C.J. Stroud Shoulders Blame for Texans’ Devastating Collapse in Loss to Lions

After watching a 16-point lead vanish into thin air, C.J. Stroud took the fall for Houston Texans’ loss to the Detroit Lions, 26–23. Read on to find out what went wrong for the Texans in their second–half collapse.

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It’s all me”, said Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, taking full blame for the disappointing road loss to the Detroit Lions 26–23. The Texans came out and had a 16-point lead at halftime, but couldn’t hold on to that advantage as Stroud threw two crucial interceptions late.

The game was also something of turning point for the Texans in terms of their inability to be steady in the second half. Houston’s defense was quite solid in this game, forcing five turnovers in all, which included impressive five interceptions of the ball by Lions quarterback Jared Goff but the offense just could not capitalize on them. It is painful in the loss that the team has failed to close out the game when it mattered most.

Texas Second Half Struggles

Perhaps the greatest lesson learned in this game is the woes of the Texans in the second half. That has been a problem all season. Entering Week 10, the Texans had been outscored in the second half by 59 points and ranked 31st in the league in second-half scoring. In this game against the Lions, Houston could not score at all in the second half, nor could it hold off the Lions as they came back to steal the victory.

Stroud was dynamic in the first half, completing passes for 164 yards with one touchdown, and that put the Texans up 23-7 at intermission. After halftime, everything fell apart. Stroud had just 68 yards of passing in the second half and completed only 39% of his throws. He delivered two key interceptions, including one in the end zone, that squashed what would have been scoring chances and flipped momentum Detroit’s way.

“It’s not good enough,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Turning the football over there, especially in the red zone, or coming out — that’s not winning football.” Ryans was incensed by the inability of the offense to convert into scores in the second half and repeated that sustaining drives and capitalizing on turnovers requires two-way football.

Defensive Efforts Wasted

They didn’t exactly help their offense much, but the Texans’ defense played out of its mind, turning over five Jared Goff passes to help force an upset 41-25 victory. They became only the second team in NFL history to lose a game where they intercepted five passes and had a lead of at least 15 points. The other instance was back in 1970 when the Chicago Bears lost to the Baltimore Colts despite forcing five interceptions off Johnny Unitas on the Colts.

In fact, while the defense pitched a phenomenal game, it went all in vain. The reason was Houston’s inability to convert turnovers into points. Stroud‘s turnovers, especially the red-zone interception, were a direct result of the Texans’ failure to capitalize on the chances created by the defense.

“I’m proud of the defense for going out and getting five turnovers,” Ryans said after the game. “That’s a big day for any defense. But we stalled a lot of drives. Again, we didn’t score any points in the second half. To beat a good team like that, we have to be able to sustain drives. We have to be able to score points. ”

Offense Inconsistency

The Texans’ offense was lacking in the second half in no small part to Stroud. Though, he says the entire offense has to bring that more aggressive approach throughout the whole game. “We were clicking on all cylinders in the first half, but we take our foot off the pedal in the second half,” Tunsil said. “That’s something we can’t do if we want to be a championship team.”

The offense had been woefully inefficient in the second half, and this has been the major problem for Houston since the beginning of this 2024 season. They have not scored a touchdown since Week 6 in the second half, which is an alarming sign as to whether they can stay consistent on offense. Despite Stroud and the Texans’ offense showing promise, the inability to execute in the second half remains a major problem.

Roadway ahead for the Texans

Running back Joe Mixon appeared positive about the future after the disappointment of this game. “This loss stings, but we’re not going anywhere,” Mixon said. “We know what we’re capable of, and we just have to finish.” Houston has flashes of being a competitive team, but not closing out games like this one has made it tough to get those flashes to actually turn into victories.

The possibility of advancing into the playoffs is still far for Houston, but if it happens, then huge, and the team must put an end to its woes in the second half. The Texans must capitalize on turnovers created by its defense, limit costly mistakes, and blow out games in the last minutes.

Conclusion

  C.J. Stroud proved himself a mature leader with his post-game criticism over the loss of the Texans against the Detroit Lions. But it was also a microcosm of the bigger problem for Houston: inconsistency in the second half. They just could not finish what they started in the second half after a stellar defensive effort. It ultimately cost them the game in the end. If the Texans are going to be competitive in the postseason, they have to find a way to play 60 minutes of football straight, especially after halftime.

Houston’s defense showed it can play at the top level, but the offense will have to take a step up and solve some second-half problems that it had. Throughout this season, everyone will be watching how the Texans adjust to those problems and if they finally can be consistent in all phases of the game.

FAQ

Q: Why did the Texans lose despite forcing five turnovers?

The Texans’ offense did not close, but their defense did an unbelievable job on the other side. Stroud had two picks-one in the end zone–and Texas could muster zero points after halftime.

Q: Why is the Texans failing in the second half?

A: The Texans scored fewer points in the second half than they did in the first half, and also had an offense that was least effective. Execution and aggression have decreased, and this has caused several lost chances and turnovers.

Q: What are the things the Texans need to get going and be a better team for the rest of the season?

A: They need to increase their offense to maintain the aggression throughout the second half. They need to minimize the turnovers and capitalize more on the defense‘s chances. It all comes down to consistency and focus all game long.

Q: Can the Texans still make the playoffs?

A: Yeah, Texans are still in playoff contention. They should correct their second half play and learn how to close because these are the only two things that can make them win and secure that second spot of West.