusing on that, enjoying myself and getting some free time, did that. Now I'm back to work and now I'm focused on work. Just being able to focus on what's in front."
Q: On WR Jaylin Noel being put on Injured Reserve
Stroud: "We're going to feel it, he was playing really great, took a big step from his rookie year to this year. I feel for him, I feel bad, it sucks that he's starting to really find himself and then to go down like that, but he's a tough, resilient kid. I know he has faith in God and faith in himself that he'll get through this."
Q: On staying focused on the season
Stroud: "I tell family members and friends not to send it to me. That hasn't been a problem over the last couple years. I'm really not on social media. I logged in a little bit this Bye Week just to see any family or friends. I have some people who run my pages. Honestly, I don't really look for it. Social media is not real anyways. Everybody's posting their highlights. I go through things every day. I have ups and downs that people don't see on and off the field. No one's posting those things. I don't really relate to a lot of the things on social media. I'm not saying it doesn't have positive things as well. I get a lot of my sermons and stuff on social media or YouTube, whatever the case may be. It's not just all negative, but I just don't think it really helps my life any better and it kind of helps me focus on what's important and that's where my feet are."
Q: On creating explosive plays
Stroud: "It lessens the drive. It makes the defense communicate a little more to not let another explosive happen, even if it's that drive or the next drive to come. They have to go to the sideline and talk about what happened. It's fun. It's good to get in those explosive plays because those usually lead to some type of points. We've been able to do that, but now we have to do more of it and also take back the negative plays and the penalties and I think we'll be just fine."
Q: On playing more aggressive
Stroud: "I just knew how we were practicing. We would practice all these plays and throw the ball down the field and have all these explosives. Some things in the game wouldn't go right or we would have a three and out. I just feel like even through those, you can still be aggressive. I think 'Cales' [Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley] done a great job and honestly, he's been very aggressive. I appreciate him trusting me with the ball and allowing me even to be able to make mistakes because I think sometimes when you're not being aggressive, it's like you're not really giving yourself a chance to push the ball down the field and whatnot. I thought we've been doing a great job and protection's been great. I think the pass game's starting to open up the run a little bit, but we have to be more balanced as well."
Q: On WR Tank Dell and WR Nico Collins
Stroud: "I thought Tank did amazing. I just thought the way he was able to control his emotions. It's been a lot of time from the last time he played a game. I thought he played really well. I know he didn't get a bunch of targets. His role will pick up for us. He'll be able to start doing more for us. Today he had a great practice. It's tough on 'Nic'. 'Nic' is the guy, he's the number one, he's who everybody game plans for. We have to find ways to get more creative and not just keep it in one spot. I think it's good for him to fight through some of the adversity and some of the tough coverages. I thought the Giants did a good job of trying to just be in our face all game. I think we're prepared for him better now. I think he's a heck of a football player. I told him when I first met him, I think he's going to be one of the best receivers to ever play in this league. He's been able to do that year in and year out. I think the sky's the limit for him and he's going to keep going."
Q: On preparing for the Bye Week
Stroud: "You learn as a time kind of like offseason, you learn what to do or not to do. I think the best thing to do is just get your mind off it for a little bit. Before you do that, I think you should self-scout, see where you can get better. Then when you come back, you do it again, self-scout again. That's something that I did and as a team we did, we see where we can get better. Some of the negative players with penalties, why are we doing what we're doing? Then the good stuff that we're doing, how can we get better and how can we adapt and update and try to create new explosive and new things to do. Just a little bit of getting the work done on the front end, relaxing and then getting the work done on the back end as well."
Q: On what he did during the Bye Week
Stroud: "I just relaxed, spent time with family, just chilled."
Q: On the game-securing pass to RB Woody Marks against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6
Stroud: "I think I've been able to come up with some cool things to show 'Cales'. A lot of times when you're in systems, being coaches-wise and you haven't really and I'm not saying this is something that they've done, but a lot of times, sometimes you can just stay in the box of the system. I think they've done a great job of trying to see what we can do outside that box. Just something like that, something simple as that. That you can get the backers to communicate in a critical situation like that. Got us a big time first down and to get us in field of range for Ka'imi [Fairbairn] to kick a game-winner. I've been able to give a lot more input and we've been doing some cool things. It's not just me though. It's like [Offensive Assistant] Alex Ward, our offensive line guy who's been giving good plays and Cole [Popovich], same thing, Asauni [Rufus], 'TQ' [Tiquan Underwood], a bunch of different people in the building who are in our ears and trying to help 'Cales'. 'Cales' is also coming up with creative things to do for us to be more explosive. I think stuff like that is great, just all be on one page."
Q: On T Trent Brown
Stroud: "'TB' is a vet's vet and somebody who is a dog. Somebody I respected for a long time. Just to have him as a teammate, he's a great person. He loves God, loves people, a family man, loves his kids. I'm proud of him just how he's brought along Febechi [Nwaiwu] and 'Tae' [Ersery] and Blake [Fisher] and all these different guys in the room with Keylan [Rutledge] as well. He's teaching all of the young guys, this is how you work, this is what you're supposed to do, this is what it looks like. Then he loves those guys up. Sadly, well, not sadly, but just it is what it is. Our offensive line doesn't get all the love or appreciation even when they do well, but people are so quick to jump on their back when they're not doing great. Trent does a good job of keeping those guys together and making sure that they know that they're special football players. He does the same thing for me. He doesn't have to say much, but just his presence has really helped me to be more confident. He's been around some great quarterbacks in his career and tells me that I'm like them in ways and better in other ways, I needs to work on this in other ways."
Q: On attending an Ohio State game over the Bye Week
Stroud: "It's cool always to come back, it's a different atmosphere, a different swag, different little environment. I thought it was cool, but honestly it was just cool to see old coaches, old faces, say what's up to the new guys. Really just talk to guys and just give them advice for the ones that want it or just really just be around. I miss a lot of the times that I had with them. I got to talk to Coach [Ryan] Day and [Associate AD, Football Sports Performance] Coach Mickey [Marotti] a bunch and that was really good for me. Coach [Rob] Keys, all the different guys that I know when I was there, that are still there. I think they have a great chance. One thing that Coach Day always preaches is fight. It's never as bad as you seem or never as good as it might seem. I believe that culture there, we're built on toughness. Regardless of what that looks like, or whoever, it's Ohio against the world. I'm proud of those guys, regardless of win, lose, or draw, because I know the process. They keep the process going, I think they'll be fine. I think Luke Fahey's going to be a great quarterback. I just love that room too, they're all supporting one another. They got my support forever."
Q: On looking ahead at their schedule
Stroud: "We're focused on one thing at a time. I think this probably is good for that. Just really to check yourself, 'Who are you? What are you going to be as the season goes on?' We dropped some close games, but it doesn't mean everything is too far to reach. The best thing to do, like I just said, is focus on what's in front. We have meetings coming up in about an hour and those are just as important as when the ball snaps on Sunday. I think that's just got to be the focus, because if you go too far ahead, you can start losing track on the little things. Those ultimately are the reasons why we haven't won those close games. Focus on the little things and fix those and I think we'll be fine."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans QB C.J. Stroud said before Week 9 matchup vs. Chargers
