The Wild Card Round delivered drama, chaos, and C.J. Stroud’s head-scratcher of a move. As the Houston Texans battled the Los Angeles Chargers, Stroud pulled a play that had Shannon Sharpe questioning the second-year passer. Suddenly, the Texans were fighting their own QB’s bizarre decision-making.
Fans spiraled, Sharpe roasted, and the Chargers pounced.
C.J. Stroud’s Wild Card Rollercoaster Stirs Shannon Sharpe’s Critique
Stroud’s Wild Card performance had Sharpe losing his cool. The former football TE dropped a post on X (formerly known as Twitter): “WTF is CJ doing? Some1 that knows 🏈 better than me. Tell me so we can BOFF* know. That’s just terrible.”
WTF is CJ doing? Some1 that knows 🏈 better than me. Tell me so we can BOFF* know. That’s just terrible. #NFLWildCardWeekend #ChargersTexans
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) January 11, 2025
The Texans’ offense stumbled out of the gate, racking up a horrendous 86 yards and zero points before the two-minute warning. Then, chaos hit. A botched shotgun snap went flying behind Stroud, and it seemed like disaster was imminent. But Stroud flipped the narrative, recovering the ball and launching a 34-yard strike to Xavier Hutchinson (cool under pressure, rookie-year style).
That single play turned the tide for the Texans. Stroud’s scramble from the Chargers’ rush kickstarted a 99-yard touchdown drive, capped off by Nico Collins’ clutch catches, including a crucial TD grab. Suddenly, the Texans snagged a 7-6 lead out of nowhere.
But Stroud’s day wasn’t all highlights. His late-season struggles clearly lingered, and Sharpe’s pointed critique echoed the fans’ frustrations. The mishap was nearly catastrophic — if not for Stroud’s quick thinking, the Chargers could’ve pounced with momentum.
Still, this “terrible” start turned into a wild pivot point, reminding everyone that even young QB errors can lead to game-changing moments. Fans flooded Sharpe’s post, debating whether Stroud’s misstep was a fluke or the spark the Texans desperately needed.
Fans React to Stroud’s Wild Card Woes
The Wild Card showdown between the Texans and Chargers had fans in splits — most of it aimed at Stroud’s polarizing performance.
One fan minced no words: “Stroud has been bad this year, and it hasn’t been talked about enough.” The frustration was palpable, pointing to a season-long struggle with consistency.
Stroud has been bad this year and it hasn't been talked about enough
— Nik Atanackovic (@Nik_Atanackovic) January 11, 2025
Another echoed the sentiment, urging, “He needs to hand the damn ball off and stop this foolishness.” Clearly, the Texans’ offensive strategy, or lack thereof, wasn’t sitting well.
He needs to hand the damn ball off and stop this foolishness
— T Mafianie (@TMafianie) January 11, 2025
Adding context, a fan highlighted Stroud’s reluctance to run: “My take Shannon, at one of the early season games when CJ met a rookie QB at midfield after the game he told him to quit all that running or he wouldn’t last long in this league. That’s the difference from last year, CJ isn’t running when that’s what the defense is giving him.”
The irony wasn’t lost on the crowd, as Stroud seemed to resist scrambling despite open lanes.
Another fan suggested something deeper might be off: “Something is definitely wrong. He also has the middle of the field to run…but he refuses. His mind is somewhere else. Like all season though.”
Meanwhile, some pointed to the defense’s resilience: “Defense bailing him out he gotta give them sumn.”
Stroud’s Wild Card rollercoaster had fans debating whether his struggles are sophomore jitters or a bigger issue. Either way, the Texans need answers, and fast. The pressure’s mounting, and for Stroud, the margin for error is shrinking.