With the fourth-best pressure rate in the NFL last season, the Los Angeles Rams were excellent at closing down the opposing quarterbacks. And with Jared Verse, who massively impressed in his debut campaign, going from strength to strength, that defense is only going to get tighter. That’s something Houston Texans’ CJ Stroud, who’ll come up against the Rams in their first match of the season, is aware of.

C.J Stroud acknowledged the talent on Los Angeles’ defensive front, pointing out how well the front seven and secondary work as a single unit. He further added, “They play well together, they swarm, and they try to have you hold the ball for longer and d-block. They do a good job of rushing the coverage and being together.” C.J told NFL Networks’ Brian Baldinger and Judy Battista. It was also a warning to the Texans’ locker room that it won’t be easy to breach this Rams defense.

At the same time, Stroud seemed visibly excited for the matchup as the season gets underway. “And so there’s definitely a real challenge in this, going against this opponent on the road, first game of the year. The emotion is going to be high. The pace is going to be fast. I’m excited, man. I think we’re prepared. I think they’re getting prepared, too. So it’s going to be good on good, and it’s going to be a battle,” said CJ.

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Speaking about Houston’s offense, Battista asked Stroud about his thoughts on a massive change behind the scenes. The Texans made a big move this offseason by firing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowick and hiring Nick Caley. When Stroud was asked about the difference between the two, he revealed that Caley is giving him more control at the line of scrimmage, allowing him to make adjustments before the snap. He admitted that in his first two years, he didn’t really have that freedom.

With Caley allowing Stroud to run the offense, like he did during his college career and in high school, the Texans hope that this year they can be a serious contender for the Conference title. As the Texans travel to the Sofi Stadium to take on the Rams, HC DeMeco Ryans gave his take on the team.

DeMeco Ryans is “tired of speculation” surrounding CJ Stroud and Co.

The biggest flaw in the Texans’ game last season was their inability to protect their guard. CJ Stroud was sacked 52 times last season, and the protection around him wasn’t nearly strong enough. While the Texans still managed to win the AFC South, the dip in Stroud’s accuracy did not go unnoticed. To address those concerns, Houston overhauled its offensive line this offseason, and it will aim to better protect their star QB. Only right tackle Tytus Howard returns from last year’s starting five, with four new starters brought in to strengthen the unit.

Rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery has the toughest job of all: replacing the five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil and protecting Stroud’s blindside. Head coach DeMeco Ryans, though, has little patience for further speculation. He told reporters he’s “tired of talking about it” and wants to see how the group performs once the games kick off.

“Everybody wants to know who’s going out there, who is this guy at this position, that position, it’s just a lot of talk that I’m quite frankly, tired of talking about it. It’s time to go play, and let’s see how our five matches up against a really great defensive line, and that’s what we’ll see on Sunday. Let’s see how it all plays out,” he said.

The roster brings both power and depth. After being the most scrutinized position group all offseason, it remains to be seen how it performs against the Rams’ defense.