Houston - 37, Jacksonville - 17
C.J. STROUD: First of all, give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a helluva week preparing. Excuse my language. Heck of a week preparing, practicing. I think that's what got it done, just the preparation we put in, the hard work. It was really hot in Houston this week, and that helped us in this Jacksonville heat.
Yeah, I really think it was an all around win. Special teams, defense, offense, all playing together. I think that just sets the tone for what we can be in this league, man. Really, really great team win.
Q. Your first win as a professional, I imagine, really exciting for you today. What's the biggest difference between a college win and an NFL win?
C.J. STROUD: Great question. For me, I mean, I come from Ohio State. Go Bucks, man, got the W last night, hard fought win, all them boys on the defense.
Coming from Ohio State, man, it's a pressure element that's pushed on every week that either you can't lose, and if you're playing a less than team that people think are less than, you have to win by 70-plus points. So like the preparation that I put in in college, I almost kind of did the same thing as I've gone to the league. Every week just my routine has been almost the same, and I've tweaked things here and there.
But everything has kind of been like I did in college and just the hard work that it takes -- and it takes a little more in the league because just that one little play, one negative play that can ruin the whole game that I'm learning. And those negative plays as a quarterback, not getting rid of the ball or taking hits, every week I'm learning.
I wouldn't say like it's a huge, big difference, but it is. The NFL, the best players in the world every week. Like we played against Indy, they had great players on defense. And we played against Jacksonville, great overall defense too. Like every week has been a battle.
I appreciate where I come from. I just got off the phone with Coach Day, and he said some things to me that he used to always say to me when I was at Ohio State that just resonated. I told him congrats and everything for the win from last night. But what prepared me from college is working out in the league as well.
I think this is just the beginning. We won. Let's throw it away. Watch the film, correct the issues, and let's go on to week 4, man. That's the next step is just doing it again, being consistent.
Q. How were you at the moment when Beck came running down the field, and what do you remember thinking?
C.J. STROUD: Man, it went from a moment like no, no, no, to yes, go, hold the ball, don't fumble. It was just a really good moment for our team.
I think this is our first time having juice and energy, and that was my challenge to the team a little bit, juice and energy on the sideline. When you make a play, the first thing you do, you look back to the sidelines because your brothers are over there. I think that's what that momentum carried into a win.
Of course like we've got to clean that up because something bad could happen, but man, football is a crazy sport. We'll take it, you know what I'm saying?
I definitely love Beck, man. He's a warrior. I'll go to war with that dude any week. He's a heck of a football player but a great man. To line up with him is an honor and blessing and a privilege. So shout out to Beck.
Q. It seems like you're more comfortable in this offense. The second drive, when they had nine in the box, it seemed like you made that check to the left and then the throw to Dell after. Can you take me through what you saw? It's probably something you've been running for a long time.
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, man, every week I'm just trying to take a step forward and never back. It's a battle every day. Like from tonight, I'll begin on the next team, the Steelers, and then I'll go into my routine and my preparation. So it's a battle, man.
Like you said, just getting used to how Bobby calls the calls, me operating the offense, getting out of the huddle. I think Baltimore was the best thing that ever happened to us, operating from an away, loud standpoint.
I'm getting a lot of learning experience, and I have a lot of great guys around me that are helping me, like Dalton Schultz, man, he helps me out a lot. He probably doesn't even know it, but he helps me out a lot. George Fant, Shaq Mason, Kendrick Green, Josh Jones. J.P., me and him are rookies, and we're figuring it out, and they're helping us along the way.
It's a blessing to play around guys like that. I'm learning. I'm growing. It's really a testament to our coaches. Jarrod has done a great job with me every day, just getting every little detail. He's with me every moment. Bobby calling it, Bill Lazor, Shane Day, all of them have done a great job helping me with my processing.
Q. C.J., a couple of your teammates were asked about Tank Dell and how the connection you guys feel, and how last week you said that you believed in them.
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, man, I think that shows the fight that we have. I was super, super happy for Tank. Being home, I know he had a lot of people here. He brought out, man. That was our first time taking a shot and the first time hitting it.
I think that just shows the connection me and him actually have. We put in a lot of extra work, and it's good to see it pay off. Now it's time to go do it again and be consistent with it. So really, really proud of him.
That doesn't happen without protection up front. My O-line, they had a great game. I think I learned a lot just getting the ball out. When it's not there, just check it down or get rid of it or do something to not take those hits. That showed in this game.
Like you said, I didn't get sacked, I don't think. I think I'm just learning because those guys up front are battling, and I've got to help those guys out like they help me.
Q. DeMeco was saying it starts with the quarterback on the team, we have a good one, that's what he said. You deliver a win. You talked about leadership earlier in the week. What do you take away from this to be able to deliver a win along with your teammates? What do you feel about that?
C.J. STROUD: For me, I think, remembering the feeling of losing and how terrible it is and the feeling what we just felt in our locker room right there, that's what it's about, doing it again. Like it's the hardest thing I'm learning about this football game since I've been little is the great ones do it every week. If they don't do it one week, they never have two bad weeks.
That's something that we're working towards is just eliminating the negative plays and doing really, really well on first and second down and completing and executing on third down and keeping the ball, time of possession, field position, all those things really play into winning a tough NFL football game.
So I think that's what it takes, man. The preparation and the work we put in, now it's time to do it all over again.
Q. You're one of the first quarterbacks in the league to get the ball down 90 yards for a touchdown. What do you think has allowed you to play at that type of level?
C.J. STROUD: I think the things that God has put me through -- I know I always refer to God, but it's true, man. He gave me a lot of great talents, and I think something that I've learned around my process of being just a man of God is you have to meet him halfway with your hard work.
The opportunities he presents to me, you have to be ready for that. He's put me through a lot through this game, and I think just those hard losses I took in college, the hard losses we took those two weeks, the wins I won, like I know God has taught me what it takes to be successful in this game of football.
It's a blessing, man, but I have great guys around me. I really think that's what it is. Nothing I can do without those guys out front battling, receivers running the right route at the right depth, Bobby calling the right plays at the right time. It's a team. I'm blessed enough to have a team that will continue to fight, and it's a blessing to have guys around to you do that.
Q. With Bobby, you mentioned that it seemed like there were times that you'd get them with nine in the box, long touchdown. What was the game plan that you got that you were able to attack today?
C.J. STROUD: We knew Jacksonville was a gritty, hard-nosed, physical football team that loves stopping the run and has a really dynamic DB. They have really, really good DBs. We knew, if we could establish the run early, we'd be able to throw the ball as well.
That was somewhat of the game plan. I can't tell you everything. That's kind of the game plan every week. You've got to run the ball. You've got to be able to run the ball, and everything works off of that.
It was good to see our guys getting low in their pad level, D.P. running through things, Motor running through things, Boom playing hard. I think overall Beck and Dal and Teagan and my guy Brev, man. Nobody's talking about Brev. Shout out to Brev, the most energy, juiced up guy, natural juice you'll meet. Shout out to Brev, man. I love that guy.
All around, man, everybody's playing well.
Q. That connection, what was that you built with Tank that's been working for him?
C.J. STROUD: I think it's real big momentum for him. He's a heck of a football player, a great person. He's always checking up on people in just a positive light. That's something you need in the locker room. To see him ball out every week -- like he had a good week last week. He had a good week this week. He's growing and growing just like we all are.
He's one of the first people that reached out to me when I got drafted. It's good to have a natural connection with him as well. Shout out to Brev, man. He's a real good dude to play with.
God bless you all. Have a good one.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports