As the Wild Card playoff game neared halftime, the Texans offense had done little to assuage fears of many against a pesky Los Angeles Chargers defense. Facing a third down and long, C.J. Stroud waited for a shotgun snap as he continued to examine the Chargers defensive set.
Then, the snap went through his hands, bounding back towards the Texans goal line. As that ball bounced around on the NRG Stadium turf, many felt the game, and the offense, had hit rock bottom. However, Stroud never quit on the seemingly impossible situation. He chased after the loose ball, kept his composure as he gathered it in and threw a strike across his body about 30 yards downfield to Xavier Hutchinson for a first down. From that point forward, Stroud was on fire in the Texans' 32-13 win over the Chargers.
It was always going to be difficult to follow up on one of the greatest rookie campaigns in the history of the NFL, but no one fought harder to carry this team than C.J. Stroud. In his second season, he surpassed all Texans QBs with his second playoff win as a starter and he threw for 3,700+ yards for the second consecutive season. He led the Texans to their second straight AFC South championship in the process.
Stroud's two year career has been defined by moments and throws that defy description. THe 67-yarder to Nico Collins against the Bills, the third down completion to Hutchinson at Green Bay and the Great Escape against Los Angeles to the aforementioned Hutchinson in the playoffs are just three of ones that easily come to mind. There are more of those moments on the way in 2025 and beyond.
He's still HIM and 2024 was just a taste of what this young man can do in H-Town.
