NFL's next great QB rivalry might have blossomed on Sunday

The AFC South might finally have a precious entity that’s escaped the division for most of its existence: a quarterback rivalry involving two legitimate franchise signal-callers.

Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence and Houston's C.J. Stroud had a back-and-forth affair Sunday that has breathed life into a division that hasn’t had much fanfare or excitement by the way of quarterback talent in recent years. The Colts ran this division for quite a bit with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck at the helm, but it’s a new day in the AFC South with the Jaguars and Texans.

Stroud and Lawrence were slinging it all over the field on Sunday during the Jaguars’ 24-21 win, showcasing their talents that make them entrenched franchise starters.

Lawrence praised Stroud's performance this season — while having a little fun with it.

"I want teams in our division to be as bad as possible," Lawrence said. "That's how I see it, and the way they're playing, it's exciting, yes. There's going to be, I'm sure, some great matchups down the road, and C.J.'s playing lights-out. He's doing a great job. ... But no, I wouldn't prefer that. I'd prefer if the guys in our division didn't have good quarterbacks. It'd be better for us."

He's not wrong. Stroud continued his streak of incredible production, throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns on just 36 attempts. It was Stroud’s fourth straight 300-yard game this season and also his fourth straight game with at least 8.4 yards per passing attempt. His MVP candidacy might have taken a hit with the loss to Jacksonville, but he still has Rookie of the Year locked up.

For a team on the Texans’ timeline of youth and growth, this loss stings, but it’s OK in the sense that their franchise savior continued to look like a franchise savior. Very few quarterbacks in the league have the ability to play on time and within structure while also hunting big plays down the field, but Stroud has mastered both of those abilities in just his first year in the league.

On the flip side, Lawrence hasn’t had such a prolific season, but all of the skills to be a franchise quarterback are still there and readily on display even as the Jaguars' offense tries to figure out a consistent passing game. Lawrence has bounced back from a miserable performance against the 49ers two weeks ago and now has the Jaguars moving in the right direction. Lawrence averaged a season-high 9.6 yards per pass attempt and briefly moved the Jaguars into the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Sunday, before the Chiefs overtook them with a win in the afternoon. The Jaguars feel like they’re peaking at the right time with Lawrence having another strong late-season stretch and the defense performing like one of the better units in the league.

This is largely the moment that both of these franchises have been waiting for. Stroud has allowed the Texans to turn the page from the Deshaun Watson years with his electric play. Lawrence is giving the Jaguars the bona fide franchise quarterback they haven’t really had in their franchise’s history since the late 1990s, if ever. They’ve tried with guys like Blake Bortles and Blaine Gabbert, but this is actually the closest they’ve been to having one.

Even though the Texans suffered a setback in their playoff push Sunday, there’s a real chance that these two stars have a chance to meet up in the postseason, which would be a good thing for the lore-building of this young rivalry.

"There’s six more games left," Stroud said. "... The sky is the limit still."

The Jaguars are on track to host a playoff game as they currently lead the AFC South with a two-game lead. The Texans will need some help from the Colts, Browns and Steelers to punch their ticket to the playoffs, but there’s still plenty of time before the end of the season. Their quest for the playoffs is well within reach as long as Stroud continues to play prolific football.

It’s the Texans and Jaguars world … and we’re just living in it? Maybe not quite that far, but the fact that these teams have quarterbacks of this caliber means they can be relevant for a very, very long time. Here’s to hoping they stay healthy and surrounded with talent because today was a fantastic game from start to finish that showcased the future of the league.