Texans' C.J. Stroud Praised by NFL Fans for Bounce-Back Preseason Effort vs. Dolphins

C.J. Stroud didn't make the best first impression in his preseason debut last week, throwing an interception and completing two passes on four attempts.

He made up for it on Saturday.

The Houston Texans' quarterback was far more solid against the Miami Dolphins, finishing 7-of-12 for 60 yards without taking any sacks or committing a turnover. He played the first half, with the Texans going into the locker room trailing the Dolphins 21-3.

In general, NFL fans and pundits were impressed with what they saw from Stroud in his second preseason game:

His head coach was happy with the performance too.

"It was fun to see C.J. go out, see him operate cleaner," DeMeco Ryans said on the game broadcast. "Our offensive line did a really good job of giving him time. Seeing him scramble, make some plays. So a very positive outing for C.J. Proud of the way he responded."

Like top overall pick Bryce Young in Carolina, Stroud—this year's No. 2 overall selection—is expected to enter the regular season as his team's starter. He's started both preseason games for the Texans.

In his defense, last week's tough performance was in part due to a pair of starting offensive lineman, tackle Tytus Howard and center Scott Quessenberry, missing the contest. With a full suite of starting blockers in front of him, he looked more comfortable and poised.

The Texans will undergo the expected ups-and-downs with their rookie quarterback this season, but allowing him to gain experience makes sense for a team firmly in the middle of a rebuild.

Nights like Saturday, then, are promising signs of progress.