(SportsRadio 610) - There’s no doubt the Texans have found their second franchise quarterback, and fans are breathing a huge sigh of relief that general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans used the second pick in the draft on C.J. Stroud.
Watching Stroud’s extraordinary performance over the first eight games of his career draws comparisons to Deshaun Watson’s excellent start during his rookie season of 2017.
Stroud ignited the 39-37, come-from-behind victory over Tampa Bay at NRG Stadium. He’s the only rookie in NFL history to throw for 470 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He’s also the youngest quarterback to throw for at least 470 yards and five touchdowns.
Stroud finished the 75-yard, game-winning drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell with six seconds left in the game. The victory elevated the Texans’ record to 4-4 going into Sunday’s game at Cincinnati, which precedes three consecutive games at NRG Stadium.
For the season, Stroud has completed 173-of-279 (62 percent) for 2,270 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has one interception, averages 8.1 yards per attempt and has a 102.9 rating. He’s been sacked 18 times, including seven over the last six games.
How does Stroud stack up against other quarterbacks? He’s first in fewest interceptions and interception percentage, third in average per attempt, fourth in rating, seventh in touchdowns, seventh in rating, 17th in sacks and 27th in completion percentage.
This week, there has been talk on national outlets like ESPN, the NFL Network and The Athletic that Stroud should be among the candidates for the league’s Most Valuable Player Award based on the substantial role he’s playing in the Texans’ surprising improvement.
Now, let’s return to 2017 when general manager Rick Smith traded up with Cleveland to acquire the 12th pick and used it on Watson, who also had an exceptional start to his career.
Watson, who was 6-2 ½, 221 at his combine, came off the bench in his first game and made his first start in the second, a prime-time victory at Cincinnati. Before suffering a season-ending torn ACL during practice after the seventh game, he also compiled some impressive statistics.
In seven games – one fewer than Stroud – Watson completed 126-of-204 (61.8 percent) for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns. He threw eight interceptions, averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, was sacked 19 times and fashioned a 103.0 rating.
Watson averaged 242.7 yards a game compared to Stroud’s 283.7. Watson had more touchdowns (19 to 14) and more interceptions (eight to one).
Watson, 3-3 as a starter, ran a lot more than Stroud has. He had 36 carries for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud has run 20 times for 78 yards and one touchdown.
Stroud (6-3, 214) shows every game how mobile he is when he’s forced to throw on the run, but he’s also had a double-digit rush in each of the last two games. It’s apparent to anyone who watches Stroud he would rather look for receivers before electing to run as a last resort.
Stroud and Watson have a lot in common besides being terrific passers who are accurate, poised in the pocket, fearless and mobile. Like Watson before his career with the Texans ended with a trade demand and more than 20 civil lawsuits, Stroud is amazingly instinctive.
Also like Watson, Stroud is able to make plays off schedule. There’s an acute awareness of what’s happening around him, and he has shown a knack for feeling the pressure, escaping from pass rushers and locating receivers down the field.
“C.J. is a very instinctive player,” Ryans said this week. “He’s made some instinctive plays that weren’t quite on script, and he’s been able to turn it into a big play. That’s what playing in this league is all about -- players who are instinctive (and can) make plays.
“You coach it one way, and you expect certain things to happen, but things change in the blink of an eye. Are you good enough to make those adjustments on the fly and still be a productive player in this league?”
Stroud is showing just how well he can make instinctive adjustments and turn what should be negative plays into positive results.
“It’s when you see pressure,” Ryans said. “When you see something that was not expected and still being able to go to your answers when you do find that pressure and do it in a quick manner where you’re not putting the team in a negative spot.”
Having an instinctive, big-play quarterback who has pocket awareness and a feel for pressure when he’s on the move affects how offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik devises game plans and makes his calls.
“It makes your job a lot easier when you have players who can make those instinctive plays,” Ryans said. “Those are the best players in the league. A lot of guys can just line up and do what the playbook says, but it’s the guys who can diagnose things quicker than others. Those are the guys who stand out, guys who make big plays consistently.”
When it comes to making big plays instinctively, Watson did it for four seasons with the Texans. Stroud is doing it in his first season.
When he starred at Ohio State, Stroud played on such an outstanding offense that he was able to spend more time in the pocket and locate his tremendous receivers all over the field. Because he’s in the NFL and playing against better defenses, Stroud is showing those instincts he developed growing up in California and nurtured in Ohio before becoming a key component of his game in Houston.
“I love playing with my instincts,” Stroud said. “It’s been a blessing to have that God-given gift to feel the game out. I always can feel the sense of the game, and I don’t ever try to do too much with it.
“I’ve been playing football for a pretty long time, and even though I’m a rookie, I can kind of feel the game out a little bit and try to get a little twist to something or do something to make a play. I love making cool plays.”
Stroud made a lot of cool plays when he was red-hot against the Bucs. Now he’ll have to go it again if the Texans have a prayer of ending the Bengals’ four-game winning streak.
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.