Across the Shield: C.J. Stroud Beats Jim Harbaugh, Cameron Heyward Ties Career-High with 10 Tackles and Curtis Samuel Scores A 55-Yard Touchdown

Eighteen former Ohio State players saw action in the first round of the NFL playoffs, and several of them had standout performances, led by C.J. Stroud, Cameron Heyward, Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin.

Stroud leads Texans past Harbaugh’s Wolverines

C.J. Stroud led the Houston Texans to a wild card round win for the second time in two years to start his NFL career, and this one may have been extra sweet for the former Ohio State quarterback.

After going 0-2 against Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines as a Buckeye, Stroud finally earned a win over the former Michigan coach as his Texans ended Harbaugh’s first season with the Los Angeles Chargers by handing them a 32-12 loss.

Coming off an up-and-down second regular season in the NFL, Stroud had one of his best games of the year in the wild card round, completing 22 of 33 passing attempts for 282 yards – his fourth-highest passing total of the season – for one touchdown with one interception.

While the Texans got off to a slow start offensively, failing to score on their first five drives of the game, Stroud started turning the game in the Texans’ favor when he led them on a 99-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. That included a spectacular play on which Stroud recovered an errant snap before completing a deep pass going back across his body to Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain.

UNREALLLL THROW FROM CJ7

: @Nickelodeon and @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/PLl8uTifWK

Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 11, 2025

Stroud followed that up two plays later with a 37-yard strike to Nico Collins; three plays after that, Stroud and Collins connected for a 13-yard touchdown.

NICO COLLINS ALERT pic.twitter.com/ruEPMyFFwx

NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2025

C.J. TO NICO

TEXANS TAKE THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/AoQryOL28N

NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2025

Stroud scrambled for a career-long 27-yard rush to set the Texans for a field goal to take a 10-6 lead before halftime, and Houston never looked back from there as it rolled to a 20-point victory.

STROUD WITH THE WHEELS

27 yards = the longest rush of his CAREER pic.twitter.com/O0P2D4KiQn

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2025

Despite their history in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, Stroud and Harbaugh shared an embrace after the game and Harbaugh praised Stroud in his postgame press conference.

“Respect to C.J. He made some terrific plays,” Harbaugh said.

In recognition of his strong showing in his third career playoff game, Stroud earns our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer for the first time this season.

Cade Stover had the most productive game of his rookie season on the receiving end of Stroud’s passes, catching four passes for 28 yards. Joey Bosa recorded his second career postseason sack in defeat as he took down Stroud near the end of the first quarter.

STROUD WITH THE WHEELS

27 yards = the longest rush of his CAREER pic.twitter.com/O0P2D4KiQn

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2025

Heyward records 10 tackles

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended with a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card round, but that wasn’t due to any lack of effort from Cameron Heyward.

Fresh off of being named a first-team All-Pro for the 2024 season, Heyward had one of the most prolific games of his entire 14-year NFL career as he tied a career-high with 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss, with all but one of Heyward’s 10 tackles coming within three yards of the line of scrimmage.

Heyward also recorded four hurries against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, according to Pro Football Focus.

Samuel beats Surtain for 55-yard touchdown

The Brooklyn Dagger became the Buffalo Dagger on Sunday as Curtis Samuel helped ice a first-round playoff win for the Buffalo Bills over the Denver Broncos with a 55-yard touchdown that gave the Bills a three-score lead in the fourth quarter.

Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II is likely to win this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, but he had what might have been his worst play of the year against Samuel as the former Ohio State receiver got open against Surtain to catch a deep ball before making him miss in the open field and running away from two other Broncos defensive backs on his way to the end zone.

CUE THE SHOUT SONG!!

: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/6bwDImGDJH

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 12, 2025

The 55-yard catch was the longest of Samuel’s NFL career. He finished his first career playoff game with three catches for 68 yards, a season-high, as the Bills earned a 31-7 win to advance to the divisional round.

McLaurin makes spectacular catch, scores go-ahead TD

Like Heyward, Terry McLaurin followed up an All-Pro regular season – in his case a second-team All-Pro season – with an excellent showing in the wild card round of the playoffs.

McLaurin helped the Washington Commanders earn their first playoff win in 19 years as he caught seven passes for 89 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter that gave the Washington Commanders a 20-13 lead in their eventual 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

PEEKABOOOOOOO

#WASvsTB @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/M5JNCesPwi

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 13, 2025

Earlier in the game, McLaurin made a terrific 35-yard catch on a deep ball that prompted NBC commentator Cris Collinsworth to call McLaurin “the best contested catch receiver in the NFL.”

TERRYYYYYYYYYYYYY

#WASvsTB @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/asDg2KAsff

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 13, 2025

McLaurin’s fellow Ohio State recruiting classmates Jalyn Holmes and Marshon Lattimore also contributed to the Commanders’ win, with Holmes recording a tackle for loss and Lattimore recording seven tackles, though most of Lattimore’s tackles came on catches by his longtime nemesis Mike Evans, who caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown against Lattimore.

Myers carted off with leg injury

Josh Myers’ fourth NFL season ended in disappointing fashion as he was carted off the field with a leg injury during the fourth quarter of the Green Bay Packers’ 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fortunately for the former Ohio State center, Myers’ injury isn’t one that’s expected to affect his availability for next season. Myers said after the game that he believed he had suffered a hairline fracture in his leg, but that injury typically requires a recovery of only two months or less.

“I think I got lucky,” Myers said after the game, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “Time will tell on that, but I think I got lucky.”

Myers said it was “very upsetting” that he was unable to finish the game, however, as he is uncertain whether he will remain with the Packers for next season. Myers is set to become a free agent for the first time in his NFL career this spring.

12 Buckeyes advance to divisional round

A dozen former Ohio State players remain in the NFL playoffs going into the divisional round. Each of this upcoming weekend’s four games will include at least one Buckeye on the field, with the potential for at least two in every game if the Eagles elevate Parris Campbell from their practice squad to their active roster again as they did for their wild card round win over the Packers.

The full schedule for the divisional round with the list of Buckeyes on each team’s roster, excluding practice-squad players who haven’t yet participated in a playoff game:

Saturday

• 4:30 p.m., ESPN: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (No Buckeyes) vs. No. 4 Houston Texans (C.J. Stroud, Jeff Okudah, Cade Stover, Tommy Togiai)
• 8 p.m., FOX: No. 1 Detroit Lions (Taylor Decker) vs. No. 6 Washington Commanders (Terry McLaurin, Jalyn Holmes, Marshon Lattimore)

Sunday

• 3 p.m., NBC: No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (Parris Campbell) vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (Jonah Jackson)
• 6:30 p.m., CBS: No. 2 Buffalo Bills (Curtis Samuel) vs. No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (Malik Harrison)

Wild Card Round Stats

Full stats for each former Ohio State player who played during the NFL’s Wild Card weekend can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. The table only includes players who are on playoff rosters and who finished their college careers at Ohio State.