The Panthers and Colts have wasted no time in naming their first-round quarterbacks as starters this year, with Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson already getting their respective nods.
DeMeco Ryans and the Texans are less inclined to name No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud the starter out of hand as he battles it out with Davis Mills. They took a step in that direction Saturday, giving Stroud his second straight preseason start against the Dolphins in a Week 2 showdown.
Stroud played well, going 7 for 12 for 60 yards, but the Texans did not move the ball well for the most part. The offense went four-and-out on its first possession of the game, which started at the Dolphins' 7-yard line following an interception. Stroud's best series was an 11-play drive that went 61 yards, but it sputtered inside the red zone and ended in a field goal, the only points of the game for the Texans in a 28-3 loss.
The Texans' next two series resulted in three-and-outs, but even so, Ryans was encouraged by what he saw.
"I think overall with the operation of the offense, I thought C.J. was more efficient," Ryans told reporters after the game, per Aaron Wilson. "He felt more comfortable, and I think everyone around him played better, which allowed him to play better. So I'm proud of the progression C.J. took this week, and that's what we wanna see. We wanna see improvement week-to-week and that's what we saw this week. So I'm proud of what C.J. did."
MORE: Breaking down C.J. Stroud vs. Davis Mills battle in Texans training camp
Ryans, however, was coy in talking about naming a starter, simply telling reporters they'll "see the starter when [the Texans] get to Baltimore" for Week 1 of the regular season.
C.J. Stroud stats
There is a distinct possibility all of the pomp and circumstance is a smokescreen obfuscating that Stroud already has the starting job in Houston, but the Texans got a better look at Stroud Saturday than they did against the Patriots.
Stroud was 2 of 4 passing for 13 yards and an interception against New England, becoming just the latest rookie victim of Bill Belichick. He played a full half Saturday against the Dolphins, and though the Texans struggled to move the ball, there were a lot of encouraging things on the 11-play field goal drive, including a nice third-and-7 conversion on an out route and a gorgeous bootleg find coming off play action.
3rd and 7
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 19, 2023
ball on the facemask
That's where CJ Stroud shined at Ohio State
to Robert Woods pic.twitter.com/F4SPm15GtT
.@CJ7Stroud delivers it with some touch 🎯
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2023
📺: #MIAvsHOU on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/L9mPiySUki pic.twitter.com/LQj27A0LP0
Stroud's accuracy was his hallmark with the Buckeyes. He showed glimpses of that Saturday.
| Opponent | COM/ATT | YDs | TDs | INTs |
| Patriots | 2/4 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Dolphins | 7/12 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 9/16 | 73 | 0 | 1 |
After a strong Week 1 preseason showing Mills, Stroud's competition took a step back. Mills was 10 for 22 for 94 yards against the Dolphins following his 9 for 12 performance with 99 yards and a touchdown vs. New England. Mills, the Texans' incumbent starter, is 5-19-1 as a Texans starter (although that has been with a limited arsenal around him).
It appears Stroud is on a trajectory be a starter, despite Ryans' reticence to officially name him. The Texans' next test will be against the Saints on Sunday, Aug. 27, where the clues should continue to fall into place.