The future is bright at quarterback in the NFL following unreal playoff debuts
The next crop of superstar quarterbacks in the NFL has seemingly arrived.
Both the Houston Texans' CJ Stroud and Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love had unreal playoff debuts, leading their teams to improbable Super Wild Card weekend victories while recording remarkably similar stat lines.
Stroud and Love each completed 16-of-21 passing attempts, threw three touchdowns without an interception and finished with 157.2 passer ratings. The only difference between the two was in passing yardage, with Stroud (274) having the advantage by two yards over Love (272).
Both came painfully close to posting perfect passer ratings (158.3) in their first playoff action. However, they now own the third-best rating ever in a playoff game (minimum 21 pass attempts). Only Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen (157.6, 2022 vs. New England Patriots) and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (158.3, 2004 vs. Denver Broncos) top them on the list, per Stathead.
Stroud was magnificent in a 45-14 blowout of the Cleveland Browns, completing 76% of his passes while averaging 12.7 yards per pass attempt against the NFL's No. 1 defense in yards allowed (274.9 YPG). His performance impressed backup and 11-year veteran Case Keenum, who offered high praise for the rookie, saying he would be "the best of all-time" when all was said and done.
Love was just as impressive in an equally one-sided 48-32 victory on the road over the Dallas Cowboys. Entering as a heavy underdog against the NFC's No. 2 seed, Love led the Packers to touchdowns in three of the team's first four drives, all-but-ending things by halftime. After the win, head coach Matt LaFleur was at a loss for words to describe his QB's outing, telling reporters, "Wow, that's about all I can say."
One-game wonders exist, but Stroud and Love have been proving it for weeks.
Stroud is the first rookie to lead the league in passing yards per game and has gotten even stronger as the games have become more pressure-filled. He hasn't thrown an interception since Week 10 (nine passing touchdowns) and has shown the poise of a seasoned vet helping the Texans go from 3-13-1 to 10-7 and NFC South champions. For his part, Love has 21 touchdowns and only one pick over the last nine weeks while leading the Packers to three consecutive wins down the stretch to clinch the final wild-card berth ahead of Sunday's upset.
Stroud and Love still have more to prove, but it's safe to say they've arrived, asserting themselves as two of the best young QBs in the league.
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