'No. 7 Is Special': How C.J. Stroud Led Texans To Wild Card Playoff Win vs. Browns

C.J. Stroud's persona has carried to the Houston Texans past the regular season and into the divisonal round of the playoffs.

C.J. Stroud has played in 16 NFL games since being drafted out of Ohio State in April, but no one would be able to tell he's a rookie at this point. 

Stroud treats himself like a veteran. Players often say he's years ahead of his time by how he carries himself in practice and the huddle. 

The attitude and persona follow him home. When Stroud woke up Saturday morning ahead of his first career playoff start, he treated it like a typical game day. He turned on a movie as background noise and looked over the playbook one last time before heading to the stadium. 

That's Stroud, an old-school mind in the body of a 22-year-old with a future brighter than the lights on the field at NRG Stadium Saturday in the Houston Texans' 45-14 wild-card round victory over the Cleveland Browns. 

Cool, calm, and in his element, Stroud never buckled under the spotlight. Then again, at this point, it would be out of character to see a switch in his demeanor. 

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"C.J. is the reason why we're in this position," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said postgame. "He's a special young man and special player and continues to shine. No matter how big the moment is, our whole team is leaning on him, and he has the shoulders to carry the weight. And he shows up week after week...No moment is too big for him." 

Moments come and go, but Stroud is here to stay. So is this new version of the Texans that must wait for the rest of the game to unfold to determine where they'll head next week for their divisional round matchup. 

It's a team that's gritty and will fight to the last whistle. 

It's a team that will take matters into their own hands, even when their backs are pressed against a wall. 

It's a team that can win so long as morale is high. 

And it's a roster that knows victories at this stage are earned rather than given.

"Any given week in the league, you have to bring your A-game," said running back Devin Singletary. "Everyone's bringing their A-game. You have to go and take it. That's really what it comes down to because no one is going to hand you anything." 

Stroud took his open shots and made history in the process. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He threw four passes of over 20 yards, including one to Dalton Schultz for a 37-yard score just before halftime. 

In a season filled with surprises, Stroud might be the biggest. He's the first rookie passer to win a playoff game since Mark Sanchez in 2009, and the youngest quarterback to win one since Michael Vick in 2002, a gunslinger he admired growing up. 

And he's just getting started. Week by week, the little details are becoming massive staples in helping Houston secure wins on a regular basis. 

"Seven is special," said Singletary. "It's his mental that separates [him] for sure." 

Stroud wasn't the only storyline for a franchise with momentum surging at the right time off NRG Drive. After allowing Cleveland to jump out to a 14-10 lead, the defense stepped up in the second half, recording two pick-sixes that put the game out of reach. 

Amari Cooper, who set a Browns' single-game receiving record with 265 yards in the 36-22 victory back in Week 16, was held to four catches for 56 yards, largely in part to Derek Stingely Jr. Will Anderson Jr. put the finishing touches on his Defensive Rookie of the Year resume with a sack against Joe Flacco just before halftime. 

Three others recorded sacks for a loss of 39 yards and held Cleveland to 0-for-4 on fourth-down conversions. 

But everything starts with Stroud. He set the tone with a first quarter touchdown pass to Nico Collins and carried it over until his final play in the third quarter. 

Special might not describe Stroud's night. Record-setting is better. Entering Saturday, only four rookie quarterbacks had thrown for 200-plus yards and three touchdowns in a game. 

Stroud joined the list with just under two minutes left in the second quarter on his touchdown to Schultz. 

"We're playing our best ball as of right now these last two weeks, last three weeks really, and that's really what you want," said Stroud. 

Forty-five points was the most scored by Houston since its 39-37 comeback win against Tampa Bay in Week 9. Three passing touchdowns were the most thrown by Stroud since his five-touchdown outing against the Bucs. 

It's common these days in Houston. It's like clockwork because Stroud makes it feel normal. 

A year ago, the Texans were the laughingstock of the NFL. They had no direction, no offensive drive and what felt like no potential entering a critical moment under Nick Caserio. 

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As Stroud left the field and headed for the bench with the victory secured, a sea of "M-V-P" chants flew from the stands. 

Maybe it won't come in 2023. That doesn't mean it won't come in time as Stroud ages past the rookie presence but continues to add to that veteran poise.

"For him to be a rookie and to have the success that he's having right now and leading this team at such a young age," Anderson said. "All the guys just wanting to play for him and him showing in and out every game of what he can do and his ability, he's a special young man. 

"He's a great teammate. I just can't say enough good things about C.J."