It's a sequence we've seen countless times this year: C.J. Stroud scrambling toward the sideline, scanning desperately downfield as two or three large men grope the air behind him.
The Houston Texans signal-caller has been under constant duress from opposing defenses this season, with Stroud facing pressure on an NFL-high 29.3 percent of his dropbacks in 2024, per Pro-Football-Reference's advanced stats. Only the Cleveland Browns' now-injured QB Deshaun Watson has been sacked and pressured more than Stroud this season. And now with the daunting Detroit Lions coming to town on Sunday, Houston continues to reckon with a pass protection problem that no one—not even Texans' offensive line coach Chris Strausser—seems to be able to explain.