Everything Texans QB C.J. Stroud said following Week 18 win vs. Colts

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Here's everything Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said following the team's 38-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, including resting in the second half, his thoughts on a 12-win season and Tommy Togiai's touchdown run.

Question: How did he feel when he heard he was being pulled from the game

C.J. Stroud: “I wanted to keep playing. I felt like I was getting in the groove. We had a rough first quarter, but I felt in the second quarter we were moving the ball and scored in the red zone twice. Whenever I get the chance to play, I want to play as much as I can. But I understand why I wasn't able to, and you just have to just move on.”

Q: On how he feels about the team finishing 12-5 with the opportunity to play Baltimore or Pittsburgh in the Wild Card Round

Stroud: “For me, I give God the glory. If I look back at this year, look back at my life, look back at everything I've been through, I think He… I know He had His hand on me even in times where it doesn't feel like it. Just a testament that you don't really learn on mountaintops. Most of the time, you learn in valleys. I think the Lord has really had His hand on this team from our head coach all the way down to our players. I think I'm really grateful that God has put us together on this 2025-26 Texans team. We've got the world ahead of us. But to go out and be 12-5 in the regular season, the best record I've had so far in the league with the start we had has just been a blessing. I am really grateful to God that I have my brothers and teammates to do it with.”

Q: On if he feels that God is blessing the team with success due to all of the messaging they give in the public eye

Stroud: “I don't want it to ever be confused. I don't think God is like, the Texans are going to win. Win or loss He gets the glory and that's up to us. That's just worship. He gives us our talents, our abilities and these jobs. He's more than worthy of all the worship. That's really why we do what we do. It's not because we want favor from the Lord, even though that would be nice. In my opinion, you don't just get favor from the Lord because you just give Him glory, but He deserves it and He is worthy of it. I look back on my life, He's been faithful. It's not because we all follow Jesus that we just win every game, but regardless, I think it shows the world when you lose and you're not doing well how you profess your faith or you go about your life when things aren't going great is the testimony and really the testament of your faith and your journey, your witness to everybody else.”

Q: On if he feels the offense accomplished what they set out to accomplish in the first half

Stroud: “I think we moved the ball really well, even in the first quarter. I had an intentional grounding and missed a couple of reads. I think there were a couple of those in every aspect. At the end of the day, we overcame it and that's a good thing. We've got to get those things fixed if we want to go win in the playoffs. I'm aware of that and I think our coaches are and I know everybody is here. We're going to get those things fixed. At the end of the day, it's all about finishing and getting wins and I think the way we ended this game is a testament to how our season has gone, a lot of ups and downs. If you stay faithful. Like I told y’all before, it's easy to have faith when it's easy. When it gets a little hard, who has the real faith? The work that we put in, we trust in one another to get the job done.”

Q: On if his rushing touchdown was meant for him or DT Tommy Togiai

Stroud: “It was for Tommy. I feel bad because it's always weird when you're under center. They got some big boys. No. 90 [Grover Stewart], he's a big guy. He's breathing and I'm like, ‘I got to get out. I don't want to get my foot stepped on.’ So, I skipped out. Jerrod [Johnson] was like, ‘Don't skip on this play because it's going to happen faster than you think.’ We only walked through. We didn't get a live rep, I don't think, so I didn't skip. Then I went back to my human nature and I skipped out and I missed him. I felt so bad. I went over there and did five push-ups for him. I'm good, though. We finished, he got his touchdown, nobody can be mad at me anymore, I'm just happy for my guy. I love Tommy. That's one of my Buckeye brothers. I have known him since I was 18 years old. He's a great player but also a great human. I’m just really happy to see him really prevail in this league and have great seasons back-to-back.”

Q: On how he feels about going into the playoffs as a team this season versus his first two seasons

Stroud: “I feel great. I think I was telling Evan Washburn out there, the experience that we do have from me having a little more experience, to our defense, our offense, our special teams, our coaches, front office, everybody, we know what it takes to win these games. That's a really, really solid execution plan and executing the little things. Because everybody thinks you go to the playoffs you got to do extraordinary stuff. It's really… The team that does the ordinary stuff better than the other team wins. I think, for me, I got to take completions, take care of the ball. I think when we look at the end of the game, whoever, whenever we play, we'll see our result and see what happens there.”

Q: What the nine-game win streak says about the team heading into the playoffs

Stroud: “I think when we don't get in our own way, even though every game somehow, some way that's going to happen on both sides of the ball. But I think when you look at how we're built [as a] roster to coaches to scheme, we're built tough. I think you look in here, you got ‘S.W.A.R.M.’ and ‘Relentless.’ I think that's what we try to embody in every game. I think we finally bought into it. I think as an offense, swarming looks different than defense swarming or special teams swarming. I think we found that groove. I'm just excited. I’m really motivated to get going this next week. I'm going to enjoy this win and regular season and get back to work tonight and I'm excited to go into the playoffs and try to make some noise.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans QB C.J. Stroud said following Week 18 win vs. Colts

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