Is C.J. Stroud NFL's Best? Houston Texans Rookie Earns Offensive Player of the Week
The only thing surprising about Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud's record-setting performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was that he hadn't done it before.
From the very day he was drafted, Stroud had dealt with adversity. He wasn't believed to be the best option for the Carolina Panthers, nor the Texans. The narrative around him was simple: he wasn't the guy. He couldn't be.
Those pushing it even went as far as to promote the fact that his IQ score was lower than that of his competition — a rather interesting way to determine on-field talent.
Stroud duly noted that, and despite facing harsh criticism from all over, he remained poised, calm and most of all, confident.
"I'm a football player. ... not an S2 taker," Stroud said of his reported low IQ-determining test scores. "I know who I am, and I know what I can do on that field. And I'll do that at the next level."
Safe to say, the rookie has done just that in Houston. In fact, he has taken his game to the next level. First, he willed himself to the top of the rookie leaderboards for all-time passing in a single game. Now, he sits atop the AFC's offensive talent leaderboard.
C.J. Stroud, it is easy to anticipate, will be the newest AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Nov 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) celebrates his touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium.
© Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
The Texans rookie put on a show, no doubt, but the selection makes his record-setting day even more special. Stroud finished the game with 470 passing yards and five touchdowns on an over 70 percent completion percentage — the latter stat of which Ryans said is one of the rookie's biggest strong suit.
“Accuracy is something you either have or you don’t," Ryans said. "C.J. has it. We’re thankful that he has it. ... He does a really good job of putting the ball exactly where it needs to be."
So, Stroud represents a special demographic of accurate quarterbacks. But not only is he just the second rookie to earn the honors — Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane did so after his team's demolition over the Denver Broncos — he's also the first Houston Player since Deshaun Watson earned it back in 2020.
Houston Fans won't be too fond to hear Watson's name thrown out there, but it does speak levels to the way Stroud has played and just how high of a ceiling he does have.
And Ryans couldn't have agreed more.
"Trust is earned," the veteran coach said. "C.J. has earned that trust by showing it on the practice field and proving it to his teammates. You build that trust over time. C.J. has built that trust amongst his teammates [and] amongst the coaching staff. We [know] we can put a little bit more on him."
“He’s still a rookie," Ryans added. "He still has things to learn and things to grow from each and every week, but he’s doing a really good job of just growing throughout the year."
Stroud's AFC honor certainly makes sure that extra eyes and attention will be on him today, for the rookie himself, all eyes are focused on the Texans' matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
There, he'll get a chance to continue to grow, continue to throw and once again make a strong statement. And who knows? Maybe he'll be a repeat winner.
Houston's contest against the Bengals is set for Sunday afternoon, when the Texans will have a chance to improve past .500 once again on the road.
Kickoff from Paycor Stadium is set for noon CST.
