C.J. Stroud has Texans dreaming large, however possibly not sufficiently big

HOUSTON — It was over earlier than the tip of the third quarter. The crew nobody thought may make any noise this season had each Houston Texans fan at NRG Stadium standing, shouting and waving their telephones as flashlights.

And with about 10 minutes left within the recreation, rookie phenom C.J. Stroud’s day was already achieved. Sixteen of 21 for 274 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 157.2 passer score in Houston’s 45-14 dismantling of the Cleveland Browns within the wild-card spherical. And he’d solely actually wanted the primary half, passing for 236 yards in opposition to the No. 1 protection within the league, probably the most yardage the Browns allowed within the first two quarters all season.

“I ain’t by no means seen something like this,” mentioned third-year tight finish Brevin Jordan.

Stroud made Cleveland’s secondary appear to be fictional characters. He was by no means sacked and the one time he was actually hit, Stroud nonetheless accomplished a 38-yard move to Nico Collins.

“That was No. 3 or No. 4 within the development, relying on the way you take a look at it,” backup quarterback Davis Mills mentioned. “(Stroud) does a very good job of actually benefiting from what the protection is giving to us, and it doesn’t matter if 1 is just not open, or 2 is just not open, he’s going to maintain clicking via his development and trusting our offensive line to carry up in safety and discovering a man out in area.”

Stroud and Browns quarterback Joe Flacco traded haymakers backwards and forwards for a lot of the primary half. Final week at Indianapolis — in a recreation the Texans needed to win for an opportunity on the playoffs — Stroud wowed in his first prime-time affair, connecting on a 75-yard landing move on the primary play of the sport. He had one other single-play landing drive Saturday, this time to Jordan, who took a brief move within the flat 76 yards to the tip zone early within the second quarter within the Texans’ longest play this season. Houston took the 24-14 lead when tight finish Dalton Schultz broke open on a 37-yard submit route late within the half.

Within the second half, DeMeco Ryans’ protection dominated, scoring the crew’s first two pick-sixes of the season on back-to-back performs from cornerback Steven Nelson and linebacker Christian Harris to go up 38-14. Houston’s protection, bolstered by move rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Greenard, who had been restricted by damage in latest video games, repeatedly pressured Flacco and made him uncomfortable within the pocket. The run protection, in the meantime, held the Browns to simply 56 speeding yards as Cleveland was shut out within the second half.

Stroud on Saturday turned the youngest quarterback in NFL historical past to win a playoff recreation, however his teammates see even larger issues in his future.

“I feel he’s gonna be the very best of all time,” mentioned third-string quarterback Case Keenum, an 11-year NFL veteran. “Like, he actually has the power to be that means. … I do know, it’s very early to say that form of stuff. However, man, he does some stuff that’s simply out of this world.”

A part of Keenum’s job is to be the hype man for the starter. He is aware of and acknowledges this. However he’s severe. “On day, there’s possibly two or three (throws) that I need again, and on a foul day, there’s 10,” Keenum mentioned. “I can depend on possibly one hand the issues that he’s missed this whole 12 months.”

Keenum mentioned Wednesday that each two minutes he has a brand new favourite throw from the rookie. Final week, it was the inconceivable scramble drill that seemed like a throwaway earlier than Collins dove and caught the ball; a couple of minutes later it was Stroud’s 23-yard shot to Collins that obtained the Texans in scoring place.

“That’s one dude that’s locked in,” Collins mentioned. “He’s calm and picked up, he’s prepared to depart all of it on the market for the brother. Seven is particular.”

Jordan mentioned Stroud stopped feeling like a rookie throughout coaching camp.

“I want you guys may very well be within the huddle and round him,” Jordan mentioned. “The dude is unbelievable, how he strikes, how he talks, every thing, you possibly can inform from coaching camp that he was a captain and a QB1, since like day two. You can inform how he moved, like how he walks across the locker room and talks to guys. When you might have a humble, assured man who likes to work, the sky’s the restrict.”

“What C.J. has been doing on the sector is bringing the town out, man, it’s wonderful to be part of,” working again Dameon Pierce mentioned.

When Ryans emerged as a head teaching candidate for the Texans final January, former Texans defensive deal with and present Houston radio host Seth Payne struggled to seek out the appropriate phrases to explain Ryans to Payne’s radio viewers.

“I used to be simply actually annoyed in making an attempt to elucidate how distinctive a person he’s,” Payne mentioned. “Since you hear this crap on a regular basis from individuals, like, PR campaigns about what superior dudes they’re. … So I actually needed to stand on prime of tables to inform everybody, like, no, I actually imply it. He’s completely different than different individuals.”

Payne was an “old fashioned, grumpy veteran” when the Texans took Ryans within the second spherical of the 2006 NFL Draft. And he was upset {that a} rookie linebacker was getting to begin early on in coaching camp.

“Inside a few days, I spotted what an fool I used to be for having that opinion,” he mentioned. “The man simply exudes management and maturity. It stands proud now, nevertheless it actually stands proud when a child is 22 years outdated. And you’ll simply inform then that anyone’s an outdated soul.”

Payne tells a narrative in regards to the first time Ryans referred to as performs within the huddle, when the rookie had a tough time getting the play name out and Payne snapped at him. “He checked out me and it was like he was The Beastmaster,” Payne mentioned. “I didn’t even know what occurred, I used to be instantly pacified, like he would possibly as effectively have shot me with a tranquilizer dart.”

GO DEEPER

With the surging Texans, it’s and is not about coach DeMeco Ryans

The years-long dysfunction in Houston started below the fiery Invoice O’Brien and the mysterious Jack Easterby. After O’Brien was ousted, franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson requested a commerce. After which the scandal. Watson sat out the 2021 season, then was traded to Cleveland, and Houston cycled via two one-and-done coaches in 2021 and 2022.

Ryans, who made two Professional Bowls as a six-year starter in Houston, emerged as some of the sought-after head-coaching candidates available on the market final offseason after a sterling run as a defensive assistant in San Francisco. He was a slam-dunk rent for his former crew. Or possibly a tranquilizer-dart rent.

Stroud led the offensive turnaround whereas Ryans put his stamp on the protection, counting on younger flagbearers like Anderson, whom Houston chosen one decide after Stroud after buying and selling up. The outcome? Ten wins and the crew’s first division title since 2019. And now, after Saturday’s fireworks, the transformation occurred so shortly that it nonetheless doesn’t really feel actual to the gamers who have been right here final 12 months and the 12 months earlier than.

“My final two years right here, it wasn’t splendid,” Collins mentioned. “For us to get 10 wins, now 11 wins, playoffs — that’s an enormous turnaround. It’s exhausting to elucidate the sensation. “

“Uh, 3-13 to a playoff, second spherical?” Pierce mentioned. “Everyone was doubting us, however rightfully so. We didn’t give them a cause to imagine in us final 12 months.”

Payne has heard the character of the calls he takes change drastically from a 12 months, or two or three in the past.

“The dialog is rather more about precise soccer now than it’s about cleaning soap opera drama,” he mentioned. “There have been so many points and a lot drama — and, frankly, dysfunction — for awhile that you just began to overlook that you possibly can be a soccer crew that was targeted totally on taking part in soccer video games.”

Carlos Lopez, a 28-year-old Texans fan who has been coming to video games for many of his life, wore a No. 7 Stroud jersey in his seat on the second degree of NRG Stadium Saturday. Earlier than the sport started, he mentioned he realized the ceiling for the Texans is far greater than he ever thought it may very well be.

“When Deshaun was right here, I assumed that was the very best that we may get, we’re so fortunate to have Deshaun,” Lopez mentioned. “However now, trying again at it … the place we at the moment are is means higher than what Deshaun ever did for us.

“That is the brand new expectation, that we’ll be right here many times and once more. That’s the expectation that Stroud has put upon himself and this crew. Simply what he’s achieved 12 months one.”

(Picture: Michael Owens / Getty Pictures)