CJ Stroud throws three touchdown passes while Joe Flacco tosses two second-half pick-sixes as the Houston Texans beat the Cleveland Browns 45-14 on Super Wild Card Weekend to progress to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.
Sunday 14 January 2024 04:35, UK
CJ Stroud came, conquered and continued his climb towards the NFL's elite quarterbacks as he delivered a clinic to lead the Houston Texans to a 45-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Saturday's Super Wild Card Weekend opener.
Cleveland and their No. 1-ranked defense had been billed as perhaps the most daunting postseason acid test for the Rookie of the Year in-waiting, only for Stroud to dismantle Jim Schwartz's unit to the tune of 16 of 21 passing for 274 yards and three touchdowns to extend Houston's unlikely playoff campaign.
The No 2 overall pick set the record for most passing yards by a rookie in the first half of a playoff game with 236, while throwing for three touchdowns as a frenetic start saw the Texans lead 24-14 at the break after the teams between them had already posted 31 points with 12 minutes still remaining in the second quarter.
Brevin Jordan took a 76-yard catch-and-run to the house while Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz and Devin Singletary all accounted for offensive touchdowns.
Joe Flacco's fine cameo run finally drew to a close as he threw two defining pick-sixes while finishing 34 of 46 for 308 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He had led Cleveland to the playoffs after going 4-1 as a starter down the stretch having signed in late November following the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson.
With victory on Saturday Stroud became the youngest starting quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history, after he and DeMeco Ryans had become the first rookie quarterback and first-year head coach tandem to reach the postseason since Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.
The 38-year-old's efforts to reduce the half-time deficit were derailed early in the third quarter when he threw pick-sixes on back-to-back drives to gift Houston breathing room.
Steven Nelson picked off a deep pass from the Browns quarterback on first-and-10 at Houston's 34, before following a sea of blockers on his way to the end zone for an 82-yard touchdown.
Moments later Flacco was looking for Harrison Bryant only to instead find the hands of Christian Harris, who walked in for a 36-yard score that pushed the Texans' advantage to 38-14 after the extra point with four minutes to play in the third.
Devin Singletary then rounded things off with 13.27 to play in the fourth as he skipped outside and darted in for a 19-yard touchdown to signal the end of Stroud's night as Houston benched their star quarterback for Davis Mills in view of next weekend's Divisional Round.
Cleveland Browns
Houston Texans
Build-up had tipped its hat to the deep-ball prowess of both quarterbacks on display, as much being vindicated early on when Stroud connected with Nico Collins for 38 yards on third-and-six to extend a drive that would end in Ka'imi Fairbairn's 21-yard field goal.
The response was immediate, Cleveland's star tight end David Njoku hauling in a 45-yard pass to flip the field before Kareem Hunt's one-yard rushing score put the Browns on top, igniting a frantic slug-fest over the next five minutes.
Singletary proceeded to rip off a 29-yard run before John Metchie's 27-yard grab moved Houston into the red zone, from where Collins would showcase his yards-after-catch ability with a 15-yard touchdown to restore the hosts' advantage.
Cleveland hit back two minutes later as Hunt punched in Flacco's shovel pass from 11 yards out to cap a drive that had started with Bryant's 47-yard gain on a deep over route.
It was then Stroud and Houston's turn, Jordan making a short catch at the sideline before side-stepping a tackle inside and turning on the jets to break away for a 76-yard house call for a 17-14 lead.
The Texans followed up with two defensive stops before a beautifully-designed flood opened space for Dalton Schultz to reel in Stroud's cross-field pass for a 37-yard strike in the closing stages of the half.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans: "For C.J. to go have the game that he had, unbelievable performance by a rookie. It was just outstanding by everybody. So proud of our guys in the locker room. I knew they were ready on Tuesday, they were focused, they were locked in and they went out and put the work in.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanksi: "We picked a bad day to have a bad day. That's all of us. That's players, coaches, offense, defense, special teams. Not good enough."
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud on joining Michael Vick as the only rookie QBs to win a playoff game: "It's cool man, it's really cool. I put a lot of hard work in, my teammates do and it's cool to see the fruits of your labour come to be true so I'm super-blessed to be considered with a great name like Michael Vick, who was my favourite quarterback growing up so I'm super blessed and hopefully I can make it two."
Houston must now wait until Monday to find out who they will face in next weekend's Divisional Round matchup following the postponement of the Buffalo Bills-Pittsburgh Steelers clash due to dangerous weather conditions in the Buffalo area.
Watch the Dallas Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers live on Sky Sports NFL from 9.30pm Sunday, before Matthew Stafford's Los Angeles Rams face the Detroit Lions; the Buffalo Bills meet the Pittsburgh Steelers at 9.30pm Monday night following the postponement of their game due to a storm.
