The Houston Texans improved to 6-2 on the season and 4-0 at home by knocking off the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. The 23-20 win was their sixth game decided by one score, and they've won five of those.
Beyond the win on the field, the Texans reminded everyone they won when it came to drafting as well. In 2023, the Texans had the No. 2 overall pick and needed a new signal-caller. There were loud cries for Anthony Richardson, who was seen as an explosive talent.
Houston didn't take Richardson as they selected C.J. Stroud from Ohio State. They also took Will Anderson, Jr. at No. 3, and then Richardson went to Indianapolis at No. 4. Fast forward to today and it's clear the Texans got the better player. Stroud won the 2023 NFL Rookie of the Year Award and while Richardson is an exciting runner, he's not even in the same league as Stroud when it comes to accuracy.
We saw this as Stroud finished 25-of-37 compared to 10-of-32 for Richardson. On top of that, we saw that Stroud is a superior leader. Both quarterbacks took several hits throughout the game but only Richardson had to leave the field after a tough series.
Now, if Richardson was hurt, that would be one thing. But that wasn't the case. He simply went to the sideline and told his coach he "needed a break."
Indianapolis was in field goal range, and Joe Flacco handed the ball off to Jonathan Taylor on third-and-long. They then knocked in a field goal, so Richardson didn't miss much.
Even so, it's a bizarre situation — and one that's never really been seen before.
It's also just a little more proof that Houston was 100 percent correct in taking Stroud over Richardson last season.
