CJ Stroud suggests Texans are pointing fingers, not buying in

Overall, Texans quarterback CJ Stroud said the team was “embarrassed” Thursday night. More specifically, he implicitly suggested a few things the Texans may or may not be doing that are contributing to the situation.

“I’d say, honestly, we’ve got to play better football, execute better, stop pointing fingers and realize that at the end of the day it’s not about winning football,” Stroud told reporters after the 21-13 loss. “We can’t keep pushing ourselves for every game, we are a really good football team, we have a lot of really good players. Once we buy into the systems and what is being coached and we also need management to take over. I don’t think it’s the end, but it’s definitely a good wakeup call for us to tighten up the ship. This is now playoff football, it’s November-December, this is the stretch of our schedule, a lot of great teams, we’re playing in prime time, and we’ve got to be able to find ways to win.”

When he says they need to stop pointing fingers, he means they are. When it says they have to buy into the systems, it means they are not.

It is ultimately up to the coaching staff, but the players have a role in policing themselves. Stroud said so publicly last night. With a game against the Lions looming, it will be crucial for the Texans to address these issues privately.