Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans [made it clear](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/demeco-ryans-what-do-we-expect-when-we-cant-get-ball-in-from-goal-line) after Monday night’s 20-19 loss to the Buccaneers that the offense needs to execute better than they have over the first two weeks of the season and quarterback C.J. Stroud is going to be central to any attempt to make that happen.
Stroud opened Monday’s game with a touchdown strike to Nico Collins and the Texans picked up a field goal on their second possession, but did not score on their next six drives. That included failing to get into the end zone on three plays from the Tampa 1-yard line. The scoring drought ended after a blocked punt in the fourth quarter set them up in Bucs territory, but the offense didn’t gain a yard before settling for a field goal.
Missing out on touchdowns on those two possessions kept the door open for the Bucs to come back despite their own sputtering offense and the performance came after an even less impressive opener against the Rams. Stroud said after the game that the unit has to find ways to build up its confidence while tuning out those who might be writing them off already.
“As a team, we’ve just [got to stay together](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6euGhYcpZY&t=1006s),” Stroud said. “Everybody’s going to talk crazy — ‘we suck, we this, we that.’ At the end of the day, we’ve got to stay together and mesh well. Be honest and have hard conversations. I think right now we need more confidence, at least on offense, confidently playing better together. I think that’s a big thing.”
An 0-2 start doesn’t rule anything out for the Texans, but they are running short on time to find their footing before those conversations get even more difficult.