Stroud throws 2 TDs as Texans intercept Sanders 4 times in 55-25 rout

Houston, TX - C.J. Stroud completed 18 of 22 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns, and the Houston Texans recorded four interceptions in a 55-25 victory over the New York Giants in Week 7.

Houston entered the game on a four-game winning streak and extended that run to five with its highest-scoring result of the stretch. The Texans improved from 5-1 to 6-1, while New York's two-game winning streak ended.

The final score stood in stark contrast to the yardage totals. New York produced 436 offensive yards and 26 first downs, compared with 293 yards and 15 first downs for Houston. The Giants also had the game's leading passer, rusher and receiver, but the Texans held substantial advantages in quarterback efficiency and turnovers.

Stroud posted a 125.7 passer rating while completing nearly 82% of his attempts. His longest completion went for 55 yards, the longest by either quarterback. Although he threw one interception, Houston's quarterback needed just 22 attempts to finish with two touchdown passes.

"We stayed efficient and gave our guys chances to finish," Stroud said. "There are still things I want back, especially the turnover, but putting 55 points on the board and extending the streak is something we can build from."

Nico Collins was Stroud's leading target, catching six passes for 107 yards and both of Houston's receiving touchdowns. Tank Dell added four receptions for 87 yards, including the game-long 55-yard catch. Together, Collins and Dell accounted for 194 of the Texans' receiving yards.

"The opportunities were there, and I wanted to be dependable every time the ball came my way," Collins said. "C.J. was accurate, and the passing game had a good rhythm statistically. Now the goal is to keep sharpening everything."

Houston did not generate a large rushing total, finishing with 53 yards on the ground. Woody Marks handled 15 carries for 34 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. His 15 attempts tied New York's Cam Skattebo for the most in the game.

The Texans' defensive numbers provided another sharp contrast. Houston finished with four interceptions and three sacks, while the Giants recorded one interception and one sack. New York also converted just one of five fourth-down attempts and went 5-for-14 on third down.

Shedeur Sanders carried a heavy workload for the Giants, completing 36 of 57 passes for a game-high 329 yards and two touchdowns. His four interceptions pulled his passer rating down to 61.2, however, and left a difficult counterpoint to the production New York generated between the 20s.

"The yards don't mean much when the result looks like that," Sanders said. "Four interceptions put too much on everybody else. I have to be cleaner with the football and make sure the passing production turns into a better overall performance."

Malik Nabers remained the central figure in the Giants' passing game. He caught 11 passes for a game-high 150 yards and a touchdown, with a long reception of 50 yards. Nabers also ran once for six yards and completed one pass, giving New York production from him in several statistical categories.

Skattebo supplied the game's top rushing performance, gaining 126 yards on 15 carries. He averaged 8.4 yards per attempt and had a long run of 21 yards. The Giants finished with 134 rushing yards as a team, more than twice Houston's total.

Even with those individual performances, New York's red-zone line reflected another difficult part of the loss. The Giants came away with one touchdown and one field goal from five trips inside the 20. Houston made nine red-zone trips, scoring two touchdowns and no field goals.

For the Texans, the outcome was defined less by conventional offensive volume than by a decisive scoreboard margin, Stroud's efficiency and a defense that accumulated four interceptions. Houston's fifth consecutive win moved the club to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 2-5 despite holding sizable advantages in offensive yards and first downs.

Up Next

Houston will take its five-game winning streak on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. New York will also travel in Week 9, visiting the Philadelphia Eagles as it looks to rebound from the loss.