C.J. Stroud Calls For More Aggression After Texans’ Loss To Colts

C.J. Stroud had seen this situation before, but the Houston Texans could not afford to let another close game slip away. A 19-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts left Houston 0-3, with the offense once again searching for answers after failing to produce enough big plays.Stroud completed 16 of 27 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown, but the Texans struggled to sustain their attack throughout the afternoon. After the loss, the quarterback made one thing clear: Houston could not afford to keep playing it safe.

What C.J. Stroud said about the Texans' offense

Stroud did not point to one mistake when asked why the Texans had fallen short. Instead, he said the offense needed to create more explosive plays and avoid repeated three-and-outs.

“I think that's something that we're lacking right now, just explosives, and we're [having] too many three-and-outs,” Stroud told reporters on September 27. “We got to find a way to generate more explosives, I believe.” He later made his message clearer. “Honestly, it could be a rolodex of things. I can't really pinpoint it. I got to watch the tape. But I just think we got to be aggressive. We can't just wait till the end.”

The comments came after Houston produced only 4.4 yards per play against Indianapolis. The Texans ran 20 fewer plays and held the ball for 10 fewer minutes than the Colts, leaving little room for Stroud and the offense to respond late.

C.J. Stroud kept faith in Houston despite 0-3 start

The criticism did not mean Stroud had lost belief in the Texans. He said the group remained close and pointed to Houston's previous experience after an 0-3 start.

“We're not far. But also, it doesn't feel that way because we're 0-3. But I think for me, I have the utmost confidence,” Stroud said. “But we've been here before. I think this is sadly something we can learn from. And we can do it even better than last time, that'll be the goal.” Houston had to deal with an uneven running game against Indianapolis. David Montgomery managed 33 yards on 11 carries, while Woody Marks added 15 yards on five attempts. The offense did not commit a turnover, but it failed to turn enough possessions into points.

Stroud's call for aggression came with the Texans sitting at 0-3 for a second straight season. In 2025, Houston recovered from the same start and finished with 12 wins. This time, Stroud wanted the lessons from that run to show up sooner.