The Houston Texans got back on track in Week 13, as they picked up a 23-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Along the way, though, they saw starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair get ejected for a dirty hit on Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which drew an interesting reaction from C.J. Stroud after the game.
In the second quarter, Al-Shaair clocked Lawrence in the head as he was sliding to the ground on a run. The Jags took exception to the hit, and it promptly resulted in a scuffle between the two sides. Al-Shaair was ejected, and Lawrence was quickly ruled out for the game with a concussion.
It was a tough sight to see Lawrence lay motionless on the ground for a moment before he eventually got carted off the field. That stood true for Stroud, who sent his prayers to Lawrence after the game, while also saying that he doesn't believe Al-Shaair intended to hurt the Jaguars quarterback with this hit.
"Prayers for Trevor," Stroud said at his postgame press conference, per Mark Berman. "I really hope and pray he's OK, prayers to his family as well. But we still rocking with Azeez, I don't think that was his intent."
There's been quite a bit of an outcry towards Al-Shaair for his hit on Lawrence, and it isn't too hard to see why. While Stroud and the Texans are going to stand by their teammate, it's tough to ignore how gruesome of a hit Al-Shaair laid out on Jacksonville's star quarterback.
Al-Shaair's ejection was likely just the start of the repercussions he will face for this hit, as there's a decent chance he will also get suspended for this hit as well. So while Houston won, they could have to find a way to get by without one of their top defenders for however long he could potentially be forced to miss.
For now, the Texans will celebrate their win, as they maintain a stranglehold atop the AFC South with the playoff picture coming into focus. Houston will quickly turn their attention towards Week 14, though, where they will face off against the Miami Dolphins.
