Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud Sets New NFL Record vs. Falcons

C.J. Stroud became the all-time leader for most pass attempts to begin an NFL career without an interception.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud left Atlanta disappointed by the outcome of the game. After riding a two-game winning streak, the Texans came up short in a 21-19 Week 5 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

But Stroud found comfort in the loss after having his name mentioned in the same breath as Tom Brady, Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa.

"It's special — those guys are special football players, and I know my path might be different than theirs," Stroud said. "I want to be great like they are."

Stroud's play against the Falcons was modest compared to his first four games. But Sunday's play against Atlanta marked his fifth consecutive game without throwing an interception.

And with 186 passes thrown, Stroud became the all-time leader for most attempts to begin an NFL career without an interception. A record Prescott held since 2016 (176) — the previous top three were Brady (162) and Tagovailoa (152). 

The record Stroud broke against the Falcons validates his ability to apply lessons learned from his mistakes. He began the first few weeks of training camp throwing several picks. During the Texans' 20-9 preseason loss to the New England Patriots, Stroud committed an interception during his first drive of the game.

Following the loss, Stroud reiterated the importance of taking care of the ball. After leaving Gillette Stadium, Stroud has not thrown an interception since.

Stroud described the record as "cool" because he came close to throwing an interception on several occasions. One of his near interceptions came midway through the fourth quarter when Falcons' defensive back Jessie Bates interfered with Stroud's pass attempt to wide receiver Robert Woods.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

"It’s important to take care of the football and I don’t think I've put it in harm's way too many times," Stroud said. "The one today, number three had a heck of a play playing two different routes and drove on the ball. 

"He’s a really good player, Jessie Bates. I just want to let our offense know and our coaches know they can trust me with the football because turning the ball over is a recipe to lose."

Stroud finished his fifth career game by completing 20-of-35 attempts for 249 yards. His lone touchdown pass came late in the fourth quarter after connecting with tight end Dalton Schultz. If not for a defensive collapse in the final minute, Stroud's touchdown pass would have given the Texans a one-point victory.

Even in a loss, Stroud's record-setting performance became more impressive when considering how he has outplayed his draftmates, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson. 

Young continues to struggle while the Carolina Panthers remain winless. Richardson left Week 5 following another injury, which marked his third early exit of 2023.

For Stroud, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 Draft, has yet to throw an interception. He has tallied 1,461 yards and seven touchdowns through his first five games. 

"Credit to him and the offense for when it was time to go and make a play, even though it wasn’t great throughout the game," Ryans said.

"C.J.’s continuing to do a really good job of protecting the ball, protecting the team. He continued to play well. We just have to continue to play well around him."