NFL Highs And Lows: C.J. Stroud And The Texans Are Soaring; Bears, Eberflus, Bengals, Burrow Are Grounded
Somewhere in Houston, perhaps outside NRG Stadium where the Texans play, a statue of Lovie Smith should be erected.
Sounds weird because Smith was fired in January after only one year as the Texans head coach. But before that happened, Smith helped author a 32-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2022 season finale.
And that victory knocked the Texans out of the spot for the first overall selection in the April draft. So the Texans had virtually no choice but to draft C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick.
And Stroud is the draft's best quarterback so far.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 01: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans high fives fans after his team's 30-6 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Stroud Puts On Familiar Show For Texans
Stroud passed for 306 yards with 2 TD passes and didn't throw an interception in a 30-6 upset victory over the Steelers on Sunday. It was a classic Stroud outing.
The Texans have played four games and Stroud has not thrown an interception in 151 attempts to start the season and his career.
Stroud's 1,212 yards through his four games is the second-most passing yards in by any rookie in NFL history, behind only Cam Newton's 1,386. And the interceptionless streak is the third-longest to begin a career in league history.
Yes, that means Stroud has so far been better than Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and any other quarterback selected in the draft. But it also means he's been better than a bunch of veteran QBs and has the look of a man with a very bright future.
Now ask Stroud how he's done it:
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 01: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans attempts a pass during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Texans Have Found Something In Stroud
"It's been the ability to be in a city like Houston that I felt God put me here for a reason," Stroud said. "I start with all glory goes to Him. I think it started all the way back from my 30 visit when I came and sat right in this area, and I poured my heart out to the coaches.
"They poured their hearts out to me, let me know what they wanted from a quarterback or if they were going to take one, and I gave them what I felt I was. Every day I feel like God has me the ability to show up with that mentality and attitude. So it's been a blessing. I think it's really cool when you see your work pay off a little bit, but for me it's just the beginning."
The Texans have won two in a row after starting 0-2.
"We just getting started," Stroud said.
And Sunday was the first Texans victory at home since December of 2021. Think about that. Because Stroud has been.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time," Stroud said. "Y'all deserve to feel special. Y'all deserve to root the Texans on. Not winning since 2021, I think it was around Christmas, that is not flying for anybody in this building.
"I want to know we're fighting our tails off every day to make sure y'all walk around with Texans gear pride, y'all walk around with that swag that we walk around with when we get a W. For me I take that real personal because I don't like being bagged on my teams.
"When my Lakers lose, I be pissed. I take that stuff real serious, man."
Perfectly said. Future seems truly bright in Houston.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears watches warm ups before the game against the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field on October 01, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bears Coach Firing Coming Barring Turnaround
How bad is it for the Chicago Bears? They haven't won a game in nearly a year. The Bears' last win was Oct. 24, 2022 and following Sunday's embarrassing (again) loss to the Denver Broncos, they have lost 14 consecutive regular-season games.
So, yes, barring some sort of turnaround between now and the next five, people are going to answer for this. People are going to get fired.
The Bears have a bye the weekend of Nov. 30-Dec. 4 and just before then is when coach Matt Eberflus will be looking over his shoulder for someone giving him his walking papers.
Why? Because the Bears are not only losing, they're not developing players, particularly quarterback Justin Fields. They're not only losing, they're losing in clownish ways, and then making unforced errors publicly that suggest they don't have their stuff together.
Take Sunday: The Bears blew a 28-7 lead. Fields started the game well. And finished horribly.
He completed 16 of his first 17 passes. He threw 3 TD passes and had a perfect 158.3 rating as the Bears led, 21-7.
But the finish? Awful.
Bears' Fields Finish Was Bad
Fields was sacked and stripped of the ball that was returned for a touchdown. One drive later, he threw the interception that sealed Denver's victory.
The Bears don't want you to forget the start. The loss makes you remember the finish.
Ultimately, the Bears come away with a black eye because even when they show fight, Eberflus steps in it somehow.
The latest misstep involved receiver Chase Claypool, who was a healthy scratch before this game because he is unhappy with how he's being used and isn't practicing well.
Claypool was not at the game because he was told to stay home, per the team. Except Eberfuls didn't know this.
Q. Did you guys ask him to stay home?
Eberflus: "No."
Q. He chose to stay home?
Eberfuls: "No, he -- he chose -- what are you
asking?"
Q. Why was he not at the stadium today like the other inactive players?
Eberflus: "I'm not sure."
I'm sure the coach should know why a player is away from the team. Even if Claypool is about to get released, which is a distinct possibility despite Eberflus denying it, the coach can say he doesn't wish to talk about the subject and move on.
Matt Eberflus has a lot to fix with the Bears. But Eberflus has a lot to fix with Eberflus.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 01: Harold Landry III #58 of the Tennessee Titans sacks Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Bengals Have A Joe Burrow Crisis
Joe Burrow hasn't been good this season and definitely was not right during Sunday's game at Tennessee.
Burrow was the NFL's 33rd rated QB (66.2) when Sunday dawned. Only Jets quarterback Zach Wilson rated lower. Burrow's 55.4 completion percentage was 33rd of 34 quarterbacks when the day began. Only Wilson had a lower percentage (52.4).
Burrow's 4.82 yards per attempt are the worst in the NFL.
And then Burrow laid an egg against the Titans, who last week struggled on defense to the point Deshaun Watson had his best game since joining the Cleveland Browns.
Burrow threw for a modest 165 yards without a touchdown or interception.
Derrick Henry had more touchdown passes (1) and had a higher QB rating than Burrow this game. And Henry is a running back for the Titans.
What Is Wrong With Burrow?
So what's wrong with Burrow? I mean, aside from a calf injury that still limits his mobility to the point he is statue in the pocket from which he cannot escape?
"A lot of different reasons," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said after the Bengals 27-3 loss to the Titans. "We have had to go the length of the field with how teams have played us. You've got to capitalize on some opportunities when they do try to give it to you. But today those opportunities really weren't there, and we just didn't play well enough."
Yeah, not buying that. Burrow is playing on one leg. And listening to Burrow after the game, he was biting his lip about what is wrong.
"I’m playing the way I’m playing," Burrow said. "Got to do better in practice. Got to continue to stack days. Get better every day.
"I would say whenever you're 1-3, you're going to be frustrated. You're going to be angry. You're going to be wanting to win games. And we haven't been. We're not going to let anything like that come between us. That's how you end up having a bad season.
"We’ve had a bad start. We’ve had a bad first quarter, so we got three more quarters of the year to get through and go from there.
Yeah, the Bengals have shown no signs the final three quarters will bring a significant rally while Burrow is operating on one healthy leg.