Texans’ DeMeco Ryans Calls Win vs. 49ers One of C.J. Stroud’s Best
The Houston Texans, throughout what would be their third win of the 2025 NFL season, ended up taking notable control of the game from start to finish on the offensive side of the ball.
C.J. Stroud was the leader of those efforts on Houston's scoring unit, and in all, rattled off one of his most productive games of the season.
On 39 total throws, Stroud completed 76% of his passes for a total of 318 yards through the air, to pair with two touchdowns and just one pick. He got nine pass-catchers involved on the day without Nico Collins or Christian Kirk in the mix, and came out to a nice 106.6 passer rating.
He's a considerable reason as to why the Texans had the success that they did against a formidable 49ers squad–– and after the game, his head coach DeMeco Ryans made sure to give him his due credit, saying his performance vs. San Francisco was one of the best in his entire career.
“One of his best games ever,” Ryans said of C.J. Stroud. “When C.J. is locked in, when the quarterback is playing well and C.J. plays well and he’s upbeat and everybody can see he’s going to the right spot with the football, he’s making great decisions, stepping up, escaping the pocket, converting some runs there, converting some third downs, you just see the entire energy, the vibe of our entire sideline just changes. Everybody is looking for the quarterback for that leadership."
DeMeco Ryans Credits C.J. Stroud's Leadership, O-Line in Win vs. 49ers
More than just his production on the field, Stroud maintained his status as a high-end leader on the sidelines for Houston as well, stoking the fire to help the Texans' energy stay high for the entire way, and it certainly showed in the end results.
Stroud also had some major help from his offensive line, a group that allowed zero sacks on the day for the first time this season, and only the fifth time of his career–– the last time being seen during his rookie campaign.
Of course, Ryans made sure to extend his praise to what he saw upfront as well, which led to a smooth and sound offensive operation throughout the way in Houston.
"It’s just about nothing special or nothing grand. It’s just about him remaining disciplined as a quarterback, doing exactly what he’s supposed to do on every given play. When he does that, he makes great decisions and with the offensive line the way they worked today, that’s what you see: one of his best games ever."
"The way he operated today was very clean football and I’m proud of where he is. We just have to continue to stay with this every week.”
Now with the vibes on a good note both offensively and defensively before continuing their extended home stretch, the momentum might be building at a perfect time, with a critical Week 9 battle on the horizon against the Denver Broncos for a chance to elevate back to a .500 record.
It remains to be seen if the Texans will have enough juice to keep their winning ways going, but if Stroud and his protection can remain similar to what was shown against the 49ers, rattling off two straight wins is far from out of the realm of possibilities.
Stunning Titans coaching candidate could emerge from the shadows as a frontrunner
The Tennessee Titans remain in the preliminary stages of their head coaching search. The Nashville-based club decided to dismiss Brian Callahan after he amassed a pathetic 4-19 record in 23 outings. Mike McCoy was appointed as the interim leader and will remain in that role for the duration of the 2025 campaign.
General manager Mike Borgonzi and president Chad Brinker will oversee the search once the offseason arrives. Thus far, a number of rumored candidates have been floated by mainstream and local media. Mike McCarthy, Arthur Smith, Matt Nagy, Mike Kafka, and Robert Saleh could be among the shortlisted names.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini recently floated an unexpected name. Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is allegedly considering a move to the NFL. Russini reported that Sarkisian would be interested in professional openings, going as far to mention the Titans by name.
Report: Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian could be interested in Titans' head coaching vacancy
Sarkisian has been in charge of Texas since 2021. With vast financial resources at his disposal, Sarkisian has returned the program to national prominence. After winning five and eight games respectively in his first two campaigns, the Longhorns have won double-digit games in consecutive seasons.
Sarkisian's Longhorns have failed to win a National Championship, however, falling short of the ultimate goal. This season, the No. 20 ranked program are 6-2 while turning in an underwhelming campaign thus far. The playoffs look like a long shot, with defeats to Florida and Ohio State, and uninspiring wins over Mississippi State and Kentucky.
Sarkisian possesses a brilliant offensive mind. Despite Arch Manning's shortcomings this year, some may believe he's an ideal candidate to help develop Titans quarterback Cam Ward. Sarkisian's NFL experience is limited to coordinator and position coach duties though, and his appointment would represent a massive risk for a Titans franchise fresh off a disastrous head coaching hire and firing.
Sarkisian may be interested in the Titans, but the feeling shouldn't be mutual.
