C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans’ offense are self-destructing themselves with a horrible first-half performance against the New England Patriots. With a ticket to the AFC Championship and the NFL season on the line, fans are wondering if Stroud could be benched and what options DeMeco Ryans has at quarterback.
The Texans only have one option available at quarterback, other than Stroud. That is Davis Mills, the QB2 for Houston. Graham Mertz has been ruled out for the matchup against the Patriots, so if Ryans wants to take Stroud out of the game, Mills is the only alternative.
Obviously, subbing out the franchise quarterback in a road, elimination game is much easier said than done in the NFL. However, with Houston’s defense playing lights out but being left on an island by Stroud’s four first-half interceptions, it makes sense for Ryans to wonder if calling Mills’ number is the right move. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and a quarterback change in the Divisional Round fits that description perfectly.
Mills’ numbers in 2025
Houston has already had to resort to Mills before in the 2025 NFL season. As Stroud went down with an injury, Mills’ number was called up. In his three starts during Stroud’s absence, Mills led the Texans to a perfect 3-0 record including wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills—both playoff teams.
Through six appearances (three starts), Mills has thrown 91 completions for 915 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, through one game and a half in the 2025 postseason, Stroud has thrown for just two touchdowns and five interceptions, while fumbling five times (losing two of them).
NFL record for most INTs in a playoff game by one QB
Following the disastrous first half at Gillette Stadium, Stroud is set to face a two-way dilemma. The quarterback out of the Ohio State University can either make history by overcoming the struggles, or he can set a new record for most interceptions thrown in an NFL Playoffs game. Though Stroud’s four first-half turnovers led to memes and reactions all over social media, it has been anything but funny to the Texans, whose season is now hanging on by a thread.
According to Pro Football Reference, there is a four-way tie for the record. Frank Filchock (1946), Bobby Layne (1954), Norm Van Brocklin (1955), and Brett Favre (2002) have all thrown six interceptions in a postseason game. However, the latter is the only who has done so in the Super Bowl era. Stroud has now matched the Texans’ franchise record held by Brian Hoyer, who threw four turnovers in the 2016 Wild Card matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.