Jim Nantz Reveals How C.J.Stroud Absolutely Wowed Tony Romo and Him — Why the Houston Texans Are More Than Fine
This Second Year Quarterback's Understanding Of the Game Is Next Level
BY Chris Baldwin // 10.30.24Houston Texans quarterback C.J.Stroud always gives his team a chance. Even on his off days. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)
Jim Nantz has been meeting with the NFL’s best quarterbacks and coaches for nearly 40 years. Very few things surprise him in these production meetings, usually held the Friday and Saturday before he broadcasts a Sunday game. But Nantz is still buzzing over his production meeting with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud a few weeks ago. One that left Nantz and his TV partner Tony Romo wowed.
“You can tell he has it,” Nantz tells PaperCity of Stroud. “He walked in and Tony and I both said ‘Man, wow. This kid already knows the game so well.’ He was talking coach speak about some of his players and the routes they’re running. You’re not seeing this around the league, particularly when you’re talking about a second year quarterback. His ability to break down certain things, A player not completing his route. He’s getting antsy at this point. He can identify everything looking back at a play.
“This is all high level stuff. This is a special player.”
If you’re wondering how the 6-2 Houston Texans can survive the loss of receiver Stefon Diggs for the season, you should look to the 23-year-old quarterback who wows Nantz and Tony Romo. Nantz called the Texans’ 24-22 loss to the Packers in Green Bay, but he’s still hoping to get a chance to call a Texans game in Houston, which the voice of CBS Sports considers his hometown, in the second half of the season.
“It would be nice to have a game in Houston,” Nantz says. “It’s been a long time.”
The Texans are making that more and more of a likelihood by the week, with Houston tied for the second best record in the AFC and the third best record in the entire NFL. This despite the offense never really completely clicking yet. In some ways these Texans are like Netflix when it still shipped DVDs around the country in red envelopes. A forever growth stock, bound to take off.
Houston is winning on the ferocity of its defense and the sureness of its super kicker. The relentless pass rush of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The schemes of head coach/defensive mastermind DeMeco Ryans. The booming leg of Ka’imi Fairbairn.
“You can tell he has it. He walked in and Tony and I both said ‘Man, wow. This kid already knows the game so well.’ ” — Jim Nantz on C.J. Stroud
The Texans coach is not dwelling on what the offense is not doing though. He’s impressed by how C.J. Stroud is keeping it together, even without Nico Collins (who is on track to return in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football). Even now having lost Diggs too.
“Can’t say enough about what C.J. is doing and how he’s leading this offense,” Ryans says. “Very proud of him. It’s multiple guys stepping up and making plays.”
Stroud’s Better Than Superglue
The emergency superglue holding it all together is the young quarterback who always seems to find an answer. Stroud gets his buddy Tank Dell back into the end zone and the University of Houston icon goes leaping into the NRG Stadium stands, like he’s at Lambeau, in that Week 8 win over the Colts. Yes, Dell never lets his 5-foot-7 height hold him back.
And C.J. Stroud finds ways to make sure the Texans are never held back. No matter how much pressure he is under. Or how few healthy receivers he has to work with.
“He’s a winner. That was an A plus, plus, plus hire there. I’m very excited about the future here of this franchise.” — Jim Nantz on Texans coach DeMeco Ryans
Nantz knows the Texans always will have a chance. Because they have Stroud. Because they have a Guy in a league where not having one now guarantees certain misery.
“There are more good quarterbacks than at any point I’ve been in the league,” Nantz says. “And I go back almost 40 years. Not everybody has it covered. But there are more teams that do have the optimism and promise that they’ve got a Guy. But those few that don’t, they’re doomed. You just can’t win anymore unless you have that position on the right track.
“With a player that can lead that franchise and you believe in him. The Texans have that. For sure.”
Nantz is coming off giving an epically fitting call to Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ walkoff Hail Mary, capturing the moment perfectly. It’s one of those calls that makes Jim Nantz Jim Nantz. But Nantz also called DeMeco Ryans’ head coaching success before almost anyone else did. Before Ryans even coached his first game with the Texans.
“He’s a winner,” Nantz tells PaperCity of Ryans. “That was an A plus, plus, plus hire there. I’m very excited about the future here of this franchise.”
This Halloween night prime time game against the New York Jets should be the last one the Texans play without game changing receiver Nico Collins, whose hamstring injury recovery progressed quickly.
“Nico’s doing well in his recovery,” Nantz says. “He’s going to be no more than the IR four week minimum.”
As for Tank Dell, this Jets game will put him in the spotlight as the Texans’ defacto No. 1 receiver, but it will not be relentless UH promotor’s only chance to make an impact with his buddy C.J. Stroud.
“Tank just has to be Tank,” Ryans says. “Tank has been an explosive player in college. . . He has been explosive for us. So Tank just has to be Tank.”
Being Tank means things like taking that NRG high jump. And playing free.
“We all right,” Dell says of the Texans offense. “We all know we can better. We can be way better. I know we harp on this every week when we do interviews, but we know the sky’s the limit for our team. We’ve just to keep putting all the pieces together and when it get late in the season, we’ve got to go capitalize.”
Jim Nantz, whose love for the city of Houston and his alma mater the University of Houston always shines through, holds no doubts about the Texans. Not the rest of this season. Or future seasons. As long as No. 7 is around.
“They’re going to be just fine,” Nantz says.