DJ Bien-Aime, ESPN January 13, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET
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- DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He is a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show “Talkin' Texans.”
HOUSTON – The Houston Texans took their Week 16 loss to the Cleveland Browns personally, defeating them 45-14 in their wild-card matchup, led by a historic day for quarterback CJ Stroud on Saturday.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans called Stroud “special” because the No. 2 pick in last year's draft set the NFL record for most touchdown passes (three) by a rookie in a playoff game.
“CJ is the reason we’re in this position,” Ryans said after the game. “He is a special young man and special player and always shines. No matter how big the moment, our entire team leans on him and he has the shoulders to carry the weight. And it shows itself week after week…” . No moment is too big for him. He had a special season and we look forward to continuing.”
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Ryans and Stroud became the third rookie coach-quarterback duo to win a playoff game since 1950. Stroud was the first quarterback drafted in the top two of the draft since 1967 to start and win a playoff game in his rookie season. He also became the youngest to win a playoff contest, passing Michael Vick.
“I’m thrilled for this team and the city of Houston,” Stroud said. “I’m just blessed to be in the position I’m in. … I've put in a lot of hard work and so have my teammates, and it's cool to see the fruits of your labor come to fruition. That's who I am.” I'm very blessed to be considered with a great name like Michael Vick, who was my favorite quarterback as a kid. I am very blessed and hope I can make it to two [wins].”
This matchup was a rematch from Week 16, a game the Texans lost 36-22, and the players didn't forget it when a song played in their locker room before the game.
“The song we were playing when we came in was 'Get Back a Motherf—er,'” Texas tight end Brevin Jordan told ESPN. “We didn’t have CJ Stroud [in Week 16], and when we went back and watched the movie, there were always one or two people who didn't have the right goals or tasks. It's just one of those games where we corrected it and we took that game personally.
The Texans trailed 14-10 in the second quarter and went on a 35-0 run from that point to open the game.
It started when Stroud made a play-action call and threw a 4-yard pass to Jordan, who ran 72 yards to the end zone after the catch, giving the Texans a 17-14 lead.
Then, before halftime on second-and-20 with 1:11 left, Stroud found tight end Dalton Schultz wide open for another touchdown, leading 24-14 at halftime.
Ryans told his team at halftime it was about finishing and “games turning at halftime.”
“In the locker room they said, ‘We’re here,’” Ryans said. “We talked about our moment, we talked about opportunities. The biggest question now is, what do you make of it? “
In the third quarter, the Texans put paid to a potential comeback when cornerback Steven Nelson and linebacker Chris Harris intercepted Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and both returned picks for touchdowns to take a 38-14 lead.
There were other important contributors to the Texans' revenge victory. In Week 16, wide receiver Amari Cooper rushed for 265 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Browns control the game. Ryans chose former No. 3 pick cornerback Derek Stingley to follow Cooper on Saturday.
“Stingley did an incredible job with Cooper, limiting him to four catches, so it was an outstanding job,” Ryans said. “Sting was ready for the challenge before the match. And that’s what playoff football is all about. It’s about the playmakers stepping up and making plays.”
According to Next Gen Stats, Stingley matched Cooper on 71% of routes and held him to zero catches as Cooper rushed for 59 yards on four catches.
“I was in a groove,” Stingley told ESPN. “I was focused on my technique and my eyes. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be the one.”
The Texans will wait to see who they will face in the divisional round. But in Jordan's eyes, as long as Stroud performs at historic levels, they are confident in any clash.
“When all 11 of us are on the same page offensively, taking our place and doing our job, we feel like no one can play with us,” Jordan said. “Especially when you have No. 7 back there.”