The Houston Texans defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs last weekend, and while it was thanks much in part to their defense, the Texans' offense did show some signs of progression.
Most notably, quarterback C.J. Stroud made some plays with his legs, which is not what he is typically known for.
However, Stroud carried the ball six times for 42 yards against the Chargers and also improvised by making some big throws out of the pocket.
Heading into Houston's Divisional Round matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said he wants to see more of that type of versatility from Stroud.
"It's massive," Slowik said of Stroud utilizing his wheels. "We embrace that, without question, especially when he does it the way he did it in the game. ... You threaten second-level defenders with your movement. ... When you can escape up and out, that's a game-changer for a quarterback and how that affects the defense. And for him to do that in the game that we had here, it really opened up the entire defense and the entire pass game for us."
While Stroud can certainly move, he is not exactly Lamar Jackson. He rushed for 233 yards without a touchdown on the season, which shows he is mobile, but not overly athletic.
Still, by watching the former No. 2 overall pick against the Chargers, you have to wonder if he is leaving a potentially massive part of his game on the table by not running more.
We'll see if Stroud scrambles a bit more against the Chiefs this Saturday.
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