Texans Have C.J. Stroud, But AFC Still Runs Through Patrick Mahomes

While the Houston Texans have a bright future and a young roster, the Kansas City Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes taking over the AFC.

Two things can be true at once. Just because something is factual doesn't mean the other side is a lie. 

Take for instance C.J. Stroud, the face of the Houston Texans' franchise and the NFL's next superstar. Stroud entered Houston as the hopeful heir apparent to Deshaun Watson and the answer to end mediocre play over the past three years. 

He checked off both boxes and more on the way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. There hasn't been a better rookie season in NFL history compared to Stroud's 4,000-plus yard year that helped the Texans secure their first division title since 2019. 

Stroud is elite. He isn't done growing as a player, either. A year from now, we could be talking about how the future All-Pro and MVP ended Houston's losing streak in the divisional round and pushed the franchise closer to winning a conference title. 

All that's true. The future is bright down at NRG Drive. 

But it's blazing in Kansas City already because of the quarterback who once again took down a better team in the postseason to keep the winning ways alive. 

Patrick Mahomes is insane. There has never been a player like the two-time MVP, nor will there ever be one to emulate his demeanor when commanding the huddle on Sundays. 

Yes, Texans fans. Stroud could be the league's second-best quarterback this time next season and no one would think twice about it. 

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium / Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

But the AFC runs through Mahomes, and it will until he hangs up the cleats for good. 

If one were to take anything away from this postseason, it's that Mahomes is on his own level. Kansas City likely would have barely snuck into the playoffs if No. 15 was suiting up for another team. 

The Chiefs would have been lucky to win 10 games with the roster that took the field at Arrowhead. 

But Andy Reid had the secret formula — a 6-4 passer who can evade pressure, create second-change opportunities, and never seems out of the play. Even when the pocket collapses, it only takes a few seconds to see Mahomes come out the other side cocked and ready to deliver a strike downfield. 

On the road for the first time, Mahomes vanquished the "good guys." Josh Allen scored four touchdowns in the divisional round and had the better receivers. 

Mahomes had the clutch factor and the better fourth quarter. 

Baltimore, who bested Houston the week prior, had a two-time MVP calling the offense and looked locked in during the first drive. 

Then, Mahomes woke up and chose violence, making voters ponder if Lamar Jackson was worthy of the league's highest honor.

Stroud has yet to face Mahomes in the postseason. Maybe that's a positive for a rookie's confidence, even though he laughs in the face of adversity and doesn't shy away from a challenge. 

Joe Burrow and Tom Brady are the only two quarterbacks to take down Kansas City since Mahomes took over in 2018. Brady is the G.O.A.T. and was never playing the sidekick role to a kid. 

Burrow got the first laugh in 2021. Mahomes got revenge a year later at "Burrowhead" in front of a packed Cheifs' crowd. 

Comparing Stroud to Mahomes is foolish. Comparing anyone to living folklore who has three Lombardi Trophies before 30 is asinine. 

Could Ex Texans QB Deshaun Watson Face More Punishment From NFL?

When talking about Stroud, it's best to compare him to the Allen's, Burrow's and Jackson's of the league. 

When talking Mahomes, you're bringing up a blast from the past like Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning and the seven-time Super Bowl champ. 

Yes, the gap is that big. It makes the Grand Canyon look petite next to the breach between Mahomes and insert QB2 here. 

Kansas City was the underdog and still won. Not because it had the better playsheet or coach. Heck, it's not even because the Cheifs had the better quarterback. 

They had the best player. Period. 

It's why they've been basically the Houston Astros of the NFL, making it to the AFC Championship six straight times. 

So the Texans have to have the better team to move on. End of story. 

Stroud, who turns 23 this offseason, is only going to get better. The roster will only improve and the upside around players like Derek Stingely Jr., Will Anderson Jr., Nico Collins, and Tank Dell is through the roof. 

Expectations are changing, too. Houston would've been content with seven wins and a quiet offseason after firing its coach three consecutive years in a row. 

Now, Texans fans believe a Super Bowl title is in the works. Stroud believes it, too, and he's set on making that dream a reality. 

Should Stroud guide Houston to New Orleans, he'd be the second-youngest quarterback to do so behind Marino. That's music to his ears given that he just made postseason history by becoming the youngest passer to win a playoff game. 

Burrow reached the Super Bowl in his second season as a starter. So did Marino. Brock Purdy accomplished the feat despite being in his full season as QB1. So did Brady, who sat behind Drew Bledsoe until a shoulder injury in Week 2 of the 2001 season created a two-decade dynasty in Foxborough. 

Mahomes, the east Texas native who sat behind Alex Smith as a rookie, needed three seasons to reach the big game. Add in the 50-touchdown season and MVP honors, it's safe to say he's content waiting an extra year. 

Mahomes has been back to the big dance three more times since 2019 and is 2-1 during that span, with his lone loss coming to Brady in Tampa Bay. Consider that a passing of the torch moment for the AFC. 

Brady was the final boss for Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, Joe Flacco, and a handful of other passers in the 2000s. 

Texans Projected to Make 'Major Leap' in 2024

Mahomes is the same in the 2020s for Burrow, Allen, Jackson, Justin Herbert and even Stroud.

Brady didn't bat 1.000 in the playoffs. Neither has Mahomes. But the two didn't just lose to an elite quarterback. They lost an A+ passer that played on an elite team. 

That'll be the case for Stroud in Houston. 

He's elite, but the Texans must match his energy to surpass Kansas City on even a bad Sunday. 

After all, two things can be true at once.