After his team dropped to 0-4 following a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud made an “iPhone” comment that went viral, which has since been likened to something straight out of Apple TV's Ted Lasso.
During his postgame press conference, Stroud said, “Every year is different. Last year's bread is not gonna feed us this year. I remember in college, Coach [Ryan] Day, he's always saying: ‘You have to be an iPhone. You gotta upgrade every year.' You gotta upgrade, whatever that looks like, from personnel to plays to execution, everything. You have to rise up.”
Ted Lasso writers are punching air right now that they didn’t think of this lame line https://t.co/jrRt95wO8r
— Carl Regolino (@Carl_Regolino) October 5, 2026
Some on X, formerly Twitter, cleverly quipped that the writers of Ted Lasso “are punching air right now that they didn't think of this lame line.”
Lasso is known for his inspirational quotes. Stroud's line about being an upgraded iPhone was clever, albeit a little bit cheesy. We'll see if the show ever uses the line in the future.
CJ Stroud and the Texans fell to 0-4 after loss to the Cowboys
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Stroud and the Texans' offense came alive against the Cowboys in Week 4, but they were unable to pick up the win. A year ago, the Texans' defense was regarded as one of the best in the league. This year, they have given up 30+ points in two games.
The fourth-year quarterback passed for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Nico Collins caught both of Stroud's touchdown passes.
The Cowboys' offense kept rolling, as Javonte Williams scored three touchdowns. Dak Prescott completed 32 of his 45 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown as well.
Dallas rebounded after a devastating loss in Brazil to the Baltimore Ravens. The Cowboys have a tough road ahead with games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles in the coming weeks. The NFC East is wide open, though, as the New York Giants lead it at 3-1. The Eagles and Cowboys are 2-2, and the Washington Commanders are 1-3.