HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
The Texans’ star quarterback was especially sharp against the Baltimore Ravens, engineering a 44-10 blowout victory Sunday for the first road win against them in franchise history.
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He completed 23-of-27 passes, a career-high 85.2 completion percentage for 244 yards and four touchdowns and a 143.9 passer rating.
He also had the longest run of his career: a 30-yarder that set up his touchdown pass to Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins.
Stroud has overcome a slow start for the offense and has now completed 102 of 144 passes (70.8 percent) for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns.
Over the last two weeks, Stroud has completed 45 of 55 passes (81.8 percent) for 477 yards, six touchdowns and a 139.2 passer rating — with both his completion percentage and passer rating leading the NFL during that span.
Stroud was firing spirals all week, wearing his game face in displaying a distinct intensity that matched the seriousness of the opportunity.
Days before the Texans’ star quarterback delivered four touchdown passes in a blowout win over the Ravens to orchestrate the first win in Baltimore in franchise history, his teammates could tell Stroud was in a zone. The former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was ready for the moment in a win over the injury-depleted Ravens as they were missing star quarterback Lamar Jackson and several other key players.
“He was locked in,” said Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who caught a pair of touchdowns from Stroud for the first scores of his career. “He was all business. It started on Wednesday when we started practicing.
“It was just the energy he had, the confidence he had. It was just the swagger and the way he held himself. You could tell he was locked in and ready for this game.”
Stroud completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards, no interceptions and a 143.9 passer rating the second-highest of his career. His 85.2 completion percentage is the second-highest in the history of the franchise. He’s now the only quarterback in franchise history to have an 80 percent completion percentage, 475 yards and six touchdowns in a two-game span.
“Definitely, he was hot,” Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins said. “Once he get hot, he stay hot. We know what he can do, that he’s special. He was collected back there all game long and then came out with the dub. Proud of my dog, man.”
Only Deshaun Watson had ever posted the stat line Stroud manufactured Sunday. And Stroud was in exclusive company with two games in a row with a 120.0 passer rating, joining Jackson, a former NFL Most Valuable Player, and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
“What I saw from C.J. was his demeanor,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He was very calm. He was very under control the entire game. He didn’t get flustered. They got back there on a couple of plays. He didn’t allow that to fluster him.
“He continued to press forward, continued to make plays, made great decisions with the football. So, I’m just proud of him having the resolve to just continue to push through. He had a nice rush there to get us in the red zone. He just made smart plays with the football all day.”
It was obvious that Stroud was comfortable as he had plenty of time to throw and the collaboration between him and first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley is clicking. Especially on a slick play-action misdirection toss to rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel.
And Stroud served notice about his speed on his 30-yard scramble that set up another touchdown. It was a textbook performance, but it was hardly a surprise. Stroud showed he can obviously run, which wasn’t in question, though. He was joking last week about slowing down as he approached his 24th birthday Friday, but was widely misunderstood on social media.
Regardless, Stroud is on top of his game. With enough time to operate, a complementary running game and a growing knowledge and comfort zone with Caley’s strategy, Stroud is improving markedly the past two games as the Texans have climbed to 2-3 after an 0-3 start to the season.
“Our linemen did a great job, and that’s where it starts,” Stroud said. “I’m one of the best when I get the time, and I can deal it out. Our line did amazing this game. ‘Cales’ was calling a great game,and our receivers were running really great routes. We’ve been getting better at practice every week, and that’s when you see the growth.”
Stroud had never led a touchdown drive in his three previous games against the Ravens -- all defeats. The Texans were embarrassed last Christmas against the Ravens in a 31-2 stomping shown nationally and internationally on Netflix at NRG Stadium, a setback that Stroud called one of his worst games ever.
This marked the Texans’ first road win over the Ravens in franchise history after eight previous defeats, ended a six-game losing streak that went back to a 2014 win in Houston as J.J. Watt, who called the game for CBS on Sunday in Baltimore, dominated as he relentlessly harassed Joe Flacco.
The Texans scored on all eight possessions Stroud was in the game. And the 34-ppoint margin of victory matched the most lopsided win in Texans history and the most lopsided home loss in Ravens history.
“They’re missing guys, it’s obvious,” Stroud said. “I think they’ll be just fine once they get their guys back. I think it’s just big because we had the same problem last year when we played them. We had a lot of guys out on Christmas Day, and they gave us an old-fashioned.”
After Stroud hit Hutchinson to open the scoring, he threw two more touchdowns in the red zone to Nico Collins and Hutchinson in the second quarter.
“He was cooking,” Texans middle linebacker and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair said of Stroud. “Obviously, when we are sitting on the bench for most of the game, you know it’s probably a good day on offense.”
Stroud went viral earlier this week for saying he felt like he was getting old just before turning 24 years old on Friday. Since Stroud is in his third NFL season and one of the league’s younger quarterbacks, his comments raised a few eyebrows for those that didn’t understand his sense of humor.
“I feel like I’m getting old,” Stroud said. “I’m not as quick as I used to be. I was watching my high school stuff a couple days ago, I was rolling. But not no more.”
Obviously, though, Stroud is more than just a pocket passer. He can escape pressure and be elusive, improvising on the fly.
“I feel great,” Stroud said. “Our strength staff has done a good job, not only with me, but our team. We’re moving guys. Our line is great. We’re running fast on the outside. I’m a part of that. I think I’m a pretty athletic guy. When I use my legs, I feel like I’m pretty dynamic.”
Stroud had as many touchdown passes as his four incompletions.
The protection made a huge difference as left tackle Aireontae Ersery, new starting left guard Juice Scruggs, center Jake Andrews, right guard Ed Ingram, right tackle Tytus Howard and extra tackle Blake Fisher got the job done.
“I thought our offensive line did a really nice job of protecting,” Ryans said. “C.J. had a lot of time in the pocket to make those decisions and make the good throws that he made. I’m really proud of those guys and also running the football.”
And Stroud completed passes to nine different receivers. It was yet another example of how Stroud is on top of his game and finding a comfort level in a new offense that has a lot of older New England Patriots concepts and some influence from Caley’s two years with the Los Angeles Rams working for Sean McVay.
“I love to see him spreading the ball around to multiple guys where everybody is getting involved,” Ryans said. “That just shows his growth where we are not just looking for one guy. He’s going through his progressions. He’s playing the play, and whatever is there, he’s taking it. And our playmakers when they are getting the football in their hand, they are making plays.”
Caley drew heavy criticism for the stagnant offense during the first three games of the season. The Texans looked out of sync. Pass protection was substandard. Stroud was obviously uncomfortable and pressing. He missed several open throws in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football and in other games. It took time for Stroud and Caley to start clicking together.
“Caley has done a great job,” Ryans said. “It didn’t show the first weeks because we didn’t execute well. We just have to stay the course and continue to get better as coaches, as players, everybody, and we are all in this together. We are all growing. We are all getting better as the season continues to go on.”
The Texans are now on a two-game winning streak heading into their open week before traveling to the Pacific Northwest for a Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks the following week.
With Stroud on a roll and the Texans owning the top-ranked scoring defense in the NFL, there’s renewed hope for a team that disappointed to begin the season after winning the past two AFC South divisional titles.
“C.J. has always been a great quarterback,” Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said. “Nothing has changed. He’s still the same guy he was when he walked into this building. He just keeps going. He keeps getting better each weekend.”
For Stroud, the perspective of where he is in his career in a pivotal third NFL season is on display. He knows what he can do. And he appreciated how much he was appreciated on his birthday last week.
“I’m grateful just to be 24 and blessed,” Stroud said. “God is good. Just to be in this position is huge. I’m just really grateful for the position God has put me in, this team, this city and all the people who support me day to day.
“It means a bunch. Even on my birthday, a bunch of people were texting me telling me how much they appreciate me, they love me. I feel like I’m a flawed human. I’m not perfect in a lot of areas, but just to feel the love was huge. I think maybe that kind of spilled out this game, and I’m just so grateful.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com