CJ Stroud was feeling the pressure already. Nothing went their way as the Chiefs’ defense applied pressure effectively on all the drives. The Texans‘ OC Bobby Slowik had warned everyone about Chris Jones leading the Chiefs defense. It happened again on Saturday, but with a different player taking charge.

During a drive in the ending minutes of the 4th quarter, DE George Karlaftis came from his right and dropped the Texans QB. That was the Chiefs’ eighth sack of the game! To make things worse, he had difficulty standing up. Fans feared that he was injured after. And yes, he was. The medical team had to come over and assist him to go over to the sidelines. He watched helplessly as the Chiefs led 23-12 under the 2-minute warning mark.

With 15 seconds remaining in the game, the Texans WR Jared Wayne ran down punter Matt Araiza in the Chiefs’ end zone, earning 2 points. But the QB was helpless. When CJ Stroud returned to the field with 7 seconds remaining, the game was already over. Despite the hype, he lost his 2nd game against Patrick Mahomes & co. They had defeated him in the regular season as well.

Important things first. Where was the pocket protection for the signal caller? Sacked 8 times by the Chiefs for 58 yards. And Karlaftis was the main man. The Chiefs defense had a clear aim in their mind. Shut down the passing and rushing. Even at the 9-minute mark in the first quarter, the DE ran to his right as CJ Stroud tried to make some space and sacked him, pushing him out of the sidelines.

Despite getting injured, he didn’t disappoint the fans. The Texans QB signed autographs and posed for photographs. Even in his post-game interview, he didn’t show much sadness.

CJ Stroud praises god in his post-game interview

One thing fans love CJ Stroud love him for is his faith in Jesus Christ. Most of the time, he hides his feelings and puts everything on God. He praised God after winning the wildcard game against the Chargers and had a similar response after losing to the Chiefs. He said, “My rock is Jesus Christ. Whenever I hit my rock bottom, I know I can lean on Him.”

Faith has taken CJ Stroud a long way in his fledgling career. However, the Texans needed to be better on the night. While HC DeMeco Ryans claimed he would go with the same strategy he had in the wild-card round, he should have had a contingency plan in the bag. Most of the players in Chiefs are Super Bowl winners. They know what it takes. And CJ Stroud never had a free run.

The Arrowhead lit up as the home team won. 8 penalties for 82 yards on the opposition gave them good positions all game. The game still came down to the 4th quarter. And that’s when the Chiefs dominated. They had less possession than the Texans in the first 3 quarters. But they kept the ball for 9 minutes and 7 seconds in the final quarter.

While the visitors will be packing their bags, the home team is excited for the AFC Championship game. Fans expect a pre-game flyover again at the Arrowhead. It will be as grand as it gets.