A key offensive weapon shoulders responsibility for Stroud's struggles, revealing a critical early exit’s devastating impact on the Texans' playoff hopes.
The Houston Texans are entering what could be a very long offseason after losing in the Divisional round of the postseason for the third year in a row. It was not a pretty performance as Houston fell to the New England Patriots on the road in horrific weather, and the performance will haunt the offensive side of the ball until the 2026 season rolls around.
The final score was 28-16 in favor of the Patriots, but the Texans would have had a good chance to win had the offense protected the football. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in the contest while completing less than 50 percent of his passes in what was the worst performance of his professional career.
The young quarterback has taken a ton of slack from the Houston fan base and the NFL world at large, but several teammates and coaches have stepped up to support him. The latest to do so was tight end Dalton Schultz, who took all the blame for the bad performance during an appearance on SportsRadio 610, "The results of that game, it’s hard to pin it all on him [Stroud], as a player. In my eyes, that game was my fault. I left the game in the first quarter. It was a big game plan for me, and I wasn’t able to be out there. My process was exactly the same that I've done all year, every year. And I look back, and I'm like, 'Well, shoot. Obviously, I didn't do enough to get my body where it needed to be in that moment.' That’s literally all I’ve been thinking about. And everybody’s going to pin it on C.J. It’s not his fault.”
Schultz is typically a reliable target for Stroud, and his early exit from the game due to injury definitely had a significant impact on the Texans' offense. The tight end claims he was a big part of the game plan that day, and that seems true, as he caught two passes for 47 yards in the first quarter.
All of Stroud's turnovers came after Schultz exited the game with his injury. Stroud lost one of his favorite targets early on, and it clearly affected him. He was also without his top wide receiver, Nico Collins, during the game, as he was not able to clear the NFL's concussion protocol after going down against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Wild Card round.
Stroud is still going to receive a ton of blame for the loss, but he was working through some difficult circumstances in less-than-ideal weather.