AFC Notes: C.J. Stroud, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson is feeling the urgency for the team to improve on the offensive side of the ball. Even though it’s been just two games, there’s no reason for a unit led by QB Trevor Lawrence with that kind of talent at the skill positions to be among the bottom offenses in football. 

“I know it’s early, but we’re running out of the early excuse a little bit,” Pederson said via USA Today’s Adam Stites. “We need to get it addressed pretty quick. . . . It’s got to be a now mentality, obviously we got to continue to work to improve.”

Texans

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans had high praise for first-round QB C.J. Stroud‘s ability to learn from his mistakes and is happy about the progress he’s making. 

“C.J. is a very good processor — a smart, smart quarterback. He’s not going to make the same mistake twice,” Ryans said, via ProFootballTalk. “That’s one thing I like about him. He knows his mistakes and he knows how to correct them on the fly and it’s just encouraging when you see a young player, a rookie quarterback, who is able to make steps in the right direction. He’s able to progress, he’s able to grow within games. Like you see in our past game where he got pressured and held onto the ball a little too long and he comes back, and he makes the right decision with the football. This kid is made of all the right stuff. Happy to have him on board — our team is happy to have him on board. We just have to play better, complimentary football around him.”

• Ryans said LT Laremy Tunsil remains day-to-day with a knee injury. (Brooks Kubena)

Titans

Titans OLB Harold Landry recalled a critical sack on 3rd-and-3 in their own red zone against the Chargers, which marked his first sack since returning from a torn ACL. 

“I ran a game with [Denico Autry] where I was the penetrator and he was the looper and he did an awesome job setting up the guard,” Landry said, via John Glennon of the Nashville Post. “I did my part in getting in there and doing what I was supposed to do and I was able to get the sack.”

Landry is glad to get his first sack out of the way. 

“It felt awesome,” Landry said. “It felt like just such a relief to get that first one under my belt. Now I just gotta start focusing on just improving, stacking days and playing better and better.”

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is proud of Landry for battling back from his injury and having a solid performance in Week 2. 

“I’m proud of the way he battled through,” Tannehill said. “It was a lot of fun to see him make a play there at the end in a critical situation. It doesn’t get any bigger than that, where our backs are against the wall there on defense, needed a stop in order to force it into overtime, Harold comes up huge and makes a big play. After everything he’s went through, all the ups and downs of rehabbing and how hard that is, to see him go out there and make a play in that critical situation, is a lot of fun for me and I know we appreciate him as a team.”

• Titans HC Mike Vrabel does not anticipate first-round OL Peter Skoronski playing on Sunday. (Terry McCormick)