Houston Texans sensation C.J. Stroud had a chance to solidify himself this season among the NFL’s elite class of quarterbacks.

The No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft was an easy choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year. During training camp, The Athletic asked coaches and executives which three quarterbacks they’d take to start a franchise from scratch, with Stroud appearing on 16 of 27 ballots. Only Patrick Mahomes received more votes.

Instead, Stroud’s projected jump has been on hold. He hasn’t been bad this season, but his performance has dipped — and so has his standing in these rankings. This is the first time Stroud has found himself outside of the top 10. One executive said Stroud has been “not playing anywhere near (as well as) last year” when he was so dominant that he dramatically accelerated the Texans’ rebuild by leading them to their first AFC South title in four years.

Two statistics stand out. First, Stroud led the NFL in 2023 with 273.9 passing yards per game, but it has dropped to 232.0 this season, ranking 17th. He also led the league as a rookie by throwing interceptions on 1 percent of his passes, but that’s doubled to 2 percent (16th in the NFL) this season.

“I don’t expect C.J. to be a guy who dips and will continue to struggle,” a second executive said. “I think he’ll figure it out, and they’ll figure it out as a team. They have enough weapons. The way they’ve run the ball will take pressure off him.”

Stroud’s issues have stemmed from protection problems on the offensive line. He’s already taken more sacks this season than as a rookie (45 to 38), and he’s been sacked on nearly 9 percent of his dropbacks, an increase of about 2 percent.

There’s no escaping @zachsieler. 😈 #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/4Fd73A1k3f

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 15, 2024

“He’s getting the s— beat out of him,” the second executive said. “He’s been getting hit all year. When C.J. is under pressure, the play is going to drop off. When you’re not comfortable and don’t trust what’s around you, that’s not surprising as a young quarterback. I don’t think he’s regressed. I think he’s just sped up with the progressions and the throws, and that hurts accuracy.”

The hits can be impossible for even the best quarterbacks to overcome, let alone the younger signal callers who are still developing. When the Texans lost three of four earlier this season to the Lions, Jets, Colts (win) and Packers, Stroud took 18 sacks and was hit 17 more times.

Of course, it also hasn’t helped that top receiver Nico Collins missed five games with a hamstring injury, star wideout Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 and running back Joe Mixon missed three early games with a high ankle sprain.

So no, Stroud hasn’t dazzled the way he did as a rookie, but it’s also understandable. Add in the defensive adjustments that young quarterbacks face, the lack of pass protection and the injuries around Stroud, and it’s been enough to rock his typically steady composure.

“People in the scouting community were interested to see how this offense and the player would adjust in Year 2 when teams had a year to study, adjust and learn what he does well and what he struggles with,” a third executive said. “Now it’s up to the offensive staff and the player to adjust if they can.”

It’s also fair to point out that Stroud isn’t the first quarterback to deal with protection and injury issues. But at this stage of his career, that’s a common confluence of factors that result in temporary quarterback regression.

“It’s learning how to deal with that,” the second executive said.

All the while, the Texans still wrapped up the AFC South division title with three games to play. They beat the Bills in Week 4 and lost to the Packers and Lions by a combined five points, so they’re not too far off. Their next two games, against the Chiefs and Ravens, could change the entire perception around the Texans’ playoff chances.

However the rest of the season plays out, no coach nor executive surveyed by The Athletic this season believes Stroud’s rookie year was a fluke. This season is viewed as growing pains for a quarterback who can still mature into one of the league’s best players.

Collision course

Jared Goff has been outstanding all season, but the Lions QB did something Sunday in the loss to the Bills that should create optimism during a frustrating stretch in Detroit.

Earlier in the year, executives wanted to see how Goff would perform when the Lions weren’t in command of the game — obvious passing situations in a deficit when he needed to go throw for throw with an upper-echelon quarterback on the opposing sideline.

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Suffice it to say, Goff didn’t blink despite trailing by multiple scores for the majority of the Lions’ 48-42 loss. And given the state of the Lions’ injury-ravaged defense and the unenviable task of countering another superhuman performance from Josh Allen, there wasn’t any room for error after Detroit’s stagnant start.

Goff finished Sunday 38-of-59 passing for 494 yards and five touchdowns. He led four consecutive TD drives to close the game, nearly helping the Lions pull off a miracle comeback despite a rare Amon-Ra St. Brown lost fumble and a Jake Bates missed field goal.

GOFF TO AMON-RA. 66-YARD TD.

Not over in Detroit.

📺: #BUFvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/uHEKLWabzy

— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024

Goff proved he can post points in a hurry if necessary. And with how many injuries the Lions have endured, it will probably be necessary.

Speaking of which, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts also silenced some doubters, internal or otherwise, with a brilliant performance in a 27-13 victory against the Steelers. He was 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 45 yards and a score, and Hurts did it while running back Saquon Barkley was largely limited.

The Lions and Eagles have been the NFC’s top-two seeds since the playoff picture began to take shape, so it would hardly be a surprise to see them square off with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. And with both quarterbacks answering pivotal questions against quality opponents, such a matchup could live up to the hype.

Pick 2

Two random thoughts. First, Packers wideout Romeo Doubs did indeed make an awesome catch on his game-sealing 22-yard touchdown against the Seahawks, but let’s not lose sight of Jordan Love’s throw. The Packers QB was at the 32-yard line when he made the throw to Doubs, who was at the 10-yard line and wrestling through tight coverage during the QB’s windup. Love picked a perfect spot and couldn’t have thrown it any better.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE CATCH!#ProBowlVote + #RomeoDoubs pic.twitter.com/P8Zu0eEgoD

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 16, 2024

Second, and this might sound weird after a 12-6 rock fight in the rain, but Rams QB Matthew Stafford has been playing at a very high level for most of the past month. His performance two weeks ago against the Bills was as good as it gets in terms of making high-quality throw after high-quality throw. The Rams are shaping up to be a threat if they get into the playoffs, and Stafford’s play is a primary reason.

Bloody Sunday

It was a tough week to play quarterback. Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain; Geno Smith exited with a knee injury; and Justin Herbert aggravated his ankle injury.

Additionally, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener and Will Levis were benched, while Tommy DeVito suffered a concussion.

We kept Winston and Levis in the rankings while the Browns and Titans assess their situations. Haener was replaced in the rankings by Spencer Rattler, as we work under the assumption he’ll get a longer look after his impressive second half against the Commanders.

Showing the fragility of the backup/fringe starter dynamic across the league, just six teams have had the 32nd-ranked QB in 16 weeks this season — the Dolphins (five times), Giants (four), Raiders (two), Titans (two), Saints (two) and Packers (one). And in hindsight, if there was any way to predict how well Malik Willis would have played for the Packers, they wouldn’t be on this list.

Dropped out: Drew Lock (heel injury), No. 31 last week; Haener (benched), No. 32 last week.

(Photo of C.J. Stroud: Luke Hales / Getty Images)

The Chargers’ Week 17 game against the New England Patriots is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 10 a.m. PST as the NFL Network chose the matchup to lead off a nationally televised Saturday tripleheader, the league announced Tuesday.

The Chargers (8-6) are fighting for playoff seeding while the Patriots (3-11) have already been eliminated from postseason contention. Because of a Thursday night game this week against the Denver Broncos (9-5) at SoFi Stadium, the Chargers will not have to battle a short week before traveling to New England. The Chargers notched a road 6-0 victory over the Patriots last season.

Thursday’s divisional game could decide each team’s playoff seed as the Chargers are currently clinging to the seventh seed behind the sixth-seeded Broncos (9-5). It’s the fourth prime-time game for the Chargers in six weeks as the team emerged as a potential playoff contender. But the Chargers have gone 2-3 during the high-profile stretch, losing three of their last four games.

The Chargers’ regular-season finale at Las Vegas has not been scheduled yet. The divisional matchup can be flexed to Jan. 4 or Jan. 5.

Forgive Dan and Amy Macuga if they have to consult a spreadsheet to figure out where their children are.

This is one of those things that happens when your three girls are all skiers on the inside track to make the U.S. Olympic team. There’s a boy, too, who also skis competitively and may eventually end up on the U.S. team, but not in 2026.

Ah, but we digress. For the next 16 months or so, the Macuga sisters of Park City, Utah (where else?), are going to be adding their own chapter to the story of standout sports siblings. You’ve heard of the Manning brothers (football) and the Williams sisters (tennis) and the Korda crew (golf and tennis). Alpine skiing had Phil and Steve Mahre way back when.

But here’s what makes the Macugas different: Through the combined forces of having different body types, different interests and probably a healthy dose of the self-preservation instinct that led them to not want to compete against each other, each Macuga pursued a different skiing discipline. The result: When you meet them, there is a bit of a “Sound of Music” vibe to the Macugas, if the Von Trapp family had been filled with skiers rather than singers.

“I’m Sam, I’m 23, and I like to fly,” says Sam Macuga the ski jumper.

“I’m Lauren, I’m 22, and I like to go fast.” That’s Lauren Macuga, the alpine racer.

“And I’m Alli, and I’m 21, and I like all aspects, so I do moguls.”

Like Lauren, Daniel Macuga, the baby of the family at 19, skis alpine. He doesn’t compete internationally yet, so he’s a bit more manageable. He might even attend a U.S.-based college full-time first. Time, and results, will tell.

Their endeavors all have a bit of overlap. Alpine skiers fly 60 meters in the air over jumps. Mogul skiers go pretty darn fast while they race over massive bumps while incorporating flips and other tricks into their runs. And there may be no scarier starting gate than the one atop ski jumping’s large hill.

Three sisters on one Olympic team would be any parent’s dream. Three sisters in essentially three different sports in one Olympics is a parenting psychologist’s dream, since the girls have basically never competed against one another, except in Mario Kart and card games.

“When we play games together, it’s so competitive,” Lauren Macuga said. “If we were all in the same sport, it would not be possible.”

Lauren Macuga finished fourth in the downhill in Saturday’s World Cup event in Beaver Creek, Colo. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

It all happened very organically, too. After moving to Park City in 2007, the Macugas signed up their kids for the region’s Get Out and Play winter sports program, a legacy of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City that provides cheap access to winter Olympic sports for children in the region. Each sister liked something else. Their parents did not complain.

“They kind of self-selected,” said Dan Macuga, a marketing executive who has worked with Chevrolet and Usana. “We’ve always told them, ‘As long as you’re having fun, just keep doing what you’re doing.’ It’s not really our decision to make. It’s what makes them happy, and they chose the sport that they wanted to do.”

Logisticswise though, the Macuga family chronicles have long been an exercise in organizational mayhem.

For years, that meant relying on friends and other parents to get some of their kids to the right mountain at the right time. These days, the various U.S. ski teams take care of that part.

The parents just have to try to figure out what continent and country they need to be in to catch up with the children. There’s a Google Sheet filled out months ahead of time with everyone’s schedule.

What’s happening in the coming days?

According to the sheet, on Thursday, Sam is scheduled to be in Engelberg, Switzerland, preparing for qualification the next day. Lauren will be training in St. Moritz, getting ready for Saturday’s Super-G race; Alli is training for the weekend’s moguls competition in Georgia — the country not the state — after traveling from Alpe D’huez in France the day before; father Dan Macuga and Amy are flying to Zurich that afternoon. Daniel, the little brother, is home on duty with the dogs, Yuki, a Siberian husky, and Bowser, a “megamutt,” according to the girls. The four cats kind of take care of themselves.

The spreadsheet is largely for the parents’ use. The children have their own methods.

“My teammates will be like, ‘Oh, where’s your brother? Where are your sisters?’” Alli Macuga said. “I’m like, ‘I don’t know, somewhere across the world? I think they’re in Europe. Maybe like Japan, or like Norway or, I don’t know, Germany.’ It’s always just a guessing game. Or I’ll check Find My Friends (app) and be like, ‘Oh, that’s where they are.’”

“Yeah, Find My Friends is our hero,” Sam Macuga said.

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Alli and Lauren found themselves in the same hotel in Chile this summer for a week of training. That was weird. Basically never happens.

Once they figure out where each other is, sometimes they realize a sister is competing at that very moment. They will tap away on their various gadgets until they find a live stream of the competition somewhere and cheer along from thousands of miles away.

Alli, the mogul specialist, has posted the best results of the family so far, though Lauren showed signs that she might be coming on fast. Racing the famed Birds of Prey track at Beaver Creek in Colorado over the weekend, she finished fourth in the downhill and 12th in Super-G. In the downhill, she missed her first spot on a World Cup podium by 0.18 seconds.

If she keeps that up, she will be following in the footsteps of Alli, who has come a bit out of nowhere the past couple of years to become one of the U.S. team’s rising stars.

Mogul specialist Alli Macuga has been the top performer of the family so far, aiming for a spot on the 2026 Olympic team. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

She landed on two podiums last season and finished fifth in the world rankings and has two top-15 finishes to start this World Cup season. There’s not too much mystery surrounding her success. During her early teens, she liked freestyle skiing so much she competed in seven different disciplines, everything from “big air,” which is going off one huge jump and doing some flips and spins, to “big mountain,” which requires flying down a steep descent filled with cliffs and frightening drops.

“I was constantly competing and traveling and not training,” she said.

She decided to choose the two she liked most, which were moguls and big mountain. But at 17, at the junior world championships in big mountain in Switzerland, she crashed on a cliff and fractured her back. That pretty much ended her big mountain career.

Two seasons ago, she was supposed to just have a few starts on the top-tier World Cup circuit and spend the rest of the season competing a level down on the Nor-Am Tour. Then she finished 12th in her first World Cup start. She ended up getting the World Cup Rookie of the Year award and also winning the Nor-Am tour.

She’s pretty sure that not specializing in one discipline too soon and those early years trying out alpine and jumping with her sisters have played a big role in her success.

“They all contributed to each other,” she said.

Lauren Macuga said she got hooked on speed skiing when her coach threw her into a downhill race in Sugarloaf in Maine when she was 16. Nearly all kids start out skiing gates and don’t move into the speed disciplines until they are older.

Lauren had never raced downhill before. She quickly discovered that the race basically happens on ice, rather than snow. She did her first training run fully clothed, wanting some protection in case she fell. She wore pants during the second one.

Her coach told her to aim for finishing within two seconds of the leaders. She finished a little more than a second behind them and got hooked on the adrenaline rush.

The shift to competing in Europe at the highest level has been an education. American mountains, especially in the lower rungs of competition, don’t have the icy steeps of Europe, with jumps over waterfalls and other high-octane challenges. One look at the left-right combination of the “Hot Air” jump in Zauchensee, Austria, last year and she thought it might be the end of her.

“At the start and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I just want to make it down,’” she said. “I guess the fear factor just kind of turned more into, it was fun.”

A season-best fifth-place finish in Super-G in Kvitfjell, Norway, last season went some distance toward that transformation.

Sam Macuga has further to go to get to that level. The U.S. doesn’t have the history of success in women’s ski jumping that it does in alpine and freestyle. Women didn’t compete in the Olympics until 2014, and funding for an American jumping team can be hard to come by.

But she’s already accumulating points toward a spot on the U.S. team for 2026. Her slight build has always been well-suited to jumping, where being light can help you soar. She’s also got a technical mind and studies electrical engineering at Dartmouth for a quarter each year.

Plus, there is this:

“I like to fly,” she said.

That’s not always the sort of thing a parent likes to hear. And there isn’t much comfort with the other kids, given Alli’s mid-slope flips and Lauren and Daniel tearing down sheets of ice at 80 mph.

Whatever, the Macugas are used to it.

Amy Macuga says she gets nervous for them in the starting gate but not out of fear of an injury.

“They hit the ground pretty hard, and like any parent, you can have that inkling to start running toward them, but you also know that with the team that they’re in good hands,” Dan Macuga said. “You know that people (are) taking good care of them and wouldn’t let them do something that they thought it was gonna hurt them.”

Plus, they have a spreadsheet to manage, which is enough to worry about.

“We used to operate off a whiteboard,” Lauren Macuga said. “We have upgraded.”

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(Top photo of, from left, Alli, Lauren, Amy, Dan and Sam Macuga at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Gold Medal Gala in New York in October 2023: Michael Loccisano / Getty Images)