Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

C.J. Stroud Not Surprised By Texans' Suffocating Defense

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 1:57 PM ET

The Houston Texans' defense has been a well-rounded, dominant unit throughout the entirety of the 2025 NFL season.

They rank as the NFL's number-one scoring defense at 16.0 points allowed per game, now have the lowest yards allowed per game at 266.3, and since Week 1, have had a restricting unit upfront and in the secondary that's wreaked havoc on opposing offenses.

But for C.J. Stroud, the performance of the Texans defense isn't anything that's caught him by surprise. It's simply a combination of their elite instincts and their growing chemistry of the past couple of seasons.

"Nothing's really surprised me too much," Stroud said of the Texans' defense. "I've seen them make plays on plays on plays. I just think their communication and the instincts that they play with, and the chemistry. They've been playing together for two years now, with Azeez [Al-Shaair] at the mike, and Henry [To'oTo'o] at the will, and starts with those two guys communicating."

"Then, you got [Calen Bullock], Kamari [Lassiter], Myles [Bryant] out there, and [Derek Stingley] on the back-end flying around, and then letting the dogs hunt up front. "It can get suffocating as a quarterback dealing with all the coverages, all the different leverages.... Then you got them rushing to the passer relentlessly and never stopping."

"That stuff, after a while, gets on your nerves a little bit, and you just kind of get frustrated, but I think they've done a great job, and I'm glad you know I'm on this team."

Texans' Defense Continues to Build Momentum

Stroud goes up against this Texans unit every week in practice, and he was able to watch them from a bird’s-eye view while out with his concussion for his three-week absence, so he's no stranger to what this ferocious group has to offer around the field. But it seems with each week, as that chemistry grows stronger and the momentum keeps building, they're getting even better and more connected.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Houston's defense has now caused problems for the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, the reigning MVP, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, and has taken care of business in three straight divisional outings that now take them to an 8-5 record after once being written off earlier in the season.

For some, it's been a surprising resurgence, but those in the building like Stroud and DeMeco Ryans have kept faith with a one-week-at-a-time approach, it's nothing that's been unexpected. And now, the defense has begun to put the entire league on notice.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: