'Laser-Focused' C.J. Stroud Ready for Ravens

C.J. Stroud has made major improvements since his Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which has the Houston Texans poised for an upset during the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

HOUSTON — One of the most compelling storylines throughout the 2023 postseason is Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. 

Stroud led the Texans to a 10-7 regular-season record. And at 22 years old, he became the youngest quarterback in history to win a playoff game by leading the Texans to a 45-14 Wild Card victory over the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 13.

Stroud's impressive rookie season will continue Saturday afternoon during an AFC Divisional Round contest against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Houston is entering the divisional round as heavy underdogs but will continue to rely upon its "why not us" mentality. A victory against the Ravens will give the Texans their first conference championship game appearance in franchise history.

However, Stroud's emergence has many believing that the Texans have a chance to upset the top-seeded Ravens while pondering the realism of Houston's championship aspirations.

"We’re trying to just do our job — we don’t really pay attention to what people say," Stroud said. "It’s not up to them what goes on when you’re on the field, so it’s really just up to us to go out there and do our jobs, and we believe in ourselves, and we trust in ourselves to win games and hopefully win this game. We have complete confidence in ourselves, so we’re not really worried about what everyone else has to say."

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Improvements since Week 1

Leading the Texans past the Ravens would be daunting for any quarterback — despite their experience. The AFC divisional round between the two franchises will feature Stroud going head-to-head with presumed league MVP winner Lamar Jackson.

Jackson has orchestrated one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Baltimore finished the regular season ranked fourth in scoring, averaging 28.4 points. He led the way while completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 821 yards on 148 carries and five touchdowns.

But as significant of a season Jackson had, the Texans saw a less effective version of the two-time All-Pro quarterback, similar to the Ravens and their introduction to Stroud.

The Texans sustained a 25-9 Week 1 defeat to the Ravens on Sept. 10. Stroud completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 242 yards. But despite the loss, he gave his teammates a glimpse of his potential during his NFL debut.

"He was a poised quarterback who was able to stand tall in the pocket throughout the whole game," wide receiver Robert Wood said. "It was his first NFL experience against a good defense. He played well. But he showed great poise for all four quarters."

Woods described Stroud as a "great rookie quarterback doing veteran-type stuff." And since departing Baltimore following an early season loss, Stroud's improvements have generated one of the best seasons by a first-year quarterback.

Stroud believes he has improved in every aspect of his game. He has averaged 276.1 yards since his debut, which includes five games of throwing over 300 yards.

Woods has been most impressed by Stroud's ability to go through his reads and progression on a veteran level. According to Player Profiles, Stroud has possessed the fifth-best passer rating in man coverage at 102.0 and the third-best in zone coverage at 106.5.

He has also improved his ability to sustain his production against the blitz. During their first meeting against Stroud, Baltimore blitzed the former Ohio State prospect 14 times. He finished the game completing 57.1 percent of his passes for 74 yards against the blitz, per Pro Football Focus. 

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud attempts a pass as Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Rayshad Nichols rushes during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Stroud has since had four additional games of being blitzed 10 or more times. However, he has completed an average of 64.9 percent of his passes for 472 yards and three touchdowns. Stroud's best game against the blitz came during the Texans' 39-37 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He went 10 of 14 for 163 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers, who blitzed the rookie quarterback 12 times in their Week 9 loss.

"I’ve always spoke about his growth throughout the year – from Day 1 to where we are now – but he’s been consistent," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "I think throughout the past month that he’s been back from the injury – he’s just really been very calm. He’s been focused – he’s been laser-focused, locked in. He’s been very calm, very confident, and I think everybody feels that around him."

How far can Stroud take the Texans?

There has never been a rookie quarterback in league history to win a Super Bowl, yet alone start in the championship game.

If the Texans get past Baltimore, Stroud will become the sixth rookie quarterback to start in a conference game. The latest came in 2022 when Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship game, where their season came to a disappointing end during a 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Reaching the conference championship game will be a significant accomplishment for the Texans and another indication of Stroud keeping his draft night promise to take the franchise to new heights.

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Stroud has revitalized the Texans within his first season at the helm in Houston. A win against the Ravens will give the franchise its first AFC Conference Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills.

Taking part in the 2023 playoffs started as a farfetched dream. However, Stroud's faith and improvements have instilled a new profound belief within the franchise. And one that could lead to the Texans potentially representing their respective conference in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.

"Right now, we’re focused on going 1-0 this week," Stroud said. "We’ll figure it out after that. I’m not really focused on after that, it’s all about going 1-0 and trying to do as best as we can in this game."