HOUSTON -- C.J. Stroud said the quiet part out loud when the quarterback of the winless Houston Texans said being close wasn't good enough following their Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"We're really close. That's the problem," Stroud said. "We just keep reiterating that we're close, and now it's time to fix the issues and be honest with one another."
The Texans fell to 0-3 after a 17-10 loss Sunday on an afternoon when the offense struggled throughout and the defense allowed another game-winning drive, a theme for the season. The offense failed to eclipse 300 total yards, went 4-for-15 on third downs and had three turnovers.
But even amidst the struggles, Houston had a chance. Stroud and Co. faced third-and-1 from the Jacksonville 28-yard line with :27 left. Stroud dropped back and had wideout Christian Kirk over the middle.
But Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen beat rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery off the edge and tipped Stroud's pass into a fluttering helicopter as it nosedived into Jaguars cornerback Antonio Johnson's grasp, Stroud's second interception on the day.
Close but no cigar.
"We're going to keep having these results if we don't finish," Stroud said. "We don't take care of the ball and just do the small things. The effort is there, the physicality. Now it's just the execution."
Finishing was Houston's strength in the early going's of coach DeMeco Ryans' coaching tenure. Since Week 5 of the 2023 season, the Texans have played 25 games decided by one score, most in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Their 14-11 (.560) record in those games ranks 11th in the span. But before this season, they were 14-8 in such games.
Now, Ryans faces his first 0-3 hole as a head coach -- all decided by one score.
"It's not encouraging to be close. We want to win games," Ryans said. "It's not about being close. That's just stating the facts or stating the obvious of how the three games have played out, how those games have happened for us. But, we're not here to just be close, we're here to win the football game."
Stroud's last pass against the Jaguars exemplified how Houston's start to the season has been, as crucial mistakes in the clutch have been harmful. Something that didn't happen as often from in Ryans' first two seasons en route to back-to-back AFC South titles and the divisional round appearances.
The margin for error has become thin, and one mistake can lead to a back-breaking result.
In Week 1, the Texans were in the Los Angeles Rams' territory with 1:51 remaining. Stroud completed a pass to running back Dare Ogunbowale, but Ogunbowale fumbled. Then Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford secured the win with a completion to wideout Puka Nacua on third down on the next series.
In Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, running back Nick Chubb scored a touchdown with 2:10 remaining to go up 19-14. On the ensuing drive, Houston allowed quarterback Baker Mayfield to scramble for a first down on fourth-and-10 with linebacker Henry To'oTo'o missing the tackle.
Six plays later, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White scored a touchdown with :06 left.
Despite averaging the least amount of points (12.7), the Texans have had chances to win because of their defense -- which allows 17 points per game (tied for fifth best). But as legendary coach Bill Parcells said, you are what your record says you are.
Historically, Houston could be on the ropes. ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Texans a 14% chance to make the playoffs, but a loss Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) to the Tennessee Titans (0-3) would drop them down to 6.9%. Though the FPI gives the Texans a slim chance, the odds are more against them than that considering only one team since 1990, the 1992 Seattle Seahawks, has made the playoffs after starting 0-4.
"It's humbling," defensive end Will Anderson Jr. told ESPN. "I've been here for three years. You see the ups and downs. I think it's something good on the other side of it, we just got to stay together and keep executing fundamentals and doing a better job."
