C.J. Stroud 'didn't have to be Superman' vs. Browns, but rookie punished them for mistakes
HOUSTON — For the many Browns fans who also cheer for Ohio State football, watching Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud torch Cleveland in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs could not have been easy.
Stroud didn't just prevail in his professional postseason debut. He dominated the Browns defense after it ranked first in the league in fewest yards allowed (270.2 per game), third-down conversion percentage surrendered (29.13%) and first downs given up (14.9 a game) during the regular season.
A perfect passer rating is 158.3. Stroud posted a 157.2 while handing the Browns a 45-14 season-ending defeat in the opening round of the playoffs Saturday night at NRG Stadium.
“He showed this same level of play all year, and I don't think he was absolutely exceptional,” Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said. “I think he played a really good game, but he got the ball to his playmakers, and he made the plays he needed to make. He didn't have to be Superman.
“Everyone on that team was executing at a very high level, and he just kept the offense on track and put the ball where it needed to be. And we were just a step slow in different positions, and we had to be little bit better.”
Superman or not, Stroud became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history. Drafted second overall out of Ohio State last year, Stroud was 22 years and 102 days old when the Texans (11-7, 1-0 in the playoffs) eliminated the Browns (11-7, 0-1). In the 2002 season, Michael Vick established the previous record of 22 years and 192 days old.
“It's cool to see the fruits of your labor come to be true,” Stroud said. “I'm super blessed to be considered with a great name like Michael Vick, who was my favorite quarterback growing up.”
Stroud finished 16-of-21 passing for 274 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
“We wanted to throw the ball early, just to set the tone that we were going to not shy away from anything,” Stroud said. “[Left tackle Laremy Tunsil] did a great job against Myles and that front. Our whole O-line did a great job.
“They really are the No. 1 D. They're really good. They have a great pass rush, linebackers flying around, their DBs are really good. And I just think this shows what we are, too.”
Cleveland Browns column: Joe Flacco's amazing run ends with playoff dud. Your move, Deshaun Watson
The Browns defense tied for fifth in takeaways (28) and ranked sixth in sacks (49) during the regular season.
The Texans didn't commit a turnover. The Browns failed to register a sack and were credited with one quarterback hit in the official game statistics.
“[Stroud] got the ball out on time, and, you know, it was a little bit of chip [blocks] and things like that, but mostly quick [passes], and he was given enough time to get it out,” Garrett said. “I mean, the man, he wasn't too flustered getting to his spots, being able to slip through and find a gap for him to throw, when he needed to, escaping out the pocket and making throws down the field.
“There were a lot of close plays where we applied pressure, but he made those plays or he got it out quick enough for us to not be able to make that play.”
More on Cleveland's defense collapsing: Browns 'picked a f****** wrong day to play' poorly in wild-card loss to Texans
The Browns were the better team on Christmas Eve when they rolled to a 36-22 road victory over the Texans. But Stroud didn't play then because he was in concussion protocol.
In the rematch, Stroud's touchdown passes of 15 yards to wide receiver Nico Collins, 76 yards to tight end Brevin Jordan and 37 yards to tight Dalton Schultz helped the Texans capture a 24-14 halftime lead. Then Browns quarterback Joe Flacco threw two interceptions the Texans returned for touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter to essentially put Cleveland in an insurmountable hole.
“This is a dream come true,” Stroud said of advancing to the divisional round.
Browns lose wild-card game to Texans: QB Joe Flacco says 'it's definitely a shame the way' Cleveland was routed in the first round of the NFL playoffs
Stroud punished the Browns for their mistakes. When blown coverage resulted in open targets, Stroud often hit them. It happened on his 37-yard scoring strike to Schultz with 1:11 left in the second quarter.
“Stroud, he's a great quarterback,” Browns Pro Bowl cornerback and Ohio State product Denzel Ward said. “He went out there and made the plays that are open. We left some guys open deep, and he was able to find those guys and execute and was able to take advantage of those plays. Like I said, he's a great quarterback, and he was able to get it there.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Texans rookie C.J. Stroud torches Browns' top-ranked defense
