C.J. Stroud, Texans crush Browns to advance to divisional round
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz reacts to Houston’s 45-14 win over Cleveland and the record-setting day from the Texans’ rookie quarterback.
Video Transcript
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JASON FITZ: CJ Stroud is officially elite, which is ironic, considering how many years we spent asking if Joe Flacco belonged in that category during the prime of his career. In this game, both quarterbacks seem to answer that question, respectfully, as CJ Stroud went off and Flacco was just off throughout the course of this game. Remember, Cleveland came into this thing with the number one defense in the NFL, the number one passing defense, particularly, that was supposed to present a challenge for the rookie quarterback that would tell us if he truly belongs in the category we've been discussing him in.
Well, the fact is, in the first half alone, he set a rookie mark for most passing yards in a playoff game and tied the rookie mark for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game. Again, in just the first half. And the Texans jump out to the lead.
But the second half was about Flacco not quite being right. Flacco gets back-to-back pick 6's that really turn a game. There was going back and forth into a massive blowout. How bad was it?
It was so bad that Stroud actually got to sit down early, early in the fourth quarter, as Davis Mills came in for mop up duty when the score was 45 to 14. In the end, Stroud ends this thing 16 to 21 for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns in limited action. And Houston absolutely rolls, reminding all of us that they're not just a one-hit wonder. They are a sensation that we'll need to take seriously throughout the playoffs.
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