Texans' C.J. Stroud puts end to Rookie of the Year debate in record-breaking comeback
C.J. Stroud's bid for NFL Rookie of the Year has been all but sealed after his heroics in the Houston Texans' Week 9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With 46 seconds remaining in regulation and two timeouts at his disposal, Stroud marched the Texans offense down the field on a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to secure a 39-37 comeback victory. Stroud's late-game brilliance capped a record-setting afternoon for the No. 2 overall pick.
Stroud became just the sixth player in NFL history to record 450 passing yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions in a game. His 470 yards surpassed former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (433) for the most passing yards by a rookie.
Through eight games, Stroud has been spectacular, ranking within the top seven of all signal-callers in yards (2,270) and touchdowns (14). His one interception is the fewest by any starting NFL quarterback despite attempting the 12th-most passes in the league (279). The six other quarterbacks in the NFL to throw just one interception this season have combined to attempt 269 total passes, an average of 44.8 attempts per player.
While Stroud was the second quarterback to come off the board in the 2023 NFL draft, he's undoubtedly the run-away favorite for Rookie of the Year honors. Bryce Young, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers, has amassed 895 fewer passing yards and six fewer touchdowns than Stroud. Yet, the latter's play has him in contention for more than just self-accolades.
Houston's win over Tampa Bay moves them to 4-4 on the season and in the hunt for their first postseason appearance since 2019. With four of their next nine games against divisional foes, the Texans have a golden opportunity to gain footing on the 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South title race.
While it won't be easy sledding to unseat Jacksonville, having Stroud at the helm legitimizes Houston's postseason aspirations.
"That boy the truth," Texans running back Devin Singletary told ESPN of Stroud. "He's a dog. Killer instinct and never wavered. It wasn't pretty at first, but he led us, and we rallied."
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