Why The Texans have made the right decision with CJ Stroud starting

Texans coach Demeco Ryans has announced that C.J. Stroud will be the team's starting quarterback.

Houston has had to look for a quarterback since the initial news of Deshaun Watson's legal cases put him on the sidelines in 2021. Davis Millis did an OK job filling in, but it's time that the Texans return to the playoffs.

C.J. Stroud was 2-for-4 for 16 yards and one touchdown against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. It looked like Stroud and Nico Collins had developed a good relationship in the faint glimpses Sunday.

In college, if Stroud has a solid offensive line around him, he can dice up any defense. The No. 2 pick in the draft in April, he was dominant at Ohio State as he threw 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in the last two years.

Running back Daemon Pierce showed excellent signs last year and can help lift the pressure off Stroud in his rookie season. Devin Singletary was also signed in this offseason and is another safe pair of hands for Stroud.

It's a solid receiving corps in Houston. Noah Brown earned the move to the Texans after a breakout year in Dallas last year. Third-round pick Tank Dell looks like one of the strongest receivers from this year's draft. Robert Woods enters his 11th season after solid stops in Los Angeles and Buffalo.

If a team drafts a quarterback second in the draft, it has to give him the support he needs instantly. The NFL is brutal, and if a player fails to deliver, he will get dumped regardless of who he is.

It may take a couple of years, but the Texans have a chance to catch up to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.

C.J. Stroud and Texans could start strong in 2023

Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints

It's as favorable a schedule as you can get for the Texans in 2023. The Texans match up with the NFC South, the NFL's weakest division last year. The AFC North is not such an easy slice of cake though as the Texans have the Steelers and Ravens early in the season.

There is a run of four straight games against the Falcons, Saints, Panthers and Buccaneers starting in October. It looks possible that Houston could win all four of those games and get to over .500 for the first time in an eternity. If the Texans could get anywhere near close to the playoffs after years of suffering, C.J. Stroud's rookie season would be a massive success.