C.J. Stroud had a rough outing during the Houston Texans’ first preseason game against the New England Patriots on Thursday night.
He only completed two-of-four passes for 13 yards and threw an interception. He was also sacked once for a 15-yard loss.
It’s not what anyone expected out of him but despite that, he’s still the favorite to be the team’s starting quarterback for the regular season, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
“My understanding is that the expectation is still that he’ll be the No. 1 quarterback when the season opens unless he looks completely overwhelmed throughout the preseason,” Graziano said, via Bleacher Report. “And while obviously, the interception stands out, I don’t think he looked completely overwhelmed last night.”
Stroud only played two series during the game, so it’s a super small sample size to go off of. He was also going up against Bill Belichick’s defense, which can be tough.
Let’s see how he does next week when the Texans face off against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 19. If he’s still struggling, then perhaps the team may revisit who will start Week One.