C.J. Stroud needed only one NFL season to lead the Houston Texans back to the playoffs.
The Texans clinched a berth in this year’s playoffs on Saturday night as Stroud, in his first primetime game as an NFL quarterback, completed 20 of 26 passing attempts for 264 yards and two touchdowns to lead Houston to a 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
With both teams entering Week 18 with a 9-7 record, Saturday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium effectively served as a play-in game for both teams, as either team could have clinched a playoff berth with a win while either team would have been eliminated with a loss. Stroud did what the Texans needed him to do to finish the regular season with the victory they needed to make the postseason for the first time in four years.
If there was any doubt that Stroud would be ready for the moment, he answered that question on his very first throw of the game, uncorking a deep ball to Nico Collins for a 75-yard touchdown.
C.J. Strouds first throw in his first NFL primetime game is a 75-yard touchdown. pic.twitter.com/zA0rsBYPIz
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 7, 2024
He completed an easy 1-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Beck with 1:57 to play before halftime to give the Texans a 14-3 lead.
CJ Stroud to a wide open Andrew Beck! @HoustonTexans up 14-3.
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
: #HOUvsIND on ESPN/ABC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/C88VYpgzkh pic.twitter.com/bm11DTTzpG
Stroud finished the first half with 10 completions on 13 attempts for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
After a slow start to the second half for the Texans offense that allowed the Colts to tie the game twice, Stroud led a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive on which he completed seven consecutive passes – highlighted by a pair of impressive 2nd-and-long completions to Collins for first downs – to put Houston back in the lead, 23-17, with 6:20 to play.
CJ STROUD ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
: #HOUvsIND on ESPN/ABC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/C88VYpgzkh pic.twitter.com/ntoU1pFO61
CJ Stroud hook shotting this throw in there while getting hit pic.twitter.com/DL1S0FxOsM
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 7, 2024
That would ultimately prove to be the game-winning drive when the Colts turned the ball on downs on their next possession.
The Texans are now 10-7 on the year and ensured of making the playoffs after going 3-14 a year ago. The only team to make the playoffs with a rookie quarterback after winning fewer games the year before was the 2012 Indianapolis Colts, who went 11-5 with No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck after going 2-14 in 2011.
Houston won the AFC South with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, which means the Texans will host the No. 5 seed Cleveland Browns in next week’s Wild Card round.
By leading the Texans to a playoff berth with a strong showing against the Colts, Stroud further cemented his standing as this year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He finished his first regular season with the third-most passing yards ever for an NFL rookie quarterback, completing 319 of 499 attempts for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Only Luck (4,374 in 2012) and Justin Herbert (4,336) threw for more yards in their rookie seasons.
