The Texans Have A Major Problem To Solve Around C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans entered the 2026 season hoping the changes made around C.J. Stroud would help the offense take another step forward. Two weeks into the season, there is already a concern that could make that difficult.

The Texans fell to 0-2 following Sunday's 20-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and while the offensive struggles cannot all be placed on Stroud, the game exposed how much Houston's offense depends on everything around its quarterback functioning properly, which includes star wide receiver Nico Collins being healthy.

ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime identified the issue with Stroud's game, writing, "Stroud's play style isn't necessarily one that can consistently create explosive results when plays break down. He needs the players around him to be healthy so he can produce in structure."

That is an important distinction when evaluating Stroud. The Texans do not necessarily need their quarterback to turn every broken play into a 40-yard gain, but they do need the rest of the offense to consistently execute so he can operate within the structure of the offense. He has played relatively well through two games, but it just hasn't been enough.

Against Cincinnati, that structure fell apart. Houston's running game was essentially nonexistent, producing just 18 rushing yards on 14 attempts. The offensive line struggled to create movement, while the Bengals generated 27 pressures and sacked Stroud four times.

The absence of Collins mattered. Stroud still threw for 353 yards and completed passes to eight different targets, but he finished without a touchdown as the Texans repeatedly stalled once they reached scoring territory. Houston went 0-for-4 on fourth down and failed to score a touchdown on four red-zone trips.

That puts even more pressure on the players surrounding Stroud. If the offensive line cannot hold up, the running game cannot consistently create positive plays and the receiving corps is missing key pieces, Houston's offense becomes much easier to defend.

The Texans spent the offseason trying to build a better environment around their quarterback. Through two weeks, however, the same type of offensive issues that plagued the team last season have started to appear again.

Stroud deserves his share of responsibility, but the larger concern is whether Houston has built an offense capable of helping him when things are not going according to plan. If the answer is no, the Texans could continue to struggle whenever the structure of the offense breaks down.