Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud Ranks Highly Among 'Clutch Quarterbacks'

The Texans are in good hands with CJ Stroud when a game is close late in the fourth.

Nov 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) walks on the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Texans were an exhilarating team to watch a season ago. Led by then-rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans took a seven-win jump from their three-win season in 2022.

Stroud's emerging superstardom signaled to the franchise that it was time to go all in on building a contender. They did such, acquiring a blend of young and veteran star talents to give Stroud the tools needed to win at the highest level.

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With the NFL in the heat of the offseason -- with nothing going on until training camp -- rankings and lists are continually being released ahead of the 2024 season. CBS Sports' Douglas Clawson ranked the top ten "clutch" quarterbacks in the NFL.

In the rankings, Stroud represented the Texans as the No. 2-ranked clutch quarterback.

"Nobody was better in the clutch than C.J. Stroud last year," Clawson wrote. "The Texans converted on 6 of 8 game-tying or go-ahead drive chances late with Stroud under center. His numbers in those situations were phenomenal. 77% completion rate, 10.7 yards per attempt and a 139.5 passer rating. The best highlight was this game-winning touchdown pass from rookie-to-rookie to cap Stroud's 470-yard, five-touchdown game."

CJ STROUDDDDDDDDDDDD. #TBvsHOU pic.twitter.com/gW2PMBVIbj

— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023

Evidently, the game-winning drive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a huge breakout moment for both Stroud and the Texans. The writing was on the wall, but that moment solidified Stroud as an emerging star.

Heading into the 2024 season, drives and plays like those will be made much easier for Stroud and the Texans. On top of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Houston added Stefon Diggs to the wide receiver room. Joe Mixon is joining Stroud in the backfield and the offense will have a handful of weapons that'll consistently create space for one another.

Stroud's clutch-time ability will help the Texans string together another double-digit win season, and he should be able to win at least one playoff game, as he did as a rookie.

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