By the third game of the season, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud usually found rhythm. 2023 and 2024 both had Houston at a 1-2 or 2-1 record. This year, though, 0-3 feels heavier after losing to the Jaguars. But here’s the reality. The QB has faced the most unblocked pressures in the league since 2023 (103 total), and this season his unblocked pressure rate is up to 9.4% from 8.2% in his first two years. That stress is boiling over, and on Sunday, September 22, Stroud finally let everyone know how he felt.

“I guess the most frustrating part about it? Was it penalties or just, I guess, knowing that I think it has to go together,” asked one reporter during the post-game conference. CJ Stroud replied, “I think it has to go together, you know, like the penalties are part of us knowing that we’re better, but also, we can play a lot better. I can play a lot better. Our defense has been holding up. We got to be able to help them. It’s not easy, but yeah, we just got to do better.” He didn’t blame anyone but himself, acknowledging that the Texans’ defense had kept them in games, and now it was up to him to step up.

Stats tell the story. Stroud finished 25 of 38 for 204 yards, a touchdown, but crucially two interceptions. Turnovers piled up for Houston, and the Texans’ 7-66 penalty mark didn’t help, either. Even the offensive flashes like Nico Collins’ touchdown catch couldn’t mask the misfires and missed opportunities.

“You turn the ball over three times, it’s tough to win in this league,” Ryans said post-game. It was a mirror for CJ Stroud’s own words. The frustration and the awareness of letting chances slip by. The coach also pointed to accountability. And yet, even in the loss, the heat of emotion hinted at potential, fire that could ignite future wins.

This wasn’t just a 17-10 defeat to Jacksonville. It was Stroud laying bare the grind, the penalties, the interceptions, the awareness of what could have been. And in that raw honesty, you could sense a quarterback refusing to let 0-3 define him.

CJ Stroud weighs on the game-losing mistake

Nico Collins had the first down. With 3 minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Texans faced a crucial third-and-2 situation at Jacksonville’s 31-yard line in a 10-10 tie. Houston had just secured a fourth-down stop near midfield and successfully moved into Jaguars territory, positioning themselves for their first lead of the game.

C.J. Stroud connected with Nico Collins beyond the first-down marker, but as the wide receiver battled for additional yards, Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell stripped the ball. Linebacker Devin Lloyd recovered the fumble at Jacksonville’s 17-yard line, immediately shifting momentum in the tie game.

The turnover proved costly for Houston as Jacksonville capitalized with a game-winning drive. Seven plays later, the Jaguars found the end zone for the eventual victory, with a 46-yard connection to Brian Thomas setting up Travis Etienne’s decisive touchdown run. The sequence transformed what appeared to be a Houston scoring opportunity into Jacksonville’s winning margin.

“I just got to pick him up,” C.J. Stroud said while defending his receiver. “Just like they picked me up. I threw an interception, and everybody was helping me out on the sideline, keeping my spirits up. And same thing for him, we know, he knows that. We all know he doesn’t really do that. So it was just something we got to just coach up and whatever happened, we got to just fix. He’s a heck of a player; my faith is in him like everybody else is. So, just got to pick him up and I’m sure we’ll get that fixed.” And Stroud is right. Collins does not do this often.

He has been Houston’s WR1 since breaking out in 2023 with 80 catches, 1,297 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Last season, he had 1,006 yards in just 12 games. This year, he is already at 14 catches, 181 yards, and 2 touchdowns through three weeks. That includes Sunday’s 8-catch, 104-yard, 50-yard-bomb performance. The fumble was just his second in 54 career games. That is what makes this sting.

Football is cruel like that. One mistake erases all the good. The Jaguars smelled blood, and seven plays later, Travis Etienne was in the end zone and Houston was staring at 0-3. What makes it worse? The Texans had controlled the entire fourth-quarter sequence. The Texans are young, but they are not here for moral victories. They were one clean play away from their first win of 2025. You can bet they will not forget that the next time the game is on the line.