The Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud sent multiple interceptions in the first half of the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots. Amid the quarterback’s struggles, injured star running back Joe Mixon took to his socials to deliver a simple message.
“Mannnnn I wish I was playing…” Mixon posted just after CJ Stroud’s third interception of the four he threw in the first half against the Patriots. Mixon missed all season due to a foot injury suffered before the season started.
Mixon signed for the Texans last season and he earned Pro Bowl honors. He racked up 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns. Given that the Texans ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game, it’s safe to say that Mixon was sorely missed by Houston.
Mixon would likely still not be enough
CJ Stroud’s regression is literally a disaster. After a historically good rookie year, the hype was big and Stroud showed potential to be one of the best QBs in the NFL. Fast forward two years, and Stroud is the weak link of an otherwise excellent team in pretty much all facets of the game.
Even if Mixon was playing, Stroud’s mistakes are tough to get around. The Texans literally have the best defense in the NFL, they have good-to-very-good wideouts and with Mixon, a top-tier back too. However, none of that matters if your quarterback gifts the game away.
Stroud also had an erratic Wild Card Round game
The Texans blew the Steelers out in the Wild Card Round, but it wasn’t thanks to Stroud, it was despite him. Stroud had three turnovers, including a red zone pick against Pittsburgh. He was, once again, the player who failed to deliver for Houston.
In fact, two of the touchdowns in that game were scored by the defense. Hence, it’s a very bad streak Stroud is in. Not to mention, Stroud is on the verge of making the team decide if it will pay him a second contract or not. Right now, paying him could be seen as a mistake.