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Here's everything Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said ahead of Sunday's Week 4 battle with the Tennessee Titans, including the state of the offense, where he must improve as a quarterback and early thoughts on the Titans' defense.
Question: On his outlook for the team and the season going forward
C.J. Stroud: “I'm hopeful. I'm faithful to the process and to our team. I'm just charging every day, staying positive and trying to take guys with me to win games.”
Q: On his message to the team this week to try and get back on track
Stroud: “Stay together. Stick together. Stay positive. Be urgent. Simple things like that. I think everybody kind of knows what's up. But also, I have to make sure that I'm vocal about it as well.”
Q: On when he realized S C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t a good fit for the team
Stroud: “I don't really think I felt like that or the team. I think they had their own reasons, [General Manager] Nick [Caserio] and [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans]. I think as a team, we brought him in and he was part of the locker room. Our whole team is close. We all hang out with one another, pretty much. Sometimes it’s defense, offense, or defensive backs, quarterbacks, or whatever that is. I thought he did well with his defensive backs and everything. So, that's not really my position to speak on that. I like ‘Ceedy’ as a person. I think he's growing as a man. He's trying to find a relationship with God, which I think is dope. So, I wish him nothing but the best. I'm going to always be here for him if he ever needs me. But, I'm always going to be a fan of him.”
Q: On if the team’s closeness is what keeps them together during this time
Stroud: “Definitely. I think just seeing everybody's families after the game, seeing guys on the phone with their kids, things like that. For me, that motivates me as well. But, yes, it's easy to have faith when you're doing well, but now we've been checked. Now, that's when real faith kicks in when you can't really see it just yet. So, our process is right now. We just got to put it on the field. I think that the motivation of having everybody around has been good.”
Q: On if it’s difficult picking up the offensive system
Stroud: “I wouldn't say it has been difficult, it's just new. Everything takes time. I think it's something that as you keep going along, keep pushing forward. I think sometimes failure is some of the best recipe for breakthrough. Even though it sucks, it's not good in the moment. But, I believe that I'll be great from it and I'm learning a bunch. I think our team is starting to pick it up. But, yes, like I said, it's a mixture of doing some of the old stuff that they've done in their past, Nick [Caley], but also doing some things that we're good at. So, we're just finding that balance right now.”
Q: On how the offense picks up its tempo
Stroud: “It could be going fast. It could be getting out of the huddle faster. There's a couple of different ways you can go about it. But, every offense wants to play with tempo and urgency. We've been able to get on the ball fast and do things well in that light. So, I think that stuff has been good for us. I thought we've gotten better with our huddle operation, getting out the huddle faster. So, all that stuff is great. Outside looking in, that's pretty much what that is. It's just being urgent to the ball and just playing, making the defense play catch-up.”
Q: On how he’s been challenged as a leader
Stroud: “I think every year has its own challenges. I know everybody always brings up the past, but every year is different. For me, I think in my past there's times where it gets hard and you just try to get past it instead of leaning in to see what you can learn from. Right now, I'm just in that process of doing both. Fighting through it, getting through it and then also leaning in and seeing what I can learn about myself, about this team, about the NFL, about defense. So, to me, I think it's something that, of course, it's new to me. I haven't started like this yet in the NFL, but, also, I've had this happen in my career before. So, I'm just learning. I wouldn't say as a leader it's surprising that it's challenging, but I think that's what's dope about being a leader is when everything is tough, who keeps the faith? I think that, for me, is the definition of faith. It’s what you cannot see. Are you going to trust that? If God appeared right here, ‘Oh, I believe in God now.’ It's easy. I know that's a whole different subject, but that's just how I think about it. I'm going to just, as a leader, keep the faith knowing that I haven't seen it just yet on the field.”
Q: On if this team can replicate the 2018 run to the playoffs after an 0-3 start
Stroud: “I think it's one game at a time, one play at a time. It's cool because the NFL is crazy. Crazy things happen every week. I think if you go in like, ‘Oh, we'll just go make the playoffs at the end.’ Of course that's the goal. But, also, you got to just chip away. You think about the end in mind, but also you got to go 1-0 every play, 1-0 every down, 1-0 every game. That's the goal that you have to start with. But, yeah, I definitely think it's possible. I think I'm hopeful for that. I definitely think we have the team. It's not like we're getting blown out. We're very close. We just got to really just pick up our urgency. I think that's what it's going to take is that, exactly.”
Q: On if this week is a must-win game
Stroud: “Every week is a must-win, to me.”
Q: On how he’s overcome previous challenges in his football journey
Stroud: “I learned a lot. It was my first time starting in high school, my junior year. I was like 15 or 16. It was tough. The whole school hated us. People were writing on the boards, ‘Our football team is trash.’ Yeah, it sucked. But, I think it prepared me for what's going on now. That's why I stay rooted and anchored into the people who point to me, who love me and who I love. I let the cards play where it's at. I think for this team… I was talking to ‘Cals’, they were 2-6 last year and everybody wrote them off. So, that's when you give people an inch, they’ll take a mile. I think that's the goal, just keep it internal and keep our eyes set on our goals. Whatever it looks like. It changes. If we went 3-0, it would look different. If we went 1-2, it would look different. So, every year is going to look different. High school definitely was tough, but I think it's prepared me. College, same thing. We lost to Oregon my second start ever. I sucked, too. Everybody hated me again. So, I was kind of just like, ‘It is what it is.’ I just stay true to my process and my beliefs and my faith.”
Q: On how he’s able to block out the noise
Stroud: “I don't see none of it. I'm not on social media. Honestly, everybody has the right to their opinion. If they don't like what I wear, I would just not look at it if I was them. So, I'm going to wear what I want. I don't think I'm being disrespectful. If I was being disrespectful, then that's a whole different case. But, at the end of the day, everybody's entitled to their opinion. I'm all good. I just don't really pay attention to it. I just try to just focus on what I can control and focus on the people who are pouring them in or around me.”
Q: On if it’s more difficult to have early struggles or late struggles
Stroud: “We kind of had that last year. I think both are difficult probably equally. I don't know. It's always… I don't know. It could be both ways. It's whatever is in front of you. That's like if I get a deck of cards, I'm playing Uno with y'all, and I'm like, ‘Dang, I wish I had all plus fours.’ I can play those games all day in my head, but if it's not my reality, it's not my reality. So, I got to play my reality.”
Q: On what’s he learned so far this season
Stroud: “Just to stay rooted in my beliefs and my process and my faith. Those are probably like my main things right now. Being anchored in who is pointed to me and who loves me and who also I love as well. Just to love myself. I think that's a key point in life that I haven't really unlocked for a long time and I'm starting to get that now. The Bible says love your neighbor as you love yourself, but it's hard to love your neighbor if you don't love yourself. That's not being selfish but just thinking of yourself less while also helping others. So, that's what I'm learning.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: What did Texans QB C.J. Stroud say ahead of Week 4's bout vs. Titans?
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Question: On his outlook for the team and the season going forward
C.J. Stroud: “I'm hopeful. I'm faithful to the process and to our team. I'm just charging every day, staying positive and trying to take guys with me to win games.”
Q: On his message to the team this week to try and get back on track
Stroud: “Stay together. Stick together. Stay positive. Be urgent. Simple things like that. I think everybody kind of knows what's up. But also, I have to make sure that I'm vocal about it as well.”
Q: On when he realized S C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t a good fit for the team
Stroud: “I don't really think I felt like that or the team. I think they had their own reasons, [General Manager] Nick [Caserio] and [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans]. I think as a team, we brought him in and he was part of the locker room. Our whole team is close. We all hang out with one another, pretty much. Sometimes it’s defense, offense, or defensive backs, quarterbacks, or whatever that is. I thought he did well with his defensive backs and everything. So, that's not really my position to speak on that. I like ‘Ceedy’ as a person. I think he's growing as a man. He's trying to find a relationship with God, which I think is dope. So, I wish him nothing but the best. I'm going to always be here for him if he ever needs me. But, I'm always going to be a fan of him.”
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Q: On if the team’s closeness is what keeps them together during this time
Stroud: “Definitely. I think just seeing everybody's families after the game, seeing guys on the phone with their kids, things like that. For me, that motivates me as well. But, yes, it's easy to have faith when you're doing well, but now we've been checked. Now, that's when real faith kicks in when you can't really see it just yet. So, our process is right now. We just got to put it on the field. I think that the motivation of having everybody around has been good.”
Q: On if it’s difficult picking up the offensive system
Stroud: “I wouldn't say it has been difficult, it's just new. Everything takes time. I think it's something that as you keep going along, keep pushing forward. I think sometimes failure is some of the best recipe for breakthrough. Even though it sucks, it's not good in the moment. But, I believe that I'll be great from it and I'm learning a bunch. I think our team is starting to pick it up. But, yes, like I said, it's a mixture of doing some of the old stuff that they've done in their past, Nick [Caley], but also doing some things that we're good at. So, we're just finding that balance right now.”
Q: On how the offense picks up its tempo
Stroud: “It could be going fast. It could be getting out of the huddle faster. There's a couple of different ways you can go about it. But, every offense wants to play with tempo and urgency. We've been able to get on the ball fast and do things well in that light. So, I think that stuff has been good for us. I thought we've gotten better with our huddle operation, getting out the huddle faster. So, all that stuff is great. Outside looking in, that's pretty much what that is. It's just being urgent to the ball and just playing, making the defense play catch-up.”
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Q: On how he’s been challenged as a leader
Stroud: “I think every year has its own challenges. I know everybody always brings up the past, but every year is different. For me, I think in my past there's times where it gets hard and you just try to get past it instead of leaning in to see what you can learn from. Right now, I'm just in that process of doing both. Fighting through it, getting through it and then also leaning in and seeing what I can learn about myself, about this team, about the NFL, about defense. So, to me, I think it's something that, of course, it's new to me. I haven't started like this yet in the NFL, but, also, I've had this happen in my career before. So, I'm just learning. I wouldn't say as a leader it's surprising that it's challenging, but I think that's what's dope about being a leader is when everything is tough, who keeps the faith? I think that, for me, is the definition of faith. It’s what you cannot see. Are you going to trust that? If God appeared right here, ‘Oh, I believe in God now.’ It's easy. I know that's a whole different subject, but that's just how I think about it. I'm going to just, as a leader, keep the faith knowing that I haven't seen it just yet on the field.”
Q: On if this team can replicate the 2018 run to the playoffs after an 0-3 start
Stroud: “I think it's one game at a time, one play at a time. It's cool because the NFL is crazy. Crazy things happen every week. I think if you go in like, ‘Oh, we'll just go make the playoffs at the end.’ Of course that's the goal. But, also, you got to just chip away. You think about the end in mind, but also you got to go 1-0 every play, 1-0 every down, 1-0 every game. That's the goal that you have to start with. But, yeah, I definitely think it's possible. I think I'm hopeful for that. I definitely think we have the team. It's not like we're getting blown out. We're very close. We just got to really just pick up our urgency. I think that's what it's going to take is that, exactly.”
Q: On if this week is a must-win game
Stroud: “Every week is a must-win, to me.”
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Q: On how he’s overcome previous challenges in his football journey
Stroud: “I learned a lot. It was my first time starting in high school, my junior year. I was like 15 or 16. It was tough. The whole school hated us. People were writing on the boards, ‘Our football team is trash.’ Yeah, it sucked. But, I think it prepared me for what's going on now. That's why I stay rooted and anchored into the people who point to me, who love me and who I love. I let the cards play where it's at. I think for this team… I was talking to ‘Cals’, they were 2-6 last year and everybody wrote them off. So, that's when you give people an inch, they’ll take a mile. I think that's the goal, just keep it internal and keep our eyes set on our goals. Whatever it looks like. It changes. If we went 3-0, it would look different. If we went 1-2, it would look different. So, every year is going to look different. High school definitely was tough, but I think it's prepared me. College, same thing. We lost to Oregon my second start ever. I sucked, too. Everybody hated me again. So, I was kind of just like, ‘It is what it is.’ I just stay true to my process and my beliefs and my faith.”
Q: On how he’s able to block out the noise
Stroud: “I don't see none of it. I'm not on social media. Honestly, everybody has the right to their opinion. If they don't like what I wear, I would just not look at it if I was them. So, I'm going to wear what I want. I don't think I'm being disrespectful. If I was being disrespectful, then that's a whole different case. But, at the end of the day, everybody's entitled to their opinion. I'm all good. I just don't really pay attention to it. I just try to just focus on what I can control and focus on the people who are pouring them in or around me.”
You must be registered for see images
Q: On if it’s more difficult to have early struggles or late struggles
Stroud: “We kind of had that last year. I think both are difficult probably equally. I don't know. It's always… I don't know. It could be both ways. It's whatever is in front of you. That's like if I get a deck of cards, I'm playing Uno with y'all, and I'm like, ‘Dang, I wish I had all plus fours.’ I can play those games all day in my head, but if it's not my reality, it's not my reality. So, I got to play my reality.”
Q: On what’s he learned so far this season
Stroud: “Just to stay rooted in my beliefs and my process and my faith. Those are probably like my main things right now. Being anchored in who is pointed to me and who loves me and who also I love as well. Just to love myself. I think that's a key point in life that I haven't really unlocked for a long time and I'm starting to get that now. The Bible says love your neighbor as you love yourself, but it's hard to love your neighbor if you don't love yourself. That's not being selfish but just thinking of yourself less while also helping others. So, that's what I'm learning.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: What did Texans QB C.J. Stroud say ahead of Week 4's bout vs. Titans?
Continue reading...
