Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud made his NFL debut on Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens. It was a pretty tough showing for Stroud against a stout defense, but he thinks he still should have performed better.
C.J. Stroud finished went 28 of 44 on his passing attempts on the day, throwing for 242 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, though he did have one fumble that resulted in a turnover. While it certainly could have been worse, Stroud wasn’t exactly happy about the performance that led to a 25-9 loss.
“I felt like of course, it wasn’t what we wanted,” Stroud said in his press conference according to Pro Football Talk. “I have to make more plays. We just, really have to get it out on time [and] be better in and out of the huddle. We had some positive things, but we just have to keep going from here and keep getting better.”
Obviously, it’s not easy for a rookie quarterback to make his first-ever start in the NFL, especially against one of the best defenses in the league. But he still thinks he should have been more poised.
“Just answering the bell, the next drive, the next play and just making more plays,” Stroud said. “But I always just think that being negative is not going to help. Just being a light on the team or being the cool, calm and collected one could help a lot. Because that is my job of being a quarterback.
“Keeping everybody even-keeled and trying to go to the next play as best we can. We can’t go back and get any plays. I try to do my best. But of course, I think, I can do better.”
We’ll have to see how Stroud fares throughout the season.
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