The Hot Read: C.J. Stroud refuses to stay buried

Few players had as long of an offseason as Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Despite the Texans winning a playoff game for the third consecutive year, it was the way their quarterback played in the postseason that had many suggesting that Houston should entertain trading the former No. 2 overall pick. In two playoff games to close out the 2025 season, Stroud threw two touchdowns to seven interceptions and fumbled five times. His four interceptions against the New England Patriots proved to be self-inflicted wounds that couldn’t be patched up, and Houston was sent home in the divisional round for the third consecutive year.

What followed was seven months of revisionist history. Stroud was talked about as if he was Landry Jones or Matt Barkley despite having a very solid 2025 season. Of all 45 quarterbacks to play 100 snaps, Stroud was 10th in EPA per play, per Sumer Sports – higher than Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams, and Lamar Jackson. He was 11th in DVOA – higher than Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Despite missing three games, he still topped 3,000 yards, and was on pace for nearly 3,700 yards through the air, which would have put him above both Allen and Mahomes in that stat, as well.

None of this is to say that Stroud is better than the consensus top two quarterbacks in football, but it is to say that those who were portraying him as a replaceable-level guy jumped the gun and allowed two very bad performances cloud what was a good showing from Stroud in 2025 as a whole.

Which brings us to 2026. A year after the Texans started 0-3, they one-upped themselves and began the season 0-4. In spite of that, their quarterback was playing terrific. During that span, Stroud completed nearly 70 percent of his passes while ranking sixth in the NFL in passing yards and throwing five touchdowns to zero interceptions. In losses to the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys, Stroud put Houston ahead in the fourth quarter and scored 30+ points in both games – something that should have been more than enough for a defense seen by most as the best in the NFL. However, both Josh Allen and Dak Prescott dissected Houston’s secondary, with CeeDee Lamb going off for 17 receptions and a game-winning touchdown in the latter matchup.

The Texans finally got in the win column in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, which set up a Week 6 matchup in London against the 4-1 division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars. Once again, Stroud was nails, going 24-of-34 for 312 yards, three touchdowns and an interception – his first interception on the season. He would make up for the interception on the final drive of the game, leading Houston into field goal range on seven plays to set up a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal.

After burying themselves alive, the Texans have punched a hand through the dirt. Although many foresaw this team being near the top of the NFL with their defense leading the way, it’s been their oft-ridiculed quarterback that has led the charge. Six weeks into the season, Stroud is tied with Mahomes with the seventh-highest EPA per play (min. 100 snaps) and his 20 impact plays are the second-most in the league, trailing only Josh Allen and Jordan Love, who each have 21.

Too many people became too comfortable writing the obituary of Stroud in Houston. And after they themselves appeared to slam the lid on their own coffin, it is their so-called fraudulent quarterback that has given them a sign of life.

That was the cold open – this is the Hot Read.

Three and out

Los Angeles Rams continue to beat themselves

The Rams built a team full of future Hall of Famers on offense and defense, yet they are 2-4 and in last place in the NFC West through six weeks. Why? because their special teams unit is the worst in the NFL. They have only attempted 10 field goals on the season, but missed four of them, including a potential game-winner against the Buffalo Bills that was blocked. Even if Greg Rousseau didn’t block the kick, the trajectory looked as if it was going to be wide left. The Rams then waived kicker Harrison Mevis for his poor performance and signed Blake Grupe, who immediately tore his ACL after his first field field goal trying to make a tackle on the ensuing kickoff. This led to the Rams not kicking field goals or extra points until the final drive where they brought out punter Ethan Evans to kick the go-ahead extra point. (He made it.) Evans then kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback, which gave the Cardinals the ball at the 35 yard-line. Five plays and one unnecessary roughness penalty later, Chad Ryland was in position to kick the game-winning field goal.

On top of their kicking game being brutal to watch, they rank 31st in the NFL in average net yards per punt, and they are allowing the fourth-most yards per kick return. Leading 16-0 in the third quarter, Evans booted a punt to the Broncos’ 30 yard-line, which was then returned nearly 30 yards to the Rams 42 yard-line – a net of just 29 yards. Denver took advantage of the short field and scored their first points of the game. On top of the field goal kicking woes against the Bills, Ray Davis nearly housed the opening kickoff and set up easy points for the Bills to begin the game.

This isn’t anything new, either. They lost on a blocked field goal last season to the Philadelphia Eagles, and a punt return by Rashid Shaheed against the Seahawks last season kick-started Seattle’s 16-point come from behind win, which ultimately gave them the No. 1 seed in the conference.

This isn’t to say that special teams is the sole reason for the Rams’ struggles – the offense has wet the bed in big moments. Even with the poor punt coverage against the Broncos, a pick-six thrown by Stafford and the defense suddenly becoming unable to stop Bo Nix ultimately cost them a win. Yes, the pass interference called on what looked to be the game-sealing interception was bogus, and the NFL admitted as much, but they shouldn’t have been in that position to begin with. Against the Bills in overtime, the Rams had marched down the field all night. Yet on 3rd-and-5, Sean McVay called a run that gained zero yards after a swing pass was sniffed out for a short gain of five, which then led to the aforementioned Mevis miss. Against Arizona, dialing up a screen pass on 3rd-and-8 was the offense in a nutshell. The Cardinals are the NFL’s worst defense in terms of points allowed, and a loaded Rams offense was only able to put up 16 points. And, oh by the way, they will now be without Davante Adams for 6-10 weeks due to a hamstring injury. Yes, they’ll get Myles Garrett back, which will be a huge boost, but the issues with this team can’t just be chalked up to “figuring things out” early in the season anymore. We’re nearly two months in, and the warts are still there when it comes to closing out games and making smart play-calls in big moments. If your head coach can’t execute in clutch moments to put his team in advantageous situations, it doesn’t matter how good the players on the field are, which puts McVay under a very large microscope for the rest of the season.

NFL trade targets to watch

The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10. And now that we mostly know which teams have separated from the pack, and which ones never left the starting line, there will be names that come up in trade discussions.

For starters, let’s look at the Colts and running back Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis just fired general manager Chris Ballard after a 2-4 start and a loss to the winless Tennessee Titans. Sure, the AFC South is still somewhat within reach, as they are just two games behind the Jaguars for first place, but their immediate schedule could see them continue to slide. They’ll travel to Minnesota in Week 7 to face the undefeated Vikings, and then go on the road again to face the Jaguars in Week 8. If they are 2-6 at that point, they should really entertain calls on Taylor. The Broncos would make a lot of sense, as they need something on offense to lean on, They certainly can’t hang their hat on their passing game, if you can even call an aDOT of less than six yards “passing,” so acquiring Taylor and leaning into being bullies on the ground could give Denver an identity.

In that same ilk, Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is someone I’d watch closely. He was very outspoken following the loss to Tennessee, and is one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL. A contending team who wants to add a star on its defensive line should call and see what it would cost to acquire the former All-Pro.

Sticking in the AFC South, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. didn’t play a snap in the second half against the Texans, and has zero catches over his last two games. It’s evident that he has lost favor with Liam Coen, as Travis Hunter was given more looks offensively, and Josh Cameron has seemingly become the WR3 in the offense behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers. Thomas was a Pro Bowler who put up nearly 1,300 yards as a rookie. Injuries saw his numbers decline in 2025, and an influx of other talent has seen him go down the pecking order. A fresh start with a team in need of weapons, i.e. the Steelers, Ravens, Bills, Chiefs, or 49ers, would make a lot of sense, especially San Francisco who seemingly are always in need of receiver help due to injuries.

In the same boat of receivers, Stefon Diggs should be a name to monitor. The Commanders are 1-4-1 and Dan Quinn’s seat is so hot that he may be sitting on the ground due to the chair completely burning. I’d say those same teams that could call about Thomas would also give Adam Peters a call about Diggs.

The NFL’s ever-competitive North divisions

How about the NFC and AFC North? All eight teams across the two divisions have a record north of .500. The surprise Vikings are one of three teams that remain unbeaten at 5-0, while the Packers have overcome an embarrassing home opening loss to the Falcons to get to 4-2. Meanwhile, the Bears went 2-1 without Caleb Williams, and the former No. 1 overall pick returned with a 300-yard performance to get the Bears to a 4-2 record, as well. And finally, there are the Lions to round out the NFC North at 3-2, who are now coming off their bye week following a 45-point outing against the Arizona Cardinals.

On the AFC side, yes, that does say the Cleveland Browns are in first place at 4-2, with two of their four wins coming against divisional opponents. The Steelers also sit at 4-2 following a 13-point comeback win over the Buccaneers, and Aaron Rodgers is quietly second in the NFL in touchdown passes while the defense has allowed just two touchdowns over its last two games. The Ravens are the third 4-2 team in the division and are coming off a loss to those first-place Browns in their second game without Lamar Jackson, who is recovering from a sprained ankle. The Bengals sit at the bottom of the division, but at 3-2 are just a half-game behind their three foes, and Joe Burrow is off to a hot start with 11 touchdown passes in five games.

It’s almost guaranteed that at least two of these teams won’t be able to sustain what they are doing right now, and it very well may be both division leaders. The Vikings and Browns field two of the NFL’s best defenses, but also the two worst offenses of the eight teams. It’s fitting that both of their offenses sport the exact same EPA per play (-0.14) and their success rates are virtually identical as well, with Minnesota just 0.2 percent better in that category than Cleveland. Since Week 2, both teams have defenses that rank in the top three in defensive success rate, and both are also top five in defensive EPA per play. And while both the Browns and Vikings have been the surprises of their respective divisions, it’s hard to make the case that they can sustain wins when their offenses just aren’t doing what is required to make this last over a 17-game season.

One play that changed everything for the Pittsburgh Steelers

There were several plays in the fourth quarter and overtime that you could point to for the Pittsburgh Steelers that led to their largest fourth-quarter comeback since 1992. Jamel Dean picking off Jalon Daniels leading to a go-ahead field goal or Jalen Ramsey’s game-sealing sack could both be plays we highlight, but it’s a 3rd-and-long completion that stands above all.

The Steelers lost the overtime coin toss and the Buccaneers deferred, meaning if the Steelers failed to score, the Bucs would just need a field goal to win. It looked as if Tampa Bay was going to make quick work of the Steelers’ offense, forcing them into a 3rd-and-13. However, while facing pressure, Aaron Rodgers uncorked a pass to DK Metcalf over the middle of the field. Metcalf fought through an oncoming defender to haul in the catch to pick up 16 yards and the first down. Metcalf would catch two more passes on the drive before Germie Bernard caught the game-winning score as the Steelers came back from trailing 16-3 to win 26-19.

NFL buy or sell

Buy: Three coaches will be fired before trade deadline

Right now, I’d say Dan Quinn, Todd Bowles, and Shane Steichen will all be let go before Week 10. As we already discussed, Quinn may be packing up his office as we speak, and Steichen may not be far behind after the loss to Tennessee. The Bucs should have moved on from Bowles after the massive collapse we saw last season. It was utterly clear they reached the ceiling with him in charge. Instead, they scapegoated and fired just about every offensive coach on the staff and kept Bowles. At 1-5, I’d expect him to be gone sooner than later. In terms of which job of those three is the most attractive, it’s probably Tampa. They have a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield and some young pieces on both sides to be encouraged about. Washington has real questions on if Jayden Daniels is the guy, and it looks as if they’ll need a new platoon of pass-catchers with Terry McLaurin suffering yet another serious injury. Even so, the Washington job is better than the Colts job, as Indy doesn’t have a first-round pick or a long-term answer at quarterback.

Sell: The Broncos as Super Bowl contenders

We all watched whatever that was from the Broncos offense this past Thursday. I’d call it a football game, but what Bo Nix does isn’t football. Sure, by dictionary definition, he is a quarterback. He takes the snap, the ball leaves his hand, and ends up with another player on the field, but he doesn’t play quarterback. Immediately throwing the ball four yards behind the line of scrimmage isn’t playing quarterback, it’s a coaching staff playing scared because they know they don’t have a good quarterback. I don’t care how great the defense is – and it is great – because the quarterback is the worst starter in the NFL. You can’t win a championship with that.

Buy: Josh Allen’s flip pass is one of the best highlights in NFL history

I just needed an excuse to talk about this. Josh Allen has made enough plays to fill a book that we read to our grandkids one day. And when he is reading his speech in Canton, two plays we can guarantee that will be shown are the Lake Effect Lateral agains the 49ers in the snow, and this one against the Raiders on Sunday. Allen avoided pressure from several Raiders defenders, including Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce while looking like he was about to scramble. Instead, as the Raiders defense closed in on him, he simply backhand shuffle-passed the ball into the end zone to an open Keon Coleman for a touchdown, very remnant of the Brett Favre flip touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks. If you wanted to show who Josh Allen is as a player, this is the play you’d show.

Sell: The Seahawks are Super Bowl contenders

I said in the preseason that the Seahawks would be this year’s Lions – a team that lost a stud offensive coordinator and would be worse off because of it. Through six games, they are 3-3. Sam Darnold is second in the NFL in interceptions, 29th in EPA per play (min. 100 snaps), and he is barely completing 60 percent of his passes. Seattle’s offense as a whole is 25th in EPA per play, and they cannot run the ball at all (30th in EPA per rush). You have to believe John Schneider is looking at what Kenneth Walker is doing right now in Kansas City and kicking himself for not paying the Super Bowl MVP. Similar to Denver, the Seahawks’ defense is terrific, as they rank second in the league in defensive EPA per play and are allowing the fewest passing yards per attempt in the league. When your offense consistently turns the ball over and can’t score, though, your ceiling becomes very low.

NFL predictions to track

• Steelers will trade Joey Porter Jr: Correct
• Rams will beat Broncos handedly: Incorrect
• Lions will blowout Panthers: Incorrect
• Marvin Harrison Jr and Brian Thomas Jr will be traded: Half correct
• Jordan Love will have explosive game as Packers defeat Cowboys: Correct

I said Love would have 321 yards and three touchdowns, and if Matthew Golden and Christian Watson could hold onto balls that hit them directly in the hands, Love would have had four scores. Regardless, I’ll take the win as we get to a current record of 2-2-1 in our predictions.

The NFL is still sending the Saints and Steelers to Paris for some reason, seemingly not worried about the civil unrest taking place in the city. So I’ll predict a fan/protestor will run onto the field during the first ever game to take place in Paris with some sort of political message. Whether it be painted on them or on a sign, that’s my prediction for Week 6.