The Houston Texanssaid goodbye to the playoffs after falling to the New England Patriots in a game marked by offensive mistakes amid difficult weather conditions for the visitors.
Young quarterback C.J. Stroud experienced the worst performance of his professional career, throwing four interceptions in the first half, a blow that conditioned the development of the game. He finished with 212 passing yards, completing only 20 of 47 attempts for a 42.6 percent rate.
“Today just wasn’t my day… I take full responsibility,” Stroud admitted after the game, visibly affected by the result. “I feel like I let a lot of people down, and that hurts,” he added, making it clear that the defeat weighs on him both personally and professionally.
Stroud explained that he tried to stay calm despite the mistakes: “I think I’m a confident person. When the turnovers started piling up, I tried to stay focused and be there for my teammates. They encouraged me a lot, and I’m grateful for that.”
However, he acknowledged that the lack of ball security was decisive: “Taking care of the ball is everything, especially with the defense we have. I didn’t do that well today, and that took opportunities away from our team.”
DeMeco Ryans’ support and reflection after the defeat
Despite the tough loss, head coach DeMeco Ryans defended his quarterback and assumed part of the responsibility: “C.J. is our guy. I believed he could come out in the second half and turn it around, and he did better. We had some positive drives. Like I always tell them, it doesn’t matter what happened in the first half-you have to erase it and finish strong.”
Ryans was clear about the key to the game: “It’s hard to win when you turn the ball over five times. We’ve been one of the best teams protecting the ball all year, and we didn’t do that today. That cost us.”
He also highlighted the team’s attitude despite the adversity: “We kept fighting, we kept battling. That’s what I love about this group. Even when you shouldn’t be able to come back after five turnovers, we kept trying.”
Regarding Stroud, Ryans was emphatic: “Keep your head up. I love you, I’m with you. This team is with you. It’s not time to point fingers at anyone. If anything, it all starts with me.”
Stroud, for his part, promised to learn from the experience: “I’m not happy with myself, but I’m going to respond. I’m going to keep my head up and move forward. If God is with me, who can be against me?” The young quarterback also praised the support he received: “It means a lot. My teammates and coaches had my back when they didn’t have to. That helps me keep going.”
The season ends with a bitter taste for Houston, but both Ryans and Stroud agree that this is only one chapter in the team’s story as they look toward a bright future.
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