HOUSTON -- Quarterback C.J. Stroud was brutally honest about his recent performances following the Houston Texans' 32-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns. However, he registered his fourth-lowest completion percentage of the season (60.6%), was intercepted twice, and was sacked for a safety with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Texans down three.
Since Week 7, Stroud has thrown four touchdowns to six interceptions (tied for second-most) and has a passer rating of 74.7 (second-lowest among starters). Last season he led the league in passing yards per game (274) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (23-5). This season he has already thrown nine interceptions.
"It's no secret I haven't been playing well for my standard," Stroud said after Sunday's loss, which dropped the Texans to 7-5. "Everybody has to look in the mirror and try to get things fixed. So that's gotta be the plan for this week. Practicing. Getting better. Personally, I got to get better. As a team, we have to get better."
The Texans' offense had three chances to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, trailing just 30-27 after Titans quarterback Will Levis threw a 70-yard touchdown to tight end Chig Okonkwo. But the three drives ended in a punt, a missed 28-yard field goal from Ka'imi Fairbairn and the safety.
On the drive that resulted in the missed field goal, Stroud threw a 33-yard touchdown to wideout Nico Collins that was nullified by a penalty on running back Joe Mixon, who was in motion at the snap along with wideout Tank Dell. Stroud took blame for that.
"We had a quick motion with Tank and miscommunication on my part in the huddle. We had two motions at the same time," Stroud said. "I got to give the play better and make sure guys are on the same page, and even when we break the huddle, still communicate a little bit and make sure everybody's doing what they're doing. But it was my fault."
Most of Stroud's production came in the first half, when he threw for two touchdowns and 149 yards. In the second half, he threw for only 98 yards with an interception and was sacked four times.
That has been a season-long theme for the Texans: start strong offensively and struggle in the second half. Houston has a minus-44 point differential in the second half this season, the fourth worst. The offense has only one touchdown in the second half since Week 6, when the Texans defeated the New England Patriots 41-21.
"We have to create positive plays. Too many times, whether it's run or pass, we have a negative play which just kills our drive," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "So first things first, how can we sustain positive plays and build drives? Too many drives were stalled out before we could even get started."
Despite Fairbairn's miss late in the fourth on a game-tying field goal, he did set an NFL record earlier in the quarter with his 12th 50-yard field goal of the season, breaking the previous single-season record set by Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson (11) in 2022. On the season, Fairbairn is 12-of-15 on 50-yard kicks.
Also against the Titans, the Texans tied their franchise record for sacks in a game (eight), and safety Jimmie Ward intercepted Levis and returned it for a touchdown. Before Sunday, in the past five seasons, teams were 32-2 when recording at least five sacks and an interception return for a touchdown in a game, according to ESPN Research.
But even with the Texans' defensive playmaking, they allowed the Titans to score 30 points for just the second time this season, with Levis throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
It's the second time this season the Texans have been on the wrong end of a rare loss. In their 26-23 loss in Week 10 to the Detroit Lions, they became the second team since 1933 to lose a game in which they caught five interceptions and led by at least 15. Previously, teams were 373-1-1 when leading by at least 15 and snagging five interceptions.
The Texans became the third team in the Super Bowl era to lose a game in which they had eight sacks and another game with five interceptions, joining the 1992 Seattle Seahawks and 1984 Philadelphia Eagles, per ESPN Research.