Can CJ Stroud lead his team deep in the playoffs this season

The Houston Texans are one of those teams that are in the mix of a deep playoff run, but it seems at times, there is something missing. Cj Stroud was a household name coming into the season last year but hit that sophomore slump in the first half of the season. By the end of the season, Stroud finished with a 20 touchdown to 12 int ratio with an 87.9 QB rating. We can talk stats all day, but last season, it seemed like Stroud wad hesitant with throwing the deep ball on time, which resulted into late throws or unnecessary hits in which he took.

Outside of the hits that he had taken, S. Diggs was injured and did not play down the stretch. Against the Chiefs in the playoffs, the Texans' offense looked flat and only scored 14 points. Believe it or not, their defense gave them a couple of chances to make the game interesting, but everything was thrown more so underneath.

Now that is water under the bridge and a new season with new faces will be hitting training camp, building with Stroud. Stroud is always looking to improve, not just how he avoids turning the ball over, but reading the defense. Stroud was not listed in the Top 10 class of QB's, heading into the season, but he doesn't really care about that but improving. We have seen Stroud throw the long ball with time he has in the pocket. It will be interesting to see how they will fare without Diggs. The hook up connection with Dalton Schultz and Stroud has been gold ad very consistent. I wonder if Schultz will get more balls thrown to him to loosen up the defense. Last but not least, Nico Collins is a home runner when he gets out in the open space. If Stroud can be a bit quicker with his throws to Collins, I think the Texans will be an exciting group to watch out for.