C.J. Stroud shows what making the playoffs really means in recent interview
When C.J. Stroud made repeated clutch throws in the Houston Texans' 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts Saturday, he had one item on his agenda — making the playoffs. After the game, when reality set in for the 10-7 Texans, the emotions of the event felt all too real for the rookie who, in one […]
When C.J. Stroud made repeated clutch throws in the Houston Texans' 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts Saturday, he had one item on his agenda — making the playoffs.
After the game, when reality set in for the 10-7 Texans, the emotions of the event felt all too real for the rookie who, in one season, turned around a franchise that had three wins in 2022.
“I’m sorry,” he said after appearing to choke back tears. “I put a lot of work in. My team has. Everybody counted us out from the start, so it’s just special to see the city of Houston to be on the come up again.
"I’m just blessed enough to be the vessel that Christ picked to lead this great franchise, so I can do nothing but thank the Lord.”
Getting to the playoffs in his first season is merely the latest accomplishment for Stroud, who should be named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Stroud set the NFL rookie record for passing yards in a game when he lit up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 470 yards and five touchdowns.
That came after he set the rookie record for most passing attempts without throwing an interception.
There is little Stroud hasn't accomplished during his rookie season, but securing Houston's spot in the playoffs appears at the top of the list for a quarterback who has breathed life into a franchise that felt dead.
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He earned it on Saturday night.
