Trevor Lawrence Outduels C.J. Stroud in Jaguars-Texans Rematch
In week 12 of the 2023 NFL season, star quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence squared off in a divisional showdown with first place in the AFC South on the line. In the second chapter of their young rivalry, Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars came out on top and improved their lead within the division to two games.
The Jacksonville Jaguars took an early 10-point lead following kicker Bradon McManus’ 21st field goal of the season, and Trevor Lawrence’s third rushing touchdown in two weeks. A three-minute touchdown drive that saw Stroud at his very best; the rookie signal caller completed all three of his passes for 66 yards and a touchdown to open the scoring for Houston.
Yet another McManus field goal extended the lead to six as both teams entered their respective locker rooms at halftime. Following an ugly interception of Lawrence to open the second half, Stroud capped off a seven-play, 46-yard drive with a one-yard score to take a precarious 14-13 lead.
Not to be outdone, Lawrence found wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the back of the endzone for six on the ensuing drive.
“It's coming along with not just Calvin [Ridley] but the whole offense,” said Lawrence. “We're getting better, we're being more explosive, kind of moving the ball at will.”
A timely response is something many in Duval County have come to expect from the former first overall draft pick, and their confidence was again rewarded.
After the Jaguars relinquished a two-score advantage to open the second half, kicker Brandon McManus drilled his third field goal of the contest to regain a 10-point cushion with eleven minutes left to play. A Texans punt gave him a golden opportunity to make his fourth of the day from 55 yards out; inversely, his missed kick gave Stroud the perfect platform to captain a lightning-quick touchdown drive to cut the lead to just three.
Jacksonville punted on the next drive with less than three minutes to go, and as Stroud marched onto the field for what would likely be his final drive, it’s impossible to suggest he didn't know what was at stake. It’s equally as impossible to expect anything less than perfection from the rookie.
Stroud’s MVP-level play so far this season is nothing short of spectacular, and against the Jaguars his ability was on full display. Stroud is a technician, from his poise in an oftentimes collapsing pocket to his meticulously-drilled footwork; even when considering the fact that the Texans selected the Ohio State-product with the 2nd overall pick, he’s exceeded even the loftiest of expectations.
Make no mistake, however; this is far from the 3-13-1 Houston Texans that finished the 2022 season one loss shy of the league’s worst record. Should you wish to gauge just how talented of a roster Stroud has at his disposal, look no further than last week’s nearly-disastrous 21-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Despite throwing three interceptions–one more than Stroud threw in Houston's first nine games–the Texans defense held strong, allowing zero points off turnovers and forcing three straight turnovers on downs to put away the Cardinals.
“They show me that they really do trust in me, and I trust in them right back,” said the former Buckeye on the chemistry he’s built with his teammates. “It's definitely helpful and gives me a lot of confidence. So I appreciate those guys fighting for me, and I'm fighting right for them.”
Against the Jaguars, Stroud was tasked with one of the more critical ‘fights’ of his young career: Rebounding from his worst performance of the season.
With a final statline of 304 passing yards and three total touchdowns, it’s safe to say last week’s slug-fest was an outlier in an otherwise spectacular rookie campaign. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Stroud led the Texans offense onto the field with hopes to replicate the results of their first bout with the Jags in week three.
The Texans first snap on that all-important drive came at their own 11-yard line; seven plays and two third-down conversions later and Stroud had driven to the Jacksonville 37. First and 10, Stroud takes the snap, looks deep…
Cue Josh Allen. Sack, timeout Houston. The additional nine yards Stroud had to gain to move the chains proved too much for the rookie, and ultimately doomed any hopes of a comeback in regulation.
A 58-yard field goal try that fell just short by the Texans backup kicker, Matt Ammendola, doomed any hopes of a comeback period. Following one of his most prolific performances of the season, Lawrence took the field to kneel out a 24-21 victory over their hated division rivals.
Lawrence turned in a 364-yard, two-total touchdown effort against the Texans; and it should’ve been much more impressive. A would-be touchdown bounced off the hands of Ridley, and wideout Chirstian Kirk let a perfect ball slip right through his fingers due in-part to the glare created by NRG Stadium’s massive windows.
It’s difficult, however, to make the argument that he outplayed Stroud. The first-year gunslinger led his team in rushing yards by nearly 40 yards and was the driving force behind all three of their scoring drives:
“It's a players' league and I have to go out there and make plays. Sometimes when it's not there down the field, sometimes they get you,” said Stroud. “Some of it is planned, some of it's not. I feel like we took strides in that area today, and that's something you see around the league from [Patrick] Mahomes to [Joe] Burrow to Josh Allen to really all over the league. Those guys do well in scramble drill, and I think we took a step towards that today.”
Considering the many strides Stroud has made this season, it’s hard watching him lose in such heartbreaking fashion. After the game Stroud had, I’d have been willing to let him kick the game-deciding field goal.
Due to a quad injury suffered in week nine’s comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was placed on injured reserve and thus unavailable to suit up against Jacksonville. There’s no question in my mind that he–at the very least–sends this game to overtime, though as Stroud put it: “...you can't put the whole game on that situation.”
After the 24-21 victory, the first edition of the Stroud-Lawrence rivalry has been written, edited and published. Head to your local bookstore and pray they have a copy left because–to the dismay of Trevor Lawrence–we likely just witnessed the beginning of a long and storied one:
“There's going to be some–I'm sure some great match-ups down the road, and
C.J. [Stroud] is playing lights out,” Lawrence said. “But no… I'd prefer if the guys in our division didn't have good quarterbacks.”
