STROUD PICKED OFF 3 TIMES
Texans rookie still throws for 336 yards and 2 TDs, and Houston holds off Cardinals to win third in a row
HOUSTON — Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was asked if he’d think twice about making certain throws after he was intercepted a season-high three times in Houston’s win against the Cardinals.
“Steph Curry don’t ever stop shooting, you know what I mean,” Stroud said. “I don’t have no shame in my game. I’ve definitely got to be smarter, but no confidence is taken away from me, and I’m going to keep letting it fly.”
Stroud threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns, and Houston overcame his mistakes to beat Arizona 21-16 on Sunday.
“You’re going to have miscues, you’re going to have bad plays, but it’s all about how you respond to those plays,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So we will continue to highlight all the positive things that C.J. is doing. And then we’ll also coach him up on those negative plays.”
Stroud’s 2,962 passing yards are the fourth-most in a player’s first 10 games, and he joined Joe Burrow as the only rookies in NFL history with 300 or more passing yards in three consecutive games.
The Texans (6-4) have doubled their win total from last season and have won three games in a row for the first time since a nine-game streak in 2018.
Stroud was asked about the team exceeding expectations.
“It’s not about what everybody else thinks or what they thought we were going to be at this point,” he said. “It’s about what we go and put on that field.”
The Cardinals (2-9) had a chance to win it late. Kyler Murray threw a deep pass on fourth-and-eight that was intended for Marquise Brown, but Steven Nelson batted it down with 35 seconds left.
The Texans didn’t score after halftime, and Stroud was picked off on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter. He had thrown only two interceptions in his first nine games.
Houston’s Tank Dell had a season-high 149 yards on eight receptions and set a franchise rookie record with his sixth touchdown catch.
Murray threw for 214 yards and a touchdown and had an interception in his second game back after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He also rushed for 51 yards and a score.
“The defense did what they needed to do, and we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain,” Murray said. “That’s frustrating. I feel like we had too many opportunities not to win the game.”
Murray felt like he let the team down. “We did some good, but there are no moral victories,” he said. “It’s just frustrating.”
So is there any optimism for these Cardinals, who are tied with the Patriots for the second-fewest wins in the NFL? “Not right now,” Murray said.
The Cardinals failed to convert on fourth down at the Houston 45 with about 7oe minutes to go. But Stroud was intercepted again on the ensuing drive when Antonio Hamilton Sr. hopped in front of Dell.
Murray scored on a one-yard run with about three minutes left in the third quarter to get the Cardinals within 21-16, but his run for the two-point conversion was short.
The Cardinals were stopped on fourthand-three from the Texans’ 23 early in the fourth quarter. After a Houston punt, the Cardinals fumbled on the return, and the Texans recovered at the Arizona 31.
Stroud was then intercepted in the end zone by Krys Barnes.