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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — C.J. Stroud sets the new NFL record for passing yards from a rookie with 470 yards, along with five touchdowns to lead the Texans to a thrilling win over Tampa.
Coach DeMeco Ryans saw it all from the sidelines at NRG Stadium on Sunday, but he didn’t truly appreciate Stroud’s performance until he watched the game tape.
“The accuracy. That’s the one thing that stood out from C.J.,” Ryans said. “Being able to just slow the film down and pause it, and see the precision of where those throws were… it’s unreal to see how precise he was.”
Tight end Dalton Schultz played with Dak Prescott in Dallas and the veteran tight end marvels at the throws Stroud made to lead the game winning drive in the final 46 seconds on Sunday.
“It’s got to be a perfect ball, and he throws a perfect ball,” Schultz said.
Schultz joins all of his teammates and coaches, singling out the pass that came before the game winner to Tank Dell with six seconds left.
Not many NFL quarterbacks can drop the ball into a precise window for what turned into a critical 26-yard gain, but the Texans rookie made it look routine. After his best day with the Texans, ten catches for 130 yards, and a touchdown, Schultz looked back at Stroud’s impact, adding that the Texans “really put it on CJ’s shoulders, and he stepped up in a big way.”
Stroud’s performance makes him just the third NFL quarterback since 1962 to throw for 470 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions in a game. Afterward, he credited his teammates and quickly looked ahead to Sunday’s game against Cincinnati.
One of the keys for the Texans will be the same rookie combination that produced the game-winning drive against Tampa. Coach Ryans said Dell deserves his share of credit after making six catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
“Those plays he made at UH, it’s the same plays he’s making here for us,” Ryans said.