Texans 23, Raiders 21
Q. I know it isn't the way that you all wanted to win this game today, but how good does it feel just to keep that winning streak going?
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, it was ugly, but the way you want to win in December is winning, whatever it looks like, however it looks. I'm proud of guys for finishing strong. We started off kind of bad in the first quarter, and then from there kind of rolled. But it starts with me. I was just missing some throws here and there.
But I think all these things can be fixed. Got to just keep rolling and keep continuing to get better.
Q. You guys have been (indiscernible) in many games on the back half of your schedule. How does it feel when you know that you can come back on teams if necessary, if things like this happen? How is it to have that confidence?
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, it's part of the game. Things are not going to go clean all the time, especially in the NFL. This team has played a lot of playoff teams to the last whistle or to the last play. We knew that coming in, that they were going to be a good challenge, like it was a real good defense.
At the end of the day, we look at ourselves, the things that we were doing wrong. But you've got to flush those things, and the next play got to be the best play. I feel like as the game went on, after the first quarter, I felt like we moved the ball really well.
We've got to finish in the red zone, finish on 3rd down and get better on 1st and 2nd down, what we're calling, what we're running, what we're executing, and I think we can get all these things fixed.
Q. What do you think went into some of those missed throws that you had today?
C.J. STROUD: Maybe just rushed my timing. I'm a confident person. I think I can put it anywhere. Something I should just progress, shouldn't force the ball. But yeah, any throw that I make, I think I can make the throw. I just missed a couple, and that's part of the game.
Q. Can you take me through the final drive? You all had key runs by Jawhar and then you hit the throw on Nico. Can you take me through those plays and what you were thinking on some of those plays and how you made them?
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, I just try to go 1-0. They were giving us some zero looks and some pressure looks, so tried to just get the Mike point right and then go from there, and I thought Nico ran a great route. I thought we handled the zero program pretty decent. But I think at the end of the game, I know where I want to go, and I thought they even tried to double him a little bit, tried to run or help, but felt like he had a good chance to win, and he made a heck of a catch. Just tried to give him a chance.
Q. C.J., as we know, the end goal is to make it to the Super Bowl, but 10 wins for three straight seasons, what does that say about the foundation of this team as you continue to make this playoff push?
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, I think to get 10 wins in the three years that I've been here is super cool. It's something that's dope, but right now our focus is getting to the playoffs and going from there.
I think what DeMeco and our front office has started here, and to be a part of it has been amazing.
To be here, I think it was week two, rookie year against the Colts, there was -- I don't want to say nobody here, but it was not what it is now. To see it kind of progress to what it is now and fans to be in it even though they're booing half of this game, but to see them even in it has been cool.
I thought at the end of the day to be a part of this team and this organization, this program has been amazing for me.
Q. When you have a defense that plays as well as it does consistently, does that take any pressure off of the offense, like okay, we can just calm down?
C.J. STROUD: I try not to think like that. I think if you ask our guys, we're kind of tired of people downplaying us, but rightfully so, we haven't put it on tape every game. I think we're getting better offensively, and I'm confident as ever in my guys. It's not always going to be clean, not always going to be easy, but we're going to continue to fight for each other, continue to push the envelope. But yeah, our defense is amazing. They're great. Our special teams is great. I want one day for us to say our offense is great, as well.
I think it's all about the team and all about winning.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports