On Sunday, the Houston Texans hit the field at home for their first game of the new season against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. This is in many ways a “prove it” year for Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who has regressed significantly since his breakout rookie season in 2023, with questions arising as to whether Houston will commit to him as their long-term answer at the position.

Things didn't get off to a great start for Stroud in that quest on Sunday at home, as the star lost the ball early in the first quarter against Buffalo, with the Bills' defense recovering.

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While the mishap wasn't entirely the fault of Stroud, it certainly wasn't the start that Houston was looking for from its quarterback, especially not deep in its own territory.

The Bills ended up cashing in on the turnover by putting three points on the board and taking an early lead on the road.

The Texans are widely expected to once again have one of the best defenses in the NFL this year, making the pressure even higher on Stroud and the offense to hold up their end of the bargain and try to get Houston into the Super Bowl mix for the first time in franchise history.

Early on in his career, it seemed that Stroud was well on his way to a star trajectory, but a combination of injuries and overall regression has threatened to upend that momentum before it could ever fully get off the ground.