PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – How many Ohio State quarterbacks have come in the league and been disappointments. Even when Justin Fields seems to have a little breakthrough, he can’t win a game starting for Chicago. CJ Stroud may be different.
Still just 21-years-old, and it’s a really small sample size, but every game has been better.
· L at Baltimore 28-44, 242 yards, 0 TD or INT, sacked 5 times, 78 rating
· L to Indianapolis 30-47, 384 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, sacked 6 times, 103.5 rating
· W at Jacksonville 20-30, 280 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, no sacks, 118.7 rating
“He’s done a good job of managing games so far,” said Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith. “He’s taken a step each game.”
“Very accurate,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “I think he takes care of the ball. He does a good job, I think, in terms of getting rid of the ball, getting out of his hands. He's had some sacks. When you look at it overall, he really is doing, I think, a really good job. He doesn't look like a rookie when you watch him play.”
Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said it’s his dedication to improve every week. He said Stroud learned early if you don’t want to get hit, you got to get rid of the ball.
“I told him you are going to get blitzed,” Ryans told the Pittsburgh media. “Being a young quarterback, they want to put pressure on you. He’s responded the proper way figuring out where he wants to go with the ball when he is blitzed. I’m very encouraged with how he’s progressed when he’s faced pressure throughout the year.”
He hasn’t seen pressure like this. With Highsmith and NFL Defensive Player of the Month TJ Watt, along with likely a pair of back-up tackles for the Texans. Dealing with the heat is going to be job number one for the rookie Sunday afternoon.
“He’s strong, first of all, hard to get down,” Watt said. “A guy that’s going to take care of the football. He’s going to let it fly. He progresses through his reads like a veteran. It’s going to be a lot of challenging things for us, but I look forward to it.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Stroud looks mature beyond his years, crediting the responsibility of being a franchise quarterback at Ohio State. He said multiple years at a FBS power is similar to the experience of wearing that job description in the NFL.
“He doesn't appear to be overwhelmed by it at all,” Tomlin said. “He manages himself in game and out of game with a maturity level that's impressive. He's good at extending plays. He's not just a runner when he starts to escape, his downfield vision is excellent as he extends. He's done a nice job of utilizing a bunch of eligibles and even absorbing some of that attrition component (mainly with injuries to the offensive line).
Joey Porter, Junior faced Stroud twice in some major Big 10 matchups. OSU won both games as Stroud excelled completing 65% of his passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in 2021 and 79% of his passes for 354 yards and a touchdown last year. Porter said several teammates have asked him about Stroud’s tendencies.
“I say he’s a good quarterback,” Porter, Junior said, adding he’s extremely confident in his abilities. “He’s very accurate with the ball. He knows where he wants to go with it and we have to make the most of our opportunities when they present themselves.”
Austin said they are letting Stroud play, while obviously playing to his strengths. He appears to have a full playbook. He said the Houston rookie has spread the ball around well, his ball placement is really good. Austin said if the Texans didn’t have confidence in his ability to handle it they would hunker down and run it. Houston is not doing that.
Stroud is nowhere near the running threat of his predecessor at Ohio State (Fields), he’s only run 10 times for 35 yards, it’s the same as Matthew Stafford to give you an idea. But he does have the ability to move around when under pressure.
“We have to be disciplined in our drops and rush lanes because he can run as well,” Highsmith said. “We’ve seen good things from him. We have to play our Steelers team defense.”
“It’s going to be on us to execute how we need to execute our A-game,” said linebacker Elandon Roberts. “Obviously, it’s not going to be a walk in the park. As pros, we respect them and come into this game fully focused.”
“We have to be in our details with a quarterback that does have some mobility, but I think we have a good plan upfront and we are ready to go,” said defensive lineman Montravius Adams.
“That kid is a baller, straight up,” said Texans teammate and Central Catholic HS grad Kurt Hinish. “He throws a nice ball. He a winner. He’s a great leader in the locker room. He’s a great leader on the field. I couldn’t say any more about the kid.”
Tomlin is 22-4 all-time against rookie quarterbacks. This kid may be different, but the Steelers also expect their defense to be special as well. KDKA-TV has the game starting at 1p.