Simply because the football-watching world was able to rely C.J. Stroud out, the Texans’ sophomore quarterback reminded everybody what he’s able to.
For a lot of 2024, his age-23 season, Stroud flaunted knowledge and precision effectively past his years.
However his efficiency within the first half of the AFC wild-card spherical towards the Chargers Saturday was a wholly completely different story.
Completely completely different, up till a degree.
With only a shade over 6:30 remaining within the second quarter, simply after Chargers’ punter JK Scott booted the pigskin all the best way right down to the Texans’ 1-yard-line, Stroud awoke.
The Texans’ ensuing drive — 13 performs and 99 yards in 5:17 — culminated with a 13-yard hook up between Stroud and his favourite goal from the common season, Nico Collins, and Houston placing their first factors of the competition on the scoreboard.
The landing go counted for six, however the spotlight of the drive got here a couple of minutes earlier when, going through a third-and-16 from his personal 17-yard-line, Stroud discovered Xavier Hutchinson huge open 34 yards downfield.
The protection might have been missing and the window might have been gaping, nevertheless it was a small miracle that Stroud, after fumbling the snap, had each the wherewithal and the composure to satisfy his receiver there.
On their ensuing drive, the Chargers went three-and-out.
Stroud and firm took again over with simply 39 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Texans wanted solely 24.
Stroud accomplished two passes for 13 yards and added one other 27 on the bottom to hold the Texans into field-goal vary.
Ka’imi Fairbairn knocked by means of his try from 41 yards out, and the Texans took a 13-6 lead into halftime.
Stroud’s stat line from the primary two quarters: 14-for-23 and 180 yards, one landing and one interception.
Given how his signal-caller performed for the primary 22 minutes and alter of the primary half, Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans will definitely take it.
“C.J. is authentic, he’s real,” Ryans had mentioned earlier within the week, per the Related Press. “It’s not solely right here, it’s within the locker room across the guys and that’s what management is to me. As you evolve as a frontrunner, you simply be genuine to your self.
“You don’t have to make up anything or make up a speech or make up something to say to guys. C.J. is being C.J.”
