Tag: C.J. Stroud

What did Packers QB Jordan Love say about Texans star C.J. Stroud?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love only has positives to say about Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud.

Jordan Love considers C.J. Stroud a friend.

He also knows what the Houston Texans’ did last season is something that most could only dream of as a rookie.

“You don’t see too many quarterbacks that come in and ball out the way he did,” Love told reporters of Stroud in Green Bay earlier this week. “Definitely a testament to the work he’s put in to get there. I’m proud of him. You don’t see too many quarterbacks that do come in and play well right away.”

Love, a 2020 first-round pick, had three seasons to sit and learn under four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers before taking over as the face of the Packers.
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, was thrust into the starting role for a franchise that hadn’t had a winning season since 2020.

Over three seasons, the Texans had posted a combined 11 wins.

In one year with Stroud, the Texans total 10 regular-season victories and a playoff win over Deshaun Watson’s Cleveland Browns. Stroud would win Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for over 4,00 yards and 23 touchdown passes.

Love, who played for Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California, is three years older than Stroud but said he knew of the former Ohio State quarterback’s potential from his time at Rancho Cucamonga High School in San Bernardino County just outside Los Angeles.

“I’ve been watching him for a while now, since high school, so watched him in college and then watched him ball out last year,” Love said. “Me and C.J. are close.”

Not only are the two California passers close off the field, but they’re also close in the hunt for MVP honors. Stroud ranks fifth in passing touchdowns (six), sixth in passing yards (1,577) and ninth in completion percentage (68.3).

Love, who missed two games with a lower-body injury, is second in passing touchdowns (12) and second in yards per game (282.9).

“Jordan is a great dude,” Stroud said Wednesday. “I think he’s a great quarterback. He’s definitely a friend of mine and somebody who I look up to.”

A win for either side not only strengthens their chances of making the playoffs but it also sets the tone for an MVP push. Love knows Stroud’s a unique talent in the pros.

The same goes for the coach looking to take the Texans down.

“I do have a lot of respect for him and what he was able to do a year ago just to be able to come into the league as a young player and put up the type of numbers that he did and lead them into the playoffs,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “I think that was pretty impressive.”

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT at Lambeau Field.

What did Texans QB C.J. Stroud say about Packers star Jordan Love ahead of Week 7?

A battle for the 2024 MVP could be on the line in Week 7 between Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud and Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love.

C.J. Stroud considers Jordan Love a good friend.

The two grew up in Southern California. They’re both represented by the same agent. Each path to the NFL saw its fair share of twists and turns.

Now, Stroud and Love are two of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks and MVP candidates entering their second season as full-time starters. Sunday’s matchup at Lambeau Field between the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers could give an inside track for one young of the gunslingers to take control of the race for the league’s Most Valuable Player.

While Stroud and Love are friends off the field, they’ll be enemies on it Sunday afternoon. That might be the ultimate sign of respect.

“I think Jordan is a great dude. I think he’s a great quarterback,” Stroud said Wednesday. “He’s definitely a friend of mine and somebody who I look up to. And I think the way he’s handled his career has just been very professional and just always has a good attitude, a way to just turn.

“For him to be able to play the way he’s playing now, especially off an injury, I think is just super-dope.”

Despite missing two games with a leg injury, Love hasn’t dropped pace in the hunt for the title of QB1. He’s second in passing touchdowns (12) and yards per game (282.8) while posting a 3-1 record under center.

Last season, Love took the league by storm, finishing second in touchdown passes (32) and 11th in passer rating (94.6). Stroud might have been the only player to outshine him after becoming the fifth rookie in league history to throw for over 4,000 passing yards in their first season.

The No. 2 overall pick also led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio and passing yards per game.

“What he did last year was very, very impressive,” Love told reporters in Green Bay of Stroud’s rookie season. “You don’t see too many quarterbacks that come in and ball out the way he did. Definitely a testament to the work he’s put in to get there. I’m proud of him.”

Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are considered the “face” of young passers. Love and Stroud aren’t far behind after throwing for over 4,000 yards in Year 1 as starters.

The Texans are looking to extend their three-game winning streak and improve to 2-1 on the road. Green Bay could pick up its third consecutive win while touting one of the league’s top defenses.

Quarterbacks will be the headline for Sunday’s showdown. Respect could be the underlying story.

All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including C.J. Stroud) ranked by Total QBR

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud remains one of the top passers in QBR rankings entering Week 7.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud isn’t slowing down. In fact, losing Nico Collins might have been one of the better things to boost his resume. 

Stroud didn’t miss on the road against the New England Patriots in Week 6. He completed 20-of-31 pass attempts for 192 yards and three touchdowns against one interception and served as the backbone for the offensive performance in a 41-21 victory. 

With that positive performance, Stroud rose three spots from No. 9 to No. 6 in ESPN’s Total QBR rankings this week. ESPN gave Stroud a 74.6 QBR rating against the Patriots, the second-best overall score of the season.

Stroud’s traditional passer rating against New England was 100.5, which marked the third time he’s reached triple-digits this year. It’s still a promising look and closer to the standard he’s used to producing. 

The Total QBR differs from the traditional passer rating. According to ESPN, the QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties.”

The metric also considers scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and  looks at “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

Through six games, Stroud’s thrown four interceptions and been sacked 16 times. Two turnovers came in the 34-7 loss against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.

Here’s a look at where Stroud stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks entering Week 7.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR before Week 7

  1. Josh Allen: 79.3
  2. Joe Burrow: 75.1
  3. Jayden Daniels: 73.7
  4. Brock Purdy: 70.3
  5. Lamar Jackson: 69.4
  6. C.J. Stroud: 66.3
  7. Kyler Murray: 65.9
  8. Andy Dalton: 64.4
  9. Derek Carr: 64.1
  10. Jalen Hurts: 63.2
  11. Baker Mayfield: 62.5
  12. Geno Smith: 62.0
  13. Kirk Cousins: 62.0
  14. Sam Darnold: 58.2
  15. Patrick Mahomes: 57.8
  16. Jordan Love: 57.6
  17. Trevor Lawrence: 56.3
  18. Matthew Stafford: 56.0
  19. Justin Fields: 54.0
  20. Daniel Jones: 51.4
  21. Anthony Richardson: 51.4
  22. Aaron Rodgers: 50.3
  23. Justin Herbert: 49.5
  24. Jared Goff: 49.1
  25. Dak Prescott: 48.9
  26. Aidan O’Connell: 46.0
  27. Caleb Williams: 45.5
  28. Bo Nix: 44.0
  29. Drake Maye: 29.6
  30. Will Levis: 27.3
  31. Deshaun Watson: 21.7
  32. Tyler Huntley: 22.0

Stroud and the Texans will take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field at noon CT.

Texans embracing challenge of facing Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love

The Houston Texans know that Sunday’s battle against Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will be cinematic.

Through six games this season, the Houston Texans’ defense has been up to the task of making life hell for opposing quarterbacks.

Minnesota Vikings journeyman Sam Darnold is the only passer to present problems to the Texans en route to a 5-1 record. He threw four touchdown passes and completed over 70% of his throws in what became the worst loss of the DeMeco Ryans era.

Other than that, life’s been grand whenever facing a gunslinger on Sundays.

Chicago Bears starter and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams tossed two interceptions and was sacked seven times in a 19-13 victory back on Sunday Night Football

Buffalo Bills star and potential MVP favorite Josh Allen completed nine pass attempts and totaled a season-low 131 yards.

Jacksonville Jaguars starter Trevor Lawrence looked lost in a 24-20 loss back in Week 4 after completing 54.6% of his throws.

And Will Anderson Jr. made sure to give No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye his “welcome to the NFL” moment with three sacks in Sunday’s win. Maye also tossed two interceptions and coughed up a fumble on a Danielle Hunter stip-sack.

Yes, the Texans look to have one of the league’s toughest defenses. Now comes their toughest test at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon: Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

“Going against Jordan Love this week, he will be the best quarterback we’ve seen this year,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It will be a really, really tough matchup.”

Believing that Love is a better quarterback than Allen would be considered a bold take, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely wrong. The numbers would back it up.

After sitting for three seasons behind four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, Love has transformed into one of the league’s most dangerous men with a football. He completed 64.2% of his throws for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions while leading Green Bay back to the postseason in 2023.

When on the field, Love has lived up to the billing of his four-year, $220 million extension. He’s second in the league in touchdown passes (12) and yards per game (282.7), despite missing two games with a knee injury in Week 1’s against Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

If there is a caveat to slowing down Love, it’s his turnover ratio. Despite ranking second in passing touchdowns, he also ranks second in interceptions with six.

“Jordan Love is a talented, talented quarterback,” rookie safety Calen Bullock said Monday. “I think everybody knows that. He’s in a good area with Green Bay. He has a good receiver corps that he believes in.”

Much like C.J. Stroud, Love has options on offense. Five different receivers have at least 10 catches through six games. Three players, including recently reinstated Romeo Doubs, are averaging over 12.8 yards per catch and have at least two touchdown receptions.

“A lot of passing out of those guys, and we know we got to be up for that challenge,” Bullock said.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

C.J. Stroud reveals what he told Patriots QB Drake Maye after the game

Here’s what C.J. Stroud told Drake Maye after Sunday’s game

Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud gave words of encouragement to New England Patriots rookie Drake Maye, following his NFL debut as a starter on Sunday.

Stroud was a major part of the Texans’ 41-21 victory over New England. He recorded 192 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception on the afternoon.

It was an impressive debut for Maye, who tallied 243 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also led the team in rushing with five carries for 38 yards.

Stroud was in Maye’s position last year. The Ohio State product was a budding rookie looking to help turn a struggling franchise into a contender. He led the Texans to the playoffs and looks to be developing at a high level.

“Yeah, I gave him a little word,” said Stroud. “Tried to just give him a little word of encouragement. I thought he played really solid. Definitely feel like he’ll get better and better as he keeps going”

Maye’s debut certainly gave Patriots fans encouragement for the future. All eyes will be on the rookie No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft to see his follow-up act in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Watch: Texans WR Tank Dell haul in first TD of the season

The Houston Texans are on the board first after Tank Dell found the end zone for the first time this season.

What a way to start in Foxborough.

The Houston Texans are on the board first thanks to a 2-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Tank Dell. The score was Dell’s first of the season after reaching the end zone seven times in 10 games as a rookie.

Stroud finished the drive 5-of-6 for 54 yards with a touchdown. With Nico Collins sidelined for four weeks, Houston’s quarterback connected with Stefon Diggs twice for 24 yards.

https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1845513169176870991

Stroud also found Dell twice for a gain of 20 before setting up the score.

Houston received assistance from New England when the Patriots committed pass interference on Dalton Schultz on third-and-goal. The Texans paid off the penalty with the seven points two plays later.

Houston also saw the return of running back Joe Mixon, who had five carries for seven yards. Houston’s drive lasted 11 plays and 5:47 over 65 yards.

Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who is making his debut will no have to play from behind.

Where does C.J. Stroud rank among starting QBs in Total QBR?

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud remains one of the top passers in QBR rankings entering Week 6.

Despite overall offensive limitations this season, Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud isn’t slowing down. A week after throwing for over 300 yards in a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Stroud sliced and diced the Buffalo Bills’ secondary with a 331-yard outing en route to a 23-20 win.

With that positive performance, Stroud rose from No. 11 to No. 9 in ESPN’s Total QBR rankings this week. ESPN gave Stroud a 78.4 Total QBR rating against the Bills, his best of the season.

Stroud’s traditional passer rating against Buffalo was 97.6, which actually represented one of his lower ratings of the year. It’s still a promising look, but far from the standard for the second-year target.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric also considers scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and  looks at “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

Through five games, Stroud’s thrown three interceptions and been sacked 14 times. Two turnovers came in the 34-7 loss against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.

Here’s a look at where Stroud stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks entering Week 6.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR entering Week 6

  1. Josh Allen: 77.6
  2. Joe Burrow: 73.6
  3. Jayden Daniels: 73.2
  4. Andy Dalton: 67.1
  5. Lamar Jackson: 67.1
  6. Kyler Murray: 66.4
  7. Brock Purdy: 66.0
  8. C.J. Stroud: 64.4
  9. Baker Mayfield: 64.0
  10. Derek Carr: 63.6
  11. Geno Smith: 63.5
  12. Daniel Jones: 61.3
  13. Jalen Hurts: 59.3
  14. Sam Darnold: 58.7
  15. Dak Prescott: 56.8
  16. Patrick Mahomes: 55.8
  17. Kirk Cousins: 55.2
  18. Matthew Stafford: 53.8
  19. Trevor Lawrence: 53.2
  20. Anthony Richardson: 49.3
  21. Aaron Rodgers: 49.1
  22. Justin Fields: 48.0
  23. Jordan Love: 46.1
  24. Jared Goff: 44.8
  25. Bo Nix: 43.1
  26. Justin Herbert: 41.8
  27. Gardner Minshew: 41.1
  28. Jacoby Brissett: 38.9
  29. Caleb Williams: 36.3
  30. Will Levis: 27.3
  31. Tyler Huntley: 23.5
  32. Deshaun Watson: 21.0

Nix and the Broncos will host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.

Gimme Him: C.J. Stroud would give Patriots a cornerstone QB

Texans QB C.J. Stroud is this week’s “Gimme Him” player for the Patriots

The New England Patriots are set to face the Houston Texans in Week 6 on Sunday. Houston has a high-powered offense led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is this week’s “Gimme Him” pick.

The Patriots will have a quarterback of their own to look forward to with rookie Drake Maye starting under center. Nevertheless, the team isn’t sure what they are getting from Maye. Meanwhile, Stroud has established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.

He threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions last season. He led the Texans to the playoffs in a year many thought would be a rebuilding season. He is off to another solid start in 2024 with 1,385 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions through five games.

Stroud has all of the tools to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. His strong arm, as well as his mobility, are two of his biggest assets. The Ohio State product has recorded 68 rushing yards on 14 carries so far this year.

In particular, he has shown he can elevate his game when needed most. He has thrown for 626 yards, four touchdowns and an interception when trailing in games.

The Patriots will start Maye on Sunday, and the jury is out on what he can provide. Stroud is a proven signal-caller and is only getting better. He is someone who can elevate the players around him, as evidenced by his connection with multiple breakout receivers on the Texans’ roster, including Tank Dell and Nico Collins.

Maye could end up being that kind of playmaker for the Patriots as well, but Stroud would give the offense an instant spark.

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History of the budding rivalry between Oregon and Ohio State

Check out the history of the series between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

When the Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies announced their plans to join the Big Ten, it became clear that old rivalries, like the Ducks vs. the Stanford Cardinal, would fade, but it also meant that new rivalries would start to grow.

For the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes, a seed of rivalry was already planted. Early in the 2021 season, the No. 12 ranked Ducks upset the No. 3 Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium, 35-28. It was the 10th meeting between the two schools and Oregon’s first win in the series.

On the 2021 Ohio State offense was NFL star QB C.J. Stroud, as well as WRs Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Chris Olave. Current Buckeyes star RB TreVeyon Henderson was also the Buckeyes’ leading rusher that season.

Oregon and Ohio State faced off for the first time 66 years ago in the 1958 Rose Bowl, where the Buckeyes won 10-7. After that game, the Ducks and the Buckeyes played eight more times before Oregon finally picked up their first win over the Buckeyes in 2021. In those eight games, the Ducks rarely kept it close, losing by an average margin of 17.5 points.

Although the history of this rivalry hasn’t had much parity, these teams are now on a level playing. Both teams lost key games to their archrivals in 2023, and they had to watch those teams go head-to-head in the National Championship Game. Now, Washington and Michigan have fallen out of the 2024 College Football Playoff race, and Oregon and Ohio State are major contenders, each vying for the top spot in the Big Ten.

Saturday’s game will be just the second time these teams have squared off in Autzen Stadium, and although the No. 3 Oregon Ducks are underdogs to the No. 2 Buckeyes, this game will, hopefully, go much different than the 30-0 loss Oregon experienced the last time Ohio State came through Eugene.

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Patriots rookie QB to make first start against Texans in Week 6

Drake Maye will make his first career start against the Houston Texans in Week 6.

The Houston Texans won’t be facing off against Jacoby Brissett after all.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New England Patriots are switching at quarterback, turning from the veteran Brissett in favor of rookie Drake Maye.

The Texans will look to go 2-0 against rookies in 2024 after securing a 19-13 victory over Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams in Week 2.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1843755339168256085

Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, replaces the nine-year veteran as the Patriots (1-4) prepare to host the favorites in the AFC South. Brissett isn’t the lone problem to New England’s offensive woes, but he remains a significant one over the four-game losing streak.

Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo said that the way the team played in its lone victory was “unsustainable” because of the low-scoring output. The part is true since New England hasn’t won a game since Week 1 and is currently averaging 12.4 points per game.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1843760861028200844

Maye will now join Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix as the fourth rookie quarterback to start a game this season. On Monday, the DeMeco Ryans said they would work according to plan to prepare for Maye’s potential first start.

“Whenever you’re preparing for the unknown, the only thing we can prepare for is what we’ve seen on tape with the quarterback that they’ve had play over these first four or five weeks of the season,” Ryans said. “Now, if the young guy gets in, we have to be prepared to adjust, so of course we’ll go back and watch as much as we can on him from his preseason plays. But our focus will just be on, structurally, what they do as an offense.”

Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.