If the legend of C.J. Stroud wasn’t forming in earnest prior to Sunday, it just was accelerated in a big way. The Houston Texans’ quarterback broke the single-game rooking passing yards record, culminating in a 70-yard 40-second drive in the final minute to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 39-37.
Stroud, the former Ohio State star who was the No.2 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, looked poised all day. He completed 30-of-42 attempts for 470 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. The 470 yards are the most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
Let that sink in.
It was a wild game in which Stroud found another former Buckeye, receiver Noah Brown, for 157 yards but appeared to be in a losing result for the Texans.
Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to what looked like a game-winning touchdown pass with just 46 seconds left.
BAKER TO OTTON FOR THE GO-AHEAD TD. 46 SECONDS LEFT.
📺: #TBvsHOU on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/d4RDZpcMkc pic.twitter.com/A3Z7zjJdBT— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
That’s when Stroud stepped in the telephone booth and put the cape on. He engineered a 70-yard drive by completing six passes, many of them in tight windows after making the right reads under pressure. It was all capped with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell with 6 seconds left to leave everyone speechless.
It's C.J. Stroud's world. We're just living in it.
30/42 for five touchdowns an NFL rookie record 470 passing yards.
And this game-winnerpic.twitter.com/doTLPUt3LO
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 5, 2023
Let the legend continue to grow. It’s simply unbelievable for a rookie to be doing what Stroud is doing.
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