The Josh Innes Show - How Much Did CJ Stroud Lose On Sunday?

Episode Date: January 20, 2026

How many millions of dollars did CJ Stroud lose with his crappy post season? I'm still baffled by the number of people who are Tweeting me about Matt Schaub. The revisionist history is pretty insane. What is the greatest "What If" in Houston history? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. Other stuff. So I don't know why this continues to be the case. And this is my fault. I blame myself for it. But I posted that morphine photo of C.J. Stroud turning into Matt Schaub. And I said the more things change. And that started getting retweeted by people and people started responding to it.

And the overwhelming consensus I've gotten from people. Now, mind you, it was a joke. I was just trying to think of someone who the Texans have had in the past that was known for, up in the playoffs, throwing interceptions. Matt Schaubb's career ended with like seven straight games with a pick six or whatever it was. Like, it's a joke. The number of people that have revisionist Matt Schaub history who are now like, oh, wait a minute, Matt Schaub would have won that game. Like, first of all, it's a stupid argument.

But like, I wasn't trying to debate which quarterback would have won the game, but people want to come at me with Matt Schaub would have won that game, no doubt. I mean, Matt Schaub has no history of winning anything significant at all. But somehow that became the argument. Brother, I lived in Houston, and I worked on sports radio there for over a decade of my life. And I was there for the height of the Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt era of the Houston Texans, Gary Kubiak era, Wade Phillips era. I lived it. You can't come to me with your revisionist bullshit history about Matt Schaub. all of a sudden now people are really into Matt Shaw, acting like he was some sort of underappreciated wizard of the quarterback position.

He wasn't. He was what he was. Now, I will give you this. I think that, I wouldn't say he was underappreciated, but I think when you go back and you look at that era of quarterback play, which was far superior to the quarterback play we see now. I mean, we're talking legends, right? You could argue quarterback play now is just shit, right? But that's back when men played the quarterback position. Brady, Manning, Breeze, the other Manning to a degree. Rothlessberger, like dudes who are, you know, dudes that can sling it.

Shob got kind of lost in that shuffle because he wasn't those guys. But in that era, he was probably a top 10 quarterback. The idea that people are going to come at me on social media and fight me over whether or not Matt Schaub would have won a playoff game that C.J. Stroud didn't win. Everyone in Houston hated Matt Schaub. Dude, I lived it. I watched the people burning Matt Schaub's jersey at the stadium. I watched it. I saw it.

Now, that's not to say that everybody hated Matt Schaub, but the vast majority of people in Houston in that era were ready for Schaub to go. And most of them just would talk about how the dude was an interception machine. He was a stat gobbler when the team was down by a shitload of points early. He'd throw for a bunch of yards, make the game close. Occasionally they'd win. Sometimes they'd lose. but don't come at me

Lose me with the idea that Matt Schaub was some sort of underappreciated G that everybody loved Nobody fucking did Nobody Nobody in Houston loved Matt Schaub He was fine Nobody loved Matt Schaub

But now I start reading these comments from people And conveniently they all fucking love Matt Schaub because CJ Stroud through five interceptions So now they all fucking love Matt Schaub Lose me with that lose me. Please and thank you. Uncomfortable conversation, says Rolando Flores, but Deshawn Watson is the most talented

QB the Texas have ever had. That's not uncomfortable. It's not an uncomfortable conversation. The guy is the most talented quarterback they've ever had. He also couldn't prevent himself from jerking off in front of chicks and now is out of football basically super rich. You know who's a dumb human? I'm glad you bring that up. Can I take the dumbest fucking human on the planet? His hot-ass fiance wife, I don't know if they got married or not.

What a dumb woman. Like this chick is hot. She can fuck any guy she wants. Obviously, he's got a shit ton of money, but she's got money for herself. She's not poor by any means. She's a model and does cooking videos or something. She's smoking hot. She can fuck any dude with money she wants.

But she's sticking with a dude that thought so little of her that not only did he like fuck around on her once, he was basically a serial predator that jerked off on a bunch of massage therapist. And she's like, you know what? I think this is the guy. I think, you know what? out of all the guys out there that I can hitch my wagons to, I'm going to ride or die with this guy, which is an example of how money can change everything and fix everything for people. Because that guy looks like a giant piece of shit.

But she's out here like, I love him. But mom, I love him. No, you love his fucking money, I guess. Because while you have money on your own and would be fine, homegirl here is like he's got a shit ton more money. And I'm going to ride or die with this guy. So she's a loser Like it's sad when like hot chicks like that are losers

That's a gorgeous woman Just super hot And she's a fucking loser Like I can't view her in any other way But being a loser But to your point about uncomfortable conversations Rolando Saying that you know Deshawn is the most talented quarterback

The Texans have ever had Well he is It's obvious he's a more talented guy He was a better college quarterback than C.J. Stroud If you remember when we had We had what's his name? Dabo on. the show and he said that the guy's Michael Jordan.

Like, I remember that day they drafted him. Like, I was sitting at that, that was the draft in Philly, right? So I'm sitting in Philadelphia doing the show and they drafted Deshaun. I had Dabo Sweeney on the air the next day to talk about it. He's like, this guy is Michael Jordan. No doubt was the most talented guy they ever had. And he's a great what if. You know, what if the team wouldn't have completely melted down and hired David Cully and just given up on life for a couple years?

What if the guy wasn't a total fucking creep that jerked off on massage things? therapist and wanted fingers in his ass when he was getting massaged. What if? If you want to talk about great what ifs, he's the ultimate. He's a great what if, and he's a great what if as it relates to Houston sports, but he's a great what if in general. You think of what if you think of like Maurice Claret. What if he wasn't, you know, a lunatic that had the entire 007 Golden Eye arsenal in

the back of his car and got arrested? What if? What if? What if he wasn't a mental case? What if? They're great what ifs? What if Ryan Leaf wasn't a mental case? What if?

I mean, like, not to be rude, but I mean, like, what if he didn't have the issues and the alcohol and the drug problems? What if? Deshawn Watson, as far as Houston what ifs go, there is not a greater what if in the history of Houston sports. Name it. Like, what if J.R. Richard doesn't have a stroke. Okay. That's a decent what if. But if Deshawn Watson isn't a total mental case.

Now, maybe he leaves anyway because the team was a total cluster fuck in that era, that's very possible. but what if Deshawn Watson never like has no interest in getting massages from random people and jerking off on them and having fingers in his ass and everything else what if what if that's not what if that never happens what have the Texans become

you know what if the tech I love what if what if um the Texans would have held on and beaten Kansas City and gone to the AFC championship game that year what if creed what if I love a good what if What if Jack Easterby wasn't a complete clown? Very good question. What if the Texans beat the Chiefs and the Texans make the Super Bowl to the Texans stick by Watson through the legal process? Well, I think that's a totally different story because it's a great question.

But let's say they had, I mean, it's not unrealistic to say they would have been in the AFC championship game because they were up by, what was it, 20-something points in that game. So to say that they could have should have won it is fine. But that also changes the fortunes of Bill O'Brien. He's no longer the guy that blew the giant lead in Kansas City. Now he's an asshole, but he's an asshole that went to the first AFC championship game in the history of the Texans. Right? And maybe in that case, in your example, they go to the Super Bowl. So I think that just changes the fortunes of everybody.

They don't fire Bill O'Brien and hire David Cully. You know, who knows? But to your point about the most talented quarterback they ever had, well, no question. It was Deshaun Watson. I'm with you. Let's see. What if CP3's hamstring never gave out? Then they win that game and they win that series against Golden State.

But unfortunately, his hamstring did give out. And you had to count on James Harden, who was a known quitter and choker in those games. So you go to the NBA finals at that point. It changes the whole outlook of that. One of Team Mac and Yow never got hurt. Then that team probably goes to an NBA finals at some point. Right? I mean, let's see.

What is the schedule for the show, Josh? Never know when you're on. I don't either. I just started throwing this on today because I was sitting at the same. station. Let's see, I do enjoy that Cleveland watch Baker Mayfield become better than Watson in real time after Mayfield left for Tampa. I agree with that too.

That's fun. But back to Stroud. So a lot of the shit I'm seeing is like now conveniently everybody thinks Stroud sucks. A couple weeks ago, if you would have said that Stroud sucks, they'd say you were crazy. He has a shitty game. Now, there's one thing I agree with. I think I saw Dan Patrick say this, that C.J. Stroud cost himself a whole lot of money. And millions of dollars.

And he may never be the quarterback for the Texans long term. Probably not going to get an extension. That I agree with. But, and that's rough. I mean, Homeboy went out and lost himself a shit ton of cash. Because nobody's looking at him the same as they did a month ago even. Like, he has been struggling for two years. And the questions about whether or not C.J. Stroud is a guy that deserves a long-term contract.

That's been up in the air. But that's mostly people in Houston because ain't nobody paying attention to the Texans by and large. Nationally, no one gives a shit. But what you end up with is you do that on the highest level and you do that in the postseason and you end up getting your ass kicked the way you got your ass kicked. And everybody sees it and it becomes a story and people nationally see it and all eyes are on you. That changes the overall view that people are going to have of you as a player. So I agree with Dan Patrick when he says the guy's cost himself millions of dollars.

No doubt costs himself millions of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe. Because as if right now, not only are the Texans not going to sign him to a long-term deal, I don't know how anybody actually watches that and says, we want to give him a long-term deal. But that said, and I keep seeing people arguing about Davis fucking Mills, lose me on the Davis-Mill stuff. You can't sit here and tell me that Davis-Mills is somehow, like, would have been the answer in that game. And I think people misinterpreted what I said, because I tweeted it the other day, that you have to see what you have. You have to see if this guy is your long-term solution. And I think people took that as, that's not the time to experiment in a game like that.

You've got to play to win the game. I didn't say experiment. I said that you have to see if this is the guy that you believe in. If you pull him in that game, you acknowledge that he's not that guy. And you know Davis Mills isn't. Davis Mills could come back and win that game for you. You ain't paying Davis Mills to be your starting quarterback years down the road. That ain't happening.

So you already know that Davis Mills is not your guy. So why not stick with the guy that you have to see if that's a guy you want to invest in? Also, he's your starting quarterback. No other fucking team is benching their starting quarterback in that situation. Look at Josh Allen. Josh Allen sucked in the first half. And I get Josh Allen's got a better track record than C.J. Stroud. But you know what's funny?

Josh Allen has eight playoff wins. And he's played in a lot more playoff games than C.J. Stroud. You know what Stroud has? Stroud has three playoff wins. He's got almost half the playoff wins in probably, less than half of the games. So doing the math, Josh Allen's 8 and 7. He's playing 15 playoff games in the playoffs. C.J. Stroud is 3 and 3 in the

postseason. He's playing six playoff games in three years. He has played in less than half of the playoff games that Josh Allen has played, and he has won nearly half the games. You can't just ignore that because he played like shit in that game. And I get that he struggled throughout the year. And look, it's a completely realistic and fine conversation to have about C.J. Stroud? Is C.J. Stroud the long-term answer? Are you going to give him a big contract? And right now, the answer is no. But you can't dismiss the fact that this guy won three playoff games. He's three and three in the postseason. He's gotten you do the divisional round three times.

Everybody blows Josh out. And Josh Allen, best quarterback in the league, one of them fine. C.J. Stroud is not Josh Allen. But Josh Allen, for all the blow jobs he gets from people, Josh Allen has won eight playoff games. C.J. Stroud's already won three. How many years has Josh Allen been in the league? Was his first year 18? Right? That was the year that they lost at NRG. So it was at 18 or 19.

Whatever year that was that they lost the playoff game to Deshawn Watson. My man's been in the league seven, eight years already. C.J. Stroud's been in the playoffs or the league three years. He's won three playoff games. You know how many other quarterbacks the Texans have ever had that have done that? None. Zero. So just take from that what you will. But like the idea that Davis Mills, like,

So let's say you bring in Davis Mills in that game. So fucking what? You're basically saying at this point that C.J. Stroud's not your guy. And you're going to ride with Davis Mills. Because if you bench him for Davis Mills and Davis Mills wins it, now you win the game and that's great. But you're also saying that it's over for C.J. Stroud. Go back to Josh Allen. Do you think there was ever a thought they were going to bench Josh fucking Allen?

No. You think there's a chance they're going to bench, you know, if Caleb would have played poorly. Are they going to bench him and bring in whoever the back? backup is in Chicago? No. So the idea that that was the thought from people in Houston, I think is preposterous. And I'm glad that the thought, allegedly, never crossed the mind of Domeco. Now, I think he's lying. I think at some point you're at least watching that and you're going, hmm, should we do something here?

Like, I'm sure that thought crossed his mind. But you're not actually going to do it. He's your fucking starting quarterback that's won you three playoff games in three years. How many playoff games have the Texans won in their entire history? Let's see 2011 they won one 2012 they won one I guess they then won in

what was the Brock year 16 they won a playoff game that year they want a playoff game in 19 and then they've won the three so if I'm doing the math I think the Texans all time have won seven playoff games I might be off by one or two but by my calculations

Doc Brown style the Texans have won seven playoff games CJ Stroud has won three of them that's not to blow the guy that I think they should pay him $500 million or anything like that. Like he may never be the long-term solution to quarterback. But Davis Mills certainly the fuck isn't. So the idea that the thought is crossing the minds of all these people and they're losing

their minds over this talking about Davis Mills and put him in. Like that is preposterous that you would do that. In fact, I think it's fucking dumb. It's absurd that the idea was, oh my God, put it David Mills. How many playoff games did T.J. Yates win? One, right? I think he won the It was 2011. Yates won the first

playoff game in 2011 and lost the second. 2019 was the year for the Texans. They were up 24-0-0 on the Chiefs. Dude, I'm with you. And they had a better quarterback than they have now. Deshawn Watson was a more talented quarterback. He's just a fucking dipshit and they should have won it. But they didn't. But the idea that Davis Mills would have saved the day and then, like let's say you make it,

let's say Davis Mills pulls up, doesn't play particularly well. but he takes care of the ball a little bit and they end up winning that game. What's the next move? What do you do next week? So say you win that game, where does Davis Mills go after that? You're in the AFC championship game. He rallied. Let's say he didn't play particularly well, but let's say the defense scores a touchdown.

They win the game. Doesn't play great. Plays the second half, wins the game. So let's say they do that. Then what? Davis Mills starts the AFC championship game. Davis Mills versus the Broncos? That's not going to happen.

So B. Hannon says they're seven and eight in the playoffs. So I was right. They've won seven playoff games. Three of them have been won by C.J. Stroud. And you guys want to sit there and tell me that fucking Matt Schaub, who I'm fairly certain won, one of them would have been the, would have won. Again, it's a ridiculous discussion, but would have won that game. That is poppycock. That's like people conveniently forget that Matt Schaub was fine.

Nothing fucking special. Lose me. All right. Other stuff. Moving on from the Texans. Thank you.