Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud remembers how his team was routed by the Baltimore Ravens all the way back in Week 1, so with another meeting with the Ravens on tap in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this weekend, Stroud spoke about the Texans’ growth since then.
“I think we’ve grown in a multitude of areas,” Stroud said, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “I think at that point, we weren’t really identified as who we are now, and we’ve grown in a lot of aspects. A lot more experience up front now, both offensively, defensively, and special teams, so I think we’ve grown in a lot of places.”
Stroud went 28-for-44 with 242 yards in Houston’s season-opening loss, but he says he has grown in terms of “just operating as an NFL player.”
“It’s different than college, especially off the field,” Stroud said. “Just having more time on your hands and just really being a professional. I think my coaches have done a good job helping me along with my vets and things like that, so I’ve grown in a lot of different places.”
Stroud is in the middle of a historically great rookie campaign. He threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63.9 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 100.8. He also led the league by averaging 273.9 passing yards per game.
The 22-year-old then dazzled in the Texans’ Wild Card Round win over the Cleveland Browns, going 16-for-21 with 274 yards and three touchdowns. With the victory, he became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game.
“They do blitz a lot, they do have a lot of different simulated pressures,” Stroud said of the Ravens. “So, seeing it Week 1 is definitely good, and I tried to fix those problems that we had then, which I think we’ve done, and just really play our game.”
C.J. Stroud and Co. will battle Baltimore on Saturday afternoon.
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