Texans hail C.J. Stroud for bringing team back to playoffs with win over Colts - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — After wrapping up his postgame interviews, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud embraced his family to celebrate Saturday night's 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

It was a moment that culminated Stroud's promise in July when he declared at a local Houston camp that the Texans would «shock the world.» Stroud cashed in on that statement as the Texans clinched a spot in the playoffs, something many didn't expect when the season started.

Stroud said it was «tremendously special» to fulfill his promise.

«Just the time that we put in together, to see the fruits of that labor to come to be, it's a blessing,» Stroud said. «Man, I'm just blessed to be a part of this.»

In the Texans' first primetime game this season, Stroud went 20-of-26 for 264 yards with two touchdowns and a passer rating of 138. Saturday night capped a stellar rookie season in which he finished with 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 100.8. Stroud became the fifth rookie in NFL history to reach the 4,000-yard passing milestone as he led the Texans to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 in coach DeMeco Ryans' first season.

«C.J. doesn't surprise me,» Ryans said. «We talked about it earlier in the week with C.J. being special in these big time moments when you need it most, to step up and make plays. He's done it time after time throughout the entire year. It's not surprising. That's who he is. He's one of the best passers in this league. And he shows it consistently, game in and game out.»

Against the Colts, the connection of Stroud and receiver Nico Collins carried the Texans' offense, which was without its Nos. 2-4 leading receivers in Tank Dell, Noah Brown, and Robert Woods.

Collins