Texans’ CJ Stroud Did Something Not Done In NFL Since 1950

Kenneth Teape

December 4, 2023

After a tough defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12, the Houston Texans got right back on track in Week 13. Hosting a red-hot Denver Broncos team, Houston was able to pull out a 22-17 victory to move to 7-5 on the season.

The race in the AFC South is unexpectedly tight, as the Indianapolis Colts also won in Week 14, giving them an identical 7-5 record to the Texans. Both teams are chasing the Jaguars, who host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football to close out Week 13. If they win that game, they will move to 9-3 on the season.

A big reason that the Texans have been so competitive this season has been the performance of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, behind Bryce Young, has been incredible through 12 games, as he is running away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Depending on how the final five weeks of the season pan out, some people believe that Stroud should be in the MVP conversation, especially if he can lead the Texans to the playoffs. 2023 has been a special season for the Ohio State product, as he has also set numerous records in the process.

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

His most recent achievement hasn’t been done since at least 1950. With his 274-yard performance against the Broncos on Sunday, Stroud took over the league lead in passing yards. According to NFL on CBS on X, formerly known as Twitter, he is the first rookie to lead the league in passing yards at the end of a week in at least seven decades.

C.J. Stroud is going to be the first rookie to lead the NFL in Pass Yards (3,540) at the end of a week since at least 1950. pic.twitter.com/ugGs6ifbhp
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 3, 2023

Stroud has thrown for 3,540 yards in 12 games to go along with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is also leading the league with an average of 295 passing yards per game as he is putting together the best rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history.

The icing on the cake for all the personal accolades would be leading the Texans to the playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season. This year’s team has a chance to match the win total from the last three years combined, 11, if they can finish the season winning at least four out of their last five games.

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