Week 9 in the NFL solidified that Houston has a new star outside of its immensely popular natives like Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and Beyonce.
C.J. Stroud was in his own Astro World as his late-second heroics were pulled off without the Houston Texans having a kicker and his team facing an early 3-5 deficit. At the end of the process, Stroud shattered an NFL rookie record in the Texans’ pulsating 39-37 win.
What Record Did C.J. Stroud Set? A Look Back at His Heroics
Stroud ended his afternoon with 470 passing yards — now an NFL record among rookie quarterbacks.
But to understand how Stroud got to this eutopia in Houston, we need to trace back to how calm he was late in the game.
MORE: NFL QB Power Rankings Week 9 2023
To reiterate, Houston lost kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn to a quad injury. With the lack of available kickers, the Texans ended up turning to Dare Ogunbowale for kicking duties … the same Ogunbowale who takes handoffs as a running back. The RB ended up hitting a 29-yarder to give Houston a 33-30 lead with 2:58 left.
Then, with 46 seconds to go, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield hit Cade Otton in the middle of the end zone to put the Bucs ahead 37-33.
The Bake Show 🔥
Baker Mayfield finds Cade Otton in the back of the end zone to take the late lead over the #Texans!#GoBucs
pic.twitter.com/kDqaz6sc6r— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 5, 2023
But the final 14 seconds of the game left fans inside NRG Stadium stargazing because of Stroud.
First, the rookie found fellow 2023 NFL Draft member Tank Dell, who positioned the Texans inside the red zone. Then, Stroud threaded the final strike that got the crowd as loud as the Renaissance Tour.
C.J. Stroud is HIM 🐶
An absolute STRIKE to Tank Dell to take the lead with 6 seconds left 🤯
The Ohio State product has the poise of an #NFL veteran 🔥#Texans
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 5, 2023
Stroud’s final touchdown throw became the sixth and final lead change in what was the most exciting game of the early slate of NFL action.
DeMeco Ryans Reacts To Witnessing Calmness and Growth of Texans QB
The man responsible for going all in on Stroud, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, walked into the postgame presser with four strong words:
“Big sigh of relief,” Ryans said, smiling.
Ryans mentioned how the Texans had “misses” to begin the game — the kind that got Houston to fall behind early by 10 points before snatching the victory. Ryans, though, beamed about the building chemistry between newcomers Stroud and Dell. In a city that’s embraced duos from hip-hop supergroup UGK to Astros superstars Justin Verlander and Alex Bregman, Stroud and Dell is an emerging “H-Town” partnership.
He also added that as stellar as Stroud was, it wasn’t his cleanest of games. But still, it was the kind of performance that wins over a coach.
“It’s a gutsy performance from him,” Ryans said to the Houston media. “It wasn’t all clean, but he gutted it out. He was tough in the pocket, made some plays, and made some big-time throws for us.”
MORE: NFL Playoff Picture Week 9
Another assist that led to Stroud’s breakout day? His cohesion with his wide receiving room, with seven different Texans catching a pass. Three of his pass catchers — Noah Brown, Tank Dell, and Dalton Schultz — all surpassed 100 yards receiving.
“The receivers were reliable for him. They made big catches and made tough catches for him. But for C.J., it was a gutsy performance from him,” Ryans said.
How Did Stroud React to His Epic Day?
Stroud not only had to deal with getting his team to respond to a late opposing touchdown but also had to withstand a hit on a Dell sideline grab off of an out route.
“I honestly don’t know where I put it. Because I got hit, and I just looked up, and everybody was cheering … so I knew we completed it,” Stroud said.
Even crazier for Stroud and the Texans: the winning touchdown called by offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was a play they hadn’t run since late July and early August.
“The next play, we just put that in on the sidelines. It was a play that we hadn’t worked on since training camp,” Stroud admitted.
Still, Dell creating the route and Stroud adding the final magic touch completed the gutsy play call.
“I know that Tank’s route was nasty. I didn’t get to watch it, I just threw it,” Stroud said.
But a heroic play like the final one works best when there’s a key judgment by the safety that allows the QB to take advantage.
“I just had to take care of the safety, and they were in quarters. Once the safety buys the inside route, I throw to the outside route. His job is to beat the corner, and the Texans win,” Stroud said.
Stroud used his powerful right arm, his two organs above the nose, and a sense of calm flowing through his veins to lift his team out of the high-pressure moment. He’s emerging as the new face in a city that’s embraced stars — from celebrities to NASA.
And, now eight games into his career, he’s understanding what it takes to be a superstar in his city and the league, stepping up when the odds are stacked against him.
“That’s something I’m learning in this league. You’ve got to be great in two minutes. For me, I just want the ball. Give me the ball, call the play, and I’m going to go make the play,” Stroud said.
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