C.J. Stroud Makes History in Wild Card Win vs. Browns
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud just keeps making history.
Houston welcomed the Cleveland Browns into NRG Stadium to kick off Super Wild Card Weekend and after a tightly contested first half, ran away with a 45-14 win.
Simply put, Stroud was phenomenal. He tied a rookie playoff record for the most touchdown passes in the first half and didn’t stop there. The defense took over, intercepting Browns quarterback Joe Flacco twice. With the game well out of hand, backup quarterback Davis Mills would close out Houston’s quarterbacking duties.
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It was Mills who took the final snap, but Stroud made history when the clock hit triple zeroes.
At 22 years and 102 days old, the Texans’ win made Stroud the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game.
Stroud finished his evening completing 16 of 21 attempts for 274 yards and three scores. Like so much of his rookie season, Stroud kept the ball out of harm's way and continued to make plays both in and out of the pocket.
“It’s been amazing … We got to keep it going,” Stroud said. “I’m super blessed!”
Stroud also became the first rookie quarterback drafted on Day 1 to win a playoff game since the New York Jets did so with Mark Sanchez under center.
The Texans’ franchise quarterback dominated the league’s best defense just weeks after Cleveland came into Houston and escaped with a blowout win. In returning the favor, he sent his team to the Divisional Round.
The Texans don’t know who they’re playing just yet, and won’t until the conclusion of the Buffalo Bills’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans put it simply after the game, saying Stroud “is the reason why we’re in this position … our whole team is leaning on him.”
