On August 20, CJ Stroud said, “In high school, I had a lot of ways to check protections, same in college. My coach put a lot on me, protection-wise, some of the alerts and audibles that we had. Our team (Texans) in the last years didn’t have those capabilities.” Stroud’s lack of ownership in the offense under former OC Bobby Slowik, coinciding with the OL failing to protect him, is what broke the Texans last year. And Stephen A. Smith believes that is precisely what can stop the Texans from reaching the AFC championship.

CJ Stroud spent too much of last season peeling himself off the turf, and Houston’s front office knew it. They’ve been trying to fix what was, by multiple measures, a porous offensive line. But will the fixes be enough to clear the path from “contender” to “AFC championship threat”? Smith was rather blunt when it came to the Texans’ only weakness. “I love CJ Stroud. But how are you going to protect him? The OL was ranked 29th. You got a new OC, but those kinds of questions will prevent them from getting to the AFC championship,” he said.

The cold numbers underline the concern. Stroud was sacked 52 times in 2024 (he also threw 20 TDs to 12 INTs). He spent Year 2 dodging more bodies than any young QB should. The Texans gave up 54 sacks as a team, a top-tier red flag that screams structural failure, not just a couple of blown assignments.

Framed against the backdrop of his rookie explosion, the sophomore slide is obvious. Stroud’s 2024 line (3,727 yards, 20 TDs, 12 picks, 87.0 rating) doesn’t measure up to the 4,108 yards, 23 TDs, and just 5 INTs he dropped as a rookie with a 100.8 rating. That regression across the board, paired with the punishment he took in the pocket, is exactly what Stephen A. circled: the QB looked more like a battered version of himself than the outlier who lit the league on fire in Year 1.

The staff shake-up was part of the fix, too. Houston swapped out Bobby Slowik for Nick Caley at offensive coordinator this offseason. But if Caley doesn’t fix the OL? Everything falls apart, no matter how good CJ Stroud is.

The bottom-tier offensive line

The numbers back up the eye test: Houston’s front wasn’t just shaky in 2024; it graded out as one of the league’s worst heading into 2025. Pro Football Focus’ season preview slotted the Texans near the cellar in offensive line outlook, and other league-wide rankings echoed the same verdict. That’s bottom-tier protection for a franchise QB.

The slide hasn’t been subtle. Across the last two years, Houston’s line has lived in the bottom tier of PFF’s grading, and the pressure rates confirm it wasn’t just bad Sundays here and there. Indeed, it was a structural problem. That’s the drum Stephen A. kept pounding: a new play-caller doesn’t erase the fact your quarterback has been running for his life behind one of the league’s leakiest fronts.

The overhaul was loud. Houston shipped out five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil to get younger and free cap, then scrambled to reframe the front with Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, and second-rounder Aireontae Ersery (No. 48). On paper, that’s a rebuild. In practice, the scepticism lingers: you don’t just swap an elite tackle for a grab bag of vets and a rookie and expect the pocket to suddenly stabilize.

But new OC Nick Caley? He’s showing positive signs so far. Well, at least Stroud likes him. “He’s very communicative, loves to rile guys up..I’m excited to work with him. He’s a great guy, loves football, knows football, knows why we’re calling things, how to call em, when to call em.” If he can provide CJ the ownership Slowik couldn’t, we might be witnessing an all-timer season.