The Athletic Says C.J. Stroud's 2025 Season Deserves More Context Than It Gets
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
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C.J. Stroud's 2025 season has largely become defined by two playoff games.
After throwing four interceptions against New England and struggling in Houston's postseason exit, much of the national conversation shifted toward whether the Texans quarterback had regressed after one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
But on a recent episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman argued that those two games have overshadowed the much larger story of Stroud's season. Revisiting Houston's offense in detail, the trio pointed to the Texans' offensive line, inconsistent running game and schematic limitations as major factors that made life far more difficult for their young quarterback than many realize.
The Playoff Games Changed the Entire Conversation
The hosts made it clear they weren't excusing Stroud's postseason performance.
Klassen called the Patriots game "an utter disaster," while the group noted Stroud produced 10 turnover-worthy plays in just two playoff games after having only 13 during the entire regular season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Their point wasn't that Stroud played well in January.
It was that two historically poor performances dramatically changed the perception of everything that came before them.
Helman even argued that those two playoff games, along with Houston's nationally televised loss in Seattle, have done "a lot of heavy lifting" in shaping how people remember Stroud's season.
The Regular Season Was Better Than Many Remember
One of the statistics the hosts highlighted tells a different story.
According to Next Gen Stats, Stroud posted a 47% passing success rate during the regular season, an above-average figure despite everything Houston was dealing with offensively. Mays argued that simply keeping the passing game above league average under those circumstances was impressive in itself.
The discussion wasn't about pretending Stroud played at an All-Pro level.
Instead, it was about recognizing that his regular season wasn't nearly as poor as many now remember because the playoff performances have become the lasting image.
Houston Never Found Answers Around Him
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was just how unstable Houston's offense became.
The analysts described an offense constantly searching for solutions.
The offensive line changed repeatedly throughout the year. The running game never consistently took pressure off Stroud. Injuries at tight end forced personnel adjustments. Houston kept searching for answers, but never found a formula that consistently worked.
Eventually, that burden landed squarely on the quarterback.
Even Extra Protection Didn't Solve the Problem
Perhaps the most eye-opening statistic involved Houston's pass protection.
According to TruMedia, the Texans used seven- and eight-man protections more than any team in football.
Despite keeping extra blockers in, they still allowed pressure on 43% of those dropbacks while completing fewer than half of their passes. Houston also averaged negative-0.15 EPA per dropback on those plays despite running them more than anyone else in the NFL.
Normally, adding blockers creates cleaner pockets.
For Houston, it barely mattered.
That level of pressure, even with maximum protection, left Stroud operating under constant stress.
Nick Caley's Offense Added Another Layer
The show also explored another factor that often gets overlooked.
With Nick Caley calling plays for the first time, Houston's offense placed significantly more responsibility on Stroud before the snap.
Klassen noted that the increased pre-snap responsibilities weren't something Stroud couldn't handle, but they represented another adjustment for a young quarterback already dealing with protection issues and inconsistent play around him.
Rather than seeing a quarterback who suddenly regressed, the hosts saw one trying to manage an increasingly complicated offensive environment.
There Were Still Signs the Offense Worked
Despite the overall inconsistency, the analysts pointed to several areas where Houston found success.
The Texans ranked ninth in EPA per dropback on quick throws with five eligible receivers in routes, were effective attacking the middle of the field from condensed formations and found success moving the pocket with designed rollouts.
The problem, they argued, was that Houston couldn't build an entire offense around only a handful of concepts.
Too many other areas simply weren't working.
Why They're Optimistic About 2026
The discussion ultimately ended on an optimistic note.
The hosts believe a second season in Caley's system, improved offensive line continuity, better tight end depth and a more stable supporting cast should create a much healthier environment for Stroud moving forward.
That doesn't guarantee a return to his rookie form.
But they also don't believe the quarterback Texans fans watched over the final two playoff games is an accurate representation of who Stroud is.
Instead, they see a talented 24-year-old quarterback whose environment contributed significantly to the inconsistency that defined Houston's offense last season.
And if that environment improves, they believe the version of Stroud Texans fans saw during his rookie year is still very much in reach.
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