The referee’s decision didn’t sit well with the Texans, who believed their quarterback was clearly giving himself up on the slide
CJ Stroud’s night against the Denver Broncos ended with a scare that silenced NRG Stadium on Sunday. Midway through the second quarter of Houston’s 18-15 loss, the Texans quarterback took off on a scramble and began to slide, only for the back of his helmet to slam violently into the turf after contact from Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine’s shoulder.
Immediately after the contact, the 23-year-old stayed down for several moments as the medical staff rushed in. He then gingerly walked off the field and headed straight to the locker room. Minutes later, the team confirmed what many fans had feared: Stroud had suffered a concussion and would not return for the night.
He had completed 6 of 10 passes for 79 yards before exiting, while backup Davis Mills finished 17 of 30 for 137 yards for the rest of the contest, as the Texans failed to score a touchdown for just the second time all season. They were forced to punt on six straight possessions after the backup couldn’t move the ball.
Hours after the game, however, Stroud’s foundation offered a sigh of relief. In an Instagram Story posted by the CJ Stroud Foundation, a smiling Stroud appeared alongside his mother, Kimberly, with a caption that read:
This brief post was perhaps the only update Texans fans needed after the distressing sequence. Still, the aftermath of the hit sparked heated debate over how it was officiated.
For those out of context, the play on Stroud initially drew a flag for unnecessary roughness. But after review, officials overturned the call, ruling that Abrams-Draine had not made contact with Stroud’s head or neck. That decision didn’t sit well with the Texans, who believed their quarterback was clearly giving himself up on the slide.
“He slid and the guy came up and hit him, and as I see it, that’s unnecessary roughness… He hit the quarterback when he was sliding and giving himself up. If I’m incorrect on the rules, I’ve seen that happen multiple times with our guys and we get the penalty — but for some reason, it just didn’t happen there,”
Star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was even more blunt. “Man, it was very unfortunate. I think it was a BS call… We talk about protecting quarterbacks. CJ is a big name in this league. He’s a quarterback that a lot of people love and watch. We love him in here,”
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who last year was ejected and suspended for a similar hit, called the officiating “shocking” and “inconsistent.”
As things stand, the Texans, now 3-5, will monitor their franchise quarterback under the NFL’s concussion protocol before next week’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But until then, the good news remains that CJ Stroud is fine.
Commanders' nightmare loss to Seahawks continues to get worse with more unfortunate injury updates
The season is officially over for the Washington Commanders, and the nightmare somehow continues after the worst night in recent memory for this franchise.
The Commanders got blown out at home in primetime during a night that was supposed to be special with the throwback uniforms and Art Monk jersey retirement, but it turned into fans leaving in the middle of the second quarter, and a gruesome injury. You can move on from a loss, but seeing Jayden Daniels go down with a severe elbow injury was gut-wrenching.
Daniels' injury wasn't the only significant injury last night, as the hits continue with two more season-ending injuries
Luke McCaffrey suffers a season-ending injury
The game barely started before the Commanders suffered yet another injury, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey went down after returning the opening kickoff. He went down awkwardly on his left side, which is now being diagnosed as a broken collarbone that will have him out for the rest of the year.
McCaffrey was starting to really find his role in the offense and special teams, and now his season comes to an end. He was second in the league in kickoff return yards with 769, and also averaged 18.5 yards per catch. The Commanders turned to McCaffrey after injuries to Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, and he was showing a lot of promise with multiple tough catches.
He should be part of the offense next season, but another injury just shows even more how badly this team needs help at the position. The Commanders added Treylon Burks and hope to get a roster win from him, but major changes need to happen with McLaurin and Brown injured, and Deebo Samuel not under contract next season. The defense is another conversation, and they lost another starter for the rest of the season.
Marshon Lattimore is feared to have torn an ACL
The defense was an embarrassment once again, with the Seahawks blowing the team out before halftime, and it never got any better. Busted coverage and wide-open explosive plays were all over the field, and major changes need to happen on and off the field. It got even worse for Marshon Lattimore, who went down with an injury that is feared to be a torn ACL.
There's no easy way to put it, but it was a nightmare night for Lattimore. He played really well last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's time to admit that this trade was a massive swing and a miss by Adam Peters. It's unfortunate to see the season go down like this for Laittmore in what is very likely his last game with the Commanders. He's under contract for next season as well, but I don't expect him to be here after the defense faces an overhaul this offseason, if not sooner.
Injuries have been the biggest headline of the season with multiple starters suffering long-term injuries, and the roster honestly needs an overhaul as well. It will be a long rest of the season, with a massive offseason coming up.
