Over the last couple of weeks, rookie quarterback CJ Stroud has gone from good to excellent, and not coincidentally, the Houston Texans have been surging.

Even though they were expected to barely improve on last season’s 3-13-1 record, the Texans are now 5-4 and may have a real shot at even making the playoffs. They’re apparently ahead of schedule thanks to Stroud’s heroics in their last two games, in which he had led last-minute game-winning drives against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals.

Many have been effusively praising him as a result. On Monday, former star cornerback Richard Sherman said on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” that Stroud is a top-five quarterback right now, referencing how he has made his teammates better and the fact that he leads the NFL in passing yards per game.

Stroud’s pass completion rate may be low, but he has 2,626 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns against only two interceptions through nine contests. As impressive as his passing numbers have been, having only two interceptions through nine games is very impressive for any quarterback, but especially so for a rookie signal-caller.

NFL News & Rumors: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans Updates

With him at the controls, rookie wide receiver Tank Dell is having an impressive year, while wideout Nico Collins has already established a career-high in receiving yards. It was Dell whom CJ Stroud connected with for the game-winning touchdown against Tampa Bay on Nov. 5.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans, another rookie (he had been the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons), is building a winning program in Houston, and the team already ranks in the top third of the NFL in several key offensive categories.

Perhaps in another two or three years, the Texans will become a real power in the AFC South.

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