CJ Stroud breaks down game-winning touchdown pass to beat Buccaneers
In just his eighth NFL start, rookie quarterback CJ Stroud led the Houston Texans (4-4) on a game-winning drive with just 46 seconds remaining to give his team a 39-37 Week 9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) Sunday.
On that final drive, the 22-year-old Stroud showed the composure of a 10-year veteran, making big-time throws including the 15-yard touchdown strike to rookie wideout Tank Dell to secure the win. It was a play drawn up on the sideline by offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, and executed perfectly by the No. 2 overall pick out of Ohio State.
“We just had put that in on the sideline. So Bobby did a great job of feeling the tempo of the game and feeling what we probably needed and had a play we ain’t worked on since training camp, and literally I know that Tank was — Tank’s route was nasty,” Stroud said, via the team’s website. “I didn’t get to watch it. I just threw it… Just had to take care of the safety. They were in quarters. Once the safety was by the inside route, I throw the outside route, and his job was to beat the corner. And the Texans win.”
CJ Stroud puts on historic performance against Buccaneers
For four quarters, Stroud diced up the Buccaneers’ defense, which entered Sunday’s contest tied for sixth in scoring defense. Stroud completed 30-of-42 passes for 470 yards and five touchdowns. His 470 passing yards are the most by a rookie in a single game in NFL history. He also became just the sixth player in NFL history to throw for at least 450 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, joining a list which includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Y.A. Tittle.
Simply put, Stroud’s performance was historic.
“It’s a gutsy performance from him,” head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It wasn’t all clean, but he gutted it out. He was tough in the pocket, made some plays, made some big-time throws for us, and the receivers, they were reliable for him. They made those catches, made tough catches, made big plays for us, so it was all those guys working together. But C.J., it was a very gutsy performance by him.”