C.J. Stroud did not hide how he felt about seeing Marvin Harrison Jr. in a Texans jersey. After Wednesday’s practice in Houston, the quarterback said he was happy to have his former Ohio State teammate back and ready to build with him again before Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.
“I’m happy to have Marvin here,” Stroud said. “It’s nice to have my guy back, and I’m excited to be growing with him.”
Rose Bowl flashbacks and a “quarterback-friendly” target
Asked for an early memory of Harrison, Stroud went back to their Ohio State overlap — Harrison’s freshman year, Stroud’s first season as the starter. He said Harrison did not play much early but stood out in practice, and that most people remember the Rose Bowl when Harrison scored three touchdowns.
“I’ll always tell him he was special when he came in,” Stroud said. “He was super ahead of his game, just really mature — some of the most mature freshmen that I’ve been around — and then just his work ethic. And then it’s the same thing now.”
On the field, Stroud described Harrison as a clean fit for how he likes to throw. “He’s really good at running great routes. He gets open on time,” Stroud said. “He’s a very quarterback-friendly receiver. The better you are at getting the ball in his hands on time, the better he is. I’m a pocket quarterback that likes to throw it to him all the time, and I think that’s when he’s at his best.”
“I’m not worried about it”
Harrison practiced with Houston for the first time Wednesday after the trade from Arizona and is expected to play in London. Stroud said the college chemistry helps the messaging more than the old playbook.
“I don’t really remember our playbook a thousand percent from college,” he said. “He has to learn it. He’s a really smart kid. I’m not worried about it. At the end of the day, it’s football. You run some very similar routes, just different ways, and I’m very vocal on how I like things done. He knows that. We’ve had conversations. We’ll continue to just get on the same page.”
Stroud also said he asked the front office to include him when the club was discussing the trade. “I was just appreciative that they would give me the opportunity to even explain who I thought he was and the player I thought he was,” he said. “I really don’t have that type of push or say-so. I tried to do my job and leave it up to our front office to make those decisions, but I’m very happy he’s here.”
Cheers, boos and staying even
Harrison arrives after a slow start in Arizona — five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets in four games. Stroud said he does not agree with some of the outside noise and framed the advice the same way he talks to himself.
“He’s a heck of a player, man. I don’t agree with some of the things that are being said about him,” Stroud said. “I’m a firm believer it’s really focus on what you can control. … I’ll try to just be that to him if I need to, but he’s a confident dude. He’ll be fine.”
He said he learned that lesson as a rookie, after a big game, when he told reporters he could not fall in love with either reaction. “I can’t fall in love with the cheers or the boos,” Stroud said. “You’ve got to stay even keel.”
London and Jacksonville’s front
Stroud said his body clock work for the trip is mostly nutrition, fluids and sleep, including on the plane. “They’re asking us to sleep as much as we can, so I’ll probably just sleep,” he said. He is also looking forward to a different crowd. “Just playing in front of a different fan base. I think it’s cool. … Just having the opportunity to play this game internationally, I’m excited.”
On Jacksonville’s defense, which has held opponents down in the run game through five weeks, Stroud pointed to Josh Allen, Travon Walker and linebacker Devin Lloyd (No. 23) as problems to solve, plus the blitz packages. “They do a good job changing it up — a lot of blitzes and things like that,” he said. “They’re a great group and we’ve got to be prepared.”
Stroud has completed 119 of 185 passes for 1,402 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions this season (98.1 passer rating), with 71 rushing yards and a rushing score. The 1-4 Texans meet the 4-1 Jaguars in London on Sunday, October 18.
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