Eight games in, and it didn’t take long for one member of this famed 2023 NFL Draft quarterback class to rewrite the rookie record book.
But it was Houston Texans No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud shattering the record for most passing yards in a single game for a rookie, slinging for 470 yards in the Week 9 thriller over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 39-37. The only player selected above him, Bryce Young, unfortunately, was nowhere near Stroud’s numbers in his Week 9 game.
And at the halfway point of the NFL season, the development of both has re-sparked some conversations about the direction both are going in. There’s a new belief that the Ohio State standout should’ve gone first overall.
‘What a Blunder’ – Fans React on Bryce Young Being Selected Over C.J. Stroud
While Stroud led his Texans to the nail-biting win with 14 seconds left, Young unfortunately had two of his passes turn into defensive touchdowns. Young went on to finish with 24 of 39 passing, 173 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in the 27-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Fans are now ripping Young’s Panthers for selecting him over Stroud, with one fan saying, “What a blunder” on X (formerly known as Twitter).
MORE: NFL Week 9 Winners and Losers
Other fans were even more harsh. One said that the Heisman Trophy-winning passer Young “is just not ready for the NFL” following his performance against the Colts.
Worse for the top overall pick in the draft, he was roasted by CBS Sports for “most TD catches from Bryce Young this season,” which included Colts cornerback Kenny Moore on the list following his two-touchdown day for Indy.
Most TD catches from Bryce Young this season
Adam Thielen 3
Kenny Moore 2
D.J. Chark 2
Tommy Tremble 2 pic.twitter.com/IHICMe0B0M— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 5, 2023
How Are Stroud’s Numbers Different From Young’s?
One look at Stroud’s newest stat lines points to someone who would be considered an MVP candidate if he were on one of the league’s best teams and in his second NFL season.
But Stroud has put together a campaign that easily makes him the frontrunner for NFL Rookie of the Year. Here’s what he’s now accomplished:
- Has 14 touchdowns to just one interception.
- Threw for 300 yards or more in three games, including the 470 he had in Week 9.
- Has a 62% completion percentage.
- His 2,270 yards make him the 10th passer to surpass 2,000 at the halfway point of the year.
- He’s averaging 324.28 yards per game.
Going over to Young, he was the one who was supposed to be around a QB whiz in Frank Reich. But here’s how Young has performed after eight games:
- Has just eight touchdowns with seven interceptions.
- Has three games with multiple picks.
- Has yet to experience his first 300-yard game in the NFL. The most yards he threw for was 247 in the 42-24 loss to the Detroit Lions.
- In five games, he’s settled for just one touchdown pass.
- With 1,202 passing yards, he’s averaging 171.7 yards per game.
At this rate, Stroud is on pace for 4,540 yards by season’s end. That mark would shatter the previous record held by former Colts QB Andrew Luck, who delivered 4,374 yards in 2012. Stroud already has a better average yards per game than Luck’s rookie season.
Young, though, is on pace to settle for just 2,404 yards. Among starting quarterbacks, that would place him near the bottom of the league.
Did Frank Reich Admit a Mistake With Young?
Reich, Young, and Carolina now sit at 1-7 overall, while Stroud and the Texans are a more respectable 4-4. Furthermore, Stroud has officially guided Houston to more wins compared to last season.
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Is Reich admitting he made a mistake with Young? He addressed Young’s awful evening versus Indy. Reich, though, admits he feels he made this mistake with Young: Not putting him in the best position to succeed.
“It’s not all just the pick-six’s. I know it seems that way, but we put him in a hard position a couple of times,” Reich admitted postgame. “We’re all a part of it. So we’ve got to do a better job.”
Stroud’s head coach, DeMeco Ryans, meanwhile, said that his QB impressed him with his grit in the pocket during the closing seconds.
“It’s a gutsy performance from him,” Ryans said toward Houston reporters postgame. “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.”
Stroud has cemented his case for becoming a future star, while the man who went in front of him has ended up with the slower upward trek.
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