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    Stroud throws, runs for touchdown in first HOU win

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    HOU Quarterback #7
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    C.J. Stroud completed 26-of-34 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 26-3, Week 5 win over the Titans.

    He added a rushing touchdown on a goal-to-go red zone keeper. The Texans offense continues to bog down with penalties and bad runs — they went into half with four field goals — but Stroud was able to pilot the ship well enough to keep things reasonable until the Titans defense broke in the second half. He’ll head to London next week to face the Jaguars, yet another team that should keep him throwing given how good their run defense is, so he’ll be a mid-range QB2 for that one.
Simms: DAL players-only meeting ‘not a good sign’
Chris Simms and Mike Florio react to the Cowboys having players-only meetings to address the team's defense, with Simms saying that players-only meetings rarely change much in his experience.

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  • HOU Quarterback #7
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    Well, hard to blame much of this on him. Stroud was turnover-free for the third time in four games and peppered the returning Nico Collins with targets while also finding a 52-yarder to Jaylin Noel and several chunk gains to the tertiary receivers. The Texans had a 30-27 lead at the two-minute warning. For once, the defense gets to pick up the slack. The Texans have the mother of all get-right games in an 0-4 bowl against the Titans next week. Given how poorly the run offense is going, Stroud may continue to let it rip here and could be on the high-end QB2 line.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    “The thing for me about offensive football is you have to make sure you move the ball and try to score as many points as possible,” Ryans is quoted as saying by the Houston Chronicle. “How that looks to me, it really doesn’t matter. You can think or want to be a certain thing. But if you’re shown that that’s not the case and it’s not getting done, then you have to adjust. That’s where we are.” The Texans already abandoned the run against the Bengals in Week 2, throwing the ball 55 times. Perhaps Nico Collins’ return this week will raise all ships, but if it was as simple as the Texans needing to throw more, they probably would have scored more than six points against the Bengals. C.J. Stroud has a streamable matchup against the Cowboys this week if it all comes together.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    It was turnover-free football despite three sacks. Simply put: The Texans just don’t look like an NFL offense right now. Two of Stroud’s three deep balls in this game could have been intended for any of four different receivers, one of them hit off Jaylin Noel’s hands. Nobody has taken the reins. Texans OC Nick Caley deserves to be on the hot seat. Stroud passes the eye test when you watch these games, but the design of this offense — especially the run offense — is brutal. Stroud is near the bottom of the superflex QB2 ranks against the Cowboys next week, though the potential return of Nico Collins merits some consideration that better things could happen.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    Stroud looked pretty good in this game, but he had no one to throw to, the Texans had no running game (Stroud lead the team in rushing with 29 yards), and they scored six points. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln... Xavier Hutchinson failed to reel in several passes that hit him in the hands, including a would-be touchdown in the waning moments. It’s clear that without Nico Collins there’s just not enough talent on the field here to support a dead running game, and that’s what happened today. The Texans will look to rebound against the Colts in Week 3, a game where Stroud is probably on the QB2 radar for in superflex leagues.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    The buried news from the traditional stat line is that Stroud fumbled twice and the Texans recovered neither of them, including a back-breaker inside the Buffalo 20 on Houston’s final drive. The hard truth is that this offensive line is still not good. But, overall, it’s hard to fault the Texans offense for this one — if the 2025 Texans defense showed up, they win the game. Stroud looked competent-if-not-stellar in leading a touchdown drive in the two-minute drill of the first quarter. This is a good result for his superflex QB2 prospects — the Texans defense being as bad as they were in this one would also be welcomed news for fantasy managers. Stroud will get an (on-paper) easier roll against the Bengals in Week 2.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    The two sides worked diligently to get a deal done before the start of the regular season but will now pause discussions until after the year. Stroud was reportedly offered a substantial deal earlier in the offseason but turned it down, now forced to “bet on himself” as he plays out the final year of his rookie deal, minus the fifth-year option. Stroud has been unable to rekindle his rookie year magic while playing under two different offensive coordinators, something he’s looking to remedy in his second season under Nick Caley.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    Houston GM Nick Caserio recently said the team would not negotiate a new deal with Stroud once the regular season begins, putting a hard and fast deadline on Stroud’s ability to secure a longer-term contract with the team that drafted him. His immense and nationally-televised struggles down the stretch last season — including his playoff meltdown against the Patriots — could factor into the team’s decision to go all in on him as a long-term franchise quarterback. Fowler said Stroud “can let an exploding quarterback market do the work for him if he waits an additional six to eight months” and explore free agency in 2027. Stroud over the past three seasons ranks 22nd out of 40 qualifying QBs in adjusted EPA per drop back, alongside Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence. He ranks 24th in drop back success rate, just behind Mac Jones.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    There’s really no reason for Stroud to want to negotiate off last year’s end-of-season performance, so we’re not stunned that there’s been no extension. It does sound like the Texans are at least laying the groundwork for next offseason. The general NFL expectation has been that Stroud will go into the year without an extension. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Alexander reported that league sources believe the Texans and Stroud’s camp “are not far off on what they think Stroud’s contract terms should look like and how much he should be paid per year.”
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    Stroud is currently eligible for a contract extension, and Breer believes Stroud is conducting himself “with a seriousness that underlies the big year he has in front of him.” Citing good health and a growing relationship with OC Nick Caley, Breer adds that Stroud has also taken “more command of the offense” this summer. The Texans might not need Stroud to be a prolific passer every week, given their elite defense, but it sounds like Stroud is taking the necessary steps to deliver more reliable results when called upon. Hopefully, he indeed rises to the occasion when the regular season arrives.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
    The Texans exercised Stroud’s fifth-year option earlier this offseason, making him extension-eligible with two seasons left on his contract. Caserio said there is a “possibility” an extension is reached before the season starts, but nothing is set in stone yet. Getting a deal done soon appears to be a priority for the Texans and contract talks at least sound positive between management and Stroud’s agent, David Mulugheta. For now, there have been “productive conversations” between the two sides.

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    Baker Mayfield (thumb) did not practice Wednesday.

    Mayfield is unlikely to suit up this week against the Steelers, leaving Jalon Daniels to get another start for Tampa. Daniel last week in a win over Dallas completed 19-of-25 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown, rushing for 23 yards. Daniels ranked tenth in EPA per drop back on the week and 11th in drop back success rate. His rushing makes Daniels a viable superflex option this week against the Steelers.
  • BAL Quarterback #8
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Lamar Jackson (ankle) has a “realistic” shot to play in Week 6.

    Jackson’s ankle injury, which has been described as neither high nor low, kept him sidelined in the Ravens’ win over the Falcons. It’s possible the Ravens will be cautious with Jackson and have Tyler Huntley start one more game in Week 6 against the Browns. Huntley against the Falcons threw for 201 yards and two scores. He was the seventh most accurate QB of the week. Jackson’s practice participation will be closely monitored over the next few days.
  • BAL Wide Receiver #6
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    NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist) has “a shot” to play in Week 6.

    Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said Lane, who injured his wrist in the season opener against the Colts, will return to practice this week and could suit up this weekend against the Browns. Lane had impressed Ravens coaches and beat writers through training camp and in Week 1 he caught one of three targets for 11 yards before exiting with the wrist injury. Lane’s return to the Baltimore lineup could limit snaps and routes for Rashod Bateman Devontez Walker. Lane should be picked up in 14-team leagues.
  • FA Wide Receiver #10
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    The Athletic’s Adam Kilgore reports Tyreek Hill could face NFL discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy.

    A jury this week found Hill, 32, “liable for two of 10 counts related to domestic violence and awarded his estranged wife $500,000 in compensatory damages,” Kilgore reported. Hill, who has faced allegations of domestic violence in the past, was accused of several instances of harming his ex-wife. Hill denied the allegations. An NFL spokesperson told Kilgore that the league has been “monitoring developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.” That could mean Hill will face a suspension if he signs with a team in the coming weeks. Hill’s agent has reportedly reached out to the Chiefs — Hill’s former team — to gauge interest in the veteran wideout coming off a horrific knee injury in October 2025.
  • ARI Quarterback #15
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    ArizonaCardinals.com’s Darren Urban believes Carson Beck won’t start in the “immediate future.”

    Cardinals fans appear to be pining for the team to bench Jacoby Brissett and start the rookie in the coming weeks as another season circles the drain for Arizona. Beck so far has been the Cards’ emergency third quarterback. Urban said there remains a “chance Beck is made the backup this week or next and allow him to come on in relief if the situation presents itself. I don’t see Beck starting in the immediate future, but it does feel his time grows closer, and if the offense continues to sputter, that would be understandable.” Brissett this season ranks 15th in passing yards. He’s thrown nine touchdowns to five interceptions and ranks 30th out of 37 qualifying QBs in adjusted yards per attempt. He won’t be a viable fantasy play this week against a tough Rams coverage unit.
  • ARI Running Back #4
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    Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said he wasn’t sure about getting Jeremiyah Love more involved in the pass game because the team needs extra blocking.

    Asked about Love’s lack of route running — he has a 29 percent route participation rate on the season — LaFleur said the Cardinals’ pass blocking struggles often prevent Love from functioning as a pass catcher. “I wasn’t too confident in terms of getting into some of those ‘scat’ protections and stuff like that and five-man protections,” LaFleur said. “We wanted to have that extra body in there. There were a couple of times where I wanted to get him on some choice routes and stuff like that, but like I said I didn’t feel confident that we were going to be able to execute at the level that we needed to. But it is a good question.” Love, who has 13 targets and has been targeted on 21 percent of his pass routes, would need much more pass game involvement if he were to operate as an RB1 in fantasy leagues this season.
  • FA Wide Receiver #10
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    NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus said Tyreek Hill (leg) is “close” to 100 percent recovered.

    Rosenhaus is shopping Hill to a contending team with “a good quarterback” about a year after Hill suffered a gruesome leg injury that ended his 2025 season with the Dolphins. Hill, who last week testified in his assault and battery court case, is a free agent. “I don’t know if he’s 100 percent today, but he’s close,” Rosenhaus said. “And he’ll get there really soon. But I think that’s probably something you’ll have to wait until he gets out in practices and gets with a team before saying he’s 100 percent.” There have been rumors of a potential Hill reunion with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who recently lost Tyquan Thornton to a season-ending ankle injury and Rashee Rice to a hamstring issue.
  • SF Linebacker #57
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    Hearing officer James Thrash upheld 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw’s one-game suspension.

    Greenlaw was suspended after he was ejected for headbutting Seahawks LB Ernest Jones during a sideline scuffle in the 49ers’ Week 5 win over the Seahawks. He appealed the suspension, but it has been upheld by hearing officer James Thrash. Greenlaw will miss Week 6 and is in line to return against the Falcons in Week 7.
  • LA Outside Linebacker #95
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    Rams head coach Sean McVay said EDGE Myles Garrett (knee) won’t have his 21-day practice window opened this week.

    Garrett went on injured reserve after Week 1 and is therefore eligible to have his 21-day practice window for activation off IR opened this week. However, McVay said the 30-year-old pass-rusher won’t have his window opened, indicating Garrett is not ready to practice yet and it will still be some time before we see him back on the field. His initial timeline after undergoing a knee scope was roughly six weeks. It’s been four weeks so far, but Garrett could still hit the six-week return timeline if his practice window is opened next week.
  • LAC Quarterback #5
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    Chargers signed QB Jake Browning to the practice squad.

    With Trey Lance hitting injured reserve, the Chargers worked out multiple quarterbacks Tuesday, eventually signing Browning. A former backup to Joe Burrow, Browning lost the Buccaneers’ backup job to Jalon Daniels this offseason. He now joins a Chargers team keen on adding some depth behind Justin Herbert with Lance out and DJ Uiagalelei on the 53-man roster.