Houston Texans sensation CJ Stroud has a chance to establish himself as one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks this season.
The No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft was an easy choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year. During training camp, athletic We asked coaches and executives which three quarterbacks they would take to start a franchise from scratch, and Stroud appeared on 16 of 27 votes. Only Patrick Mahomes received more votes.
Instead, Stroud’s anticipated jump was shelved. He hasn’t been bad this season, but his performance has dipped and his ranking has fallen. This is the first time Stroud has not finished in the top 10. One executive said Stroud was so dominant that he “didn’t even play anywhere near last year,” when he dramatically accelerated the Texans’ rebuild. They won their first AFC South title in four years.
두 가지 통계가 눈에 띕니다. First, Stroud ranked first in the NFL in passing yards per game in 2023 with 273.9 yards, but this season his passing yards dropped to 232.0 yards, dropping to 17th place. As a rookie, he blocked 1% of passes, leading the league, but this season, that rate doubled to 2% (16th in the NFL).
“I don’t expect CJ to be the one to decline and continue to struggle,” said a second executive. “I think he’ll figure it out and they’ll figure it out as a team. They have enough weapons. The way they handle the ball will put pressure on him.”
Stroud’s problems stemmed from protection issues on the offensive line. He’s already had more sacks this season (45 to 38) than he did as a rookie, up from nearly 9 percent on dropbacks by about 2 percent.
There is no escape @zachsieler. #Pro Bowl Voting
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 15, 2024
“He’s overwhelming him,” a second executive said. “He’s been hitting all year. If CJ is under pressure, the play will be stopped. If you are not comfortable and do not trust what you are around, this is not surprising as a young quarter bag. I do not think he has regressed. I think he seems to be less accurate because he’s fast and throwing. ”
Not to mention the young signal sender, which is still developing, it may be impossible to overcome even the best quarterback. At the beginning of this season, when Texans lost three out of four to Lions, Jets, COLTS and Packers, the Stroud took 18 sacks and hit 17 times.
Of course, it didn’t help that top receiver Nico Collins missed five games with a hamstring injury, star wideout Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 and running back Joe Mixon missed the first three games with a high ankle sprain. .
So no. Stroud hasn’t flashed as much as he did as a rookie, but that’s also understandable. Add in the defensive adjustments the young quarterback faces, the lack of pass protection and the injuries around Stroud, and it was enough to shake his usually steady composure.
“People in the Scout community were interested in how the team would adapt in the second year of studying, adjusting, and learning what the team is doing well and difficulties for a year.” “If possible now, adjusting is up to attackers and players.”
It’s also fair to point out that Stroud isn’t the first quarterback to deal with protection and injury issues. But at this stage of his career, there is a common confluence of factors that lead to temporary quarterback regression.
“We are learning how to deal with this,” said a second executive.
Meanwhile, the Texans have wrapped up the AFC South division title with three games remaining. They beat the Bills in Week 4 and lost to the Packers and Lions by a combined five points, so it’s not much of a difference. The next two games against the Chiefs and Ravens could change the entire perception of the Texans’ playoff chances.
However, the rest of the season will continue and no coaches or officials will participate in the survey. athletic I think Stroud’s rookie year was a fluke this season. This season is still viewed as growing pains for the quarterback, who could develop into one of the league’s best players.
deeper
NFL Playoff Pictures After Week 15: Eagles, Vikings join Lions in NFC. The Rams lead the NFC West.
Crash
Jared Goff has been outstanding all season, but the Lions QB did something in Detroit on Sunday in a loss to the Bills that should spark some optimism during a disappointing period.
Earlier this year, management wanted to see how GOFF would do when Lions did not command the game. It was an obvious pass situation in the deficit when I had to throw it to throw with the upper hierarchy bag on my opponent sideline.
deeper
The Lions got a reality check against the Bills. How they react will determine how far they can go.
Despite the fact that Lions’ 48-42 defeats were behind several scores, GOFF was not surprised. And considering the defensive status destroyed by the injury of Lions and another superhuman performance of Josh Allen, there was no room to make a mistake after Detroit’s stagnant departure.
Goff finished 38 of 59 passing for 494 yards and five touchdowns on Sunday. He led four straight TD drives to finish the game, a rare victory for Amon-Ra St. Louis. Despite Brown’s fumble and Jake Bates’ missed field goal, it almost helped the Lions begin a miraculous comeback.
Going to Amon-RA. 66 yards td.
It didn’t end in Detroit.
: #Bufvsdet On CBS/Paramount+
pic.twitter.com/uHEKLWabzy– NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Goff has proven he can post points in a hurry when needed. And considering how many injuries the Lions have endured, they probably will need it.
Speaking of which, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts silenced some doubters, internal or otherwise, with a stellar performance in a 27-13 win over the Steelers. He was 25 out of 32 at 290 yards, and he rushed to 45 yards and recorded two touchdowns, while HURTS did while running Saquon Barkley.
Since Lions and Eagles have been the top two seeds of NFC since the playoffs began to be embodied, it is not surprising to see them entering the Super Bowl. And both quarter backs answer important questions against excellent opponents, so these matchups can meet overdue advertising.
2 selection
Two random thoughts. First, Packers wideout Romeo Doubs made a really nice catch for a game-saving 22-yard touchdown against the Seahawks, but don’t miss Jordan Love’s throw. The Packers QB was at the 10-yard line and 32-yard line when he threw to Doubs, who was wrestling through tight coverage during the QB’s windup. Love picked the perfect spot and couldn’t throw any more.
This is truly amazing!#Pro Bowl Voting + #Romio Dubes pic.twitter.com/P8Zu0eEgoD
Second, it may sound strange after the rainy 12-6 rock fight, but RAMS QB Matthew Stafford has been playing at a very high level for the last month. His performance against Bills two weeks ago was the best in terms of high quality pitches following high quality pitches. RAMS is expected to be a threat when entering the playoffs and the main reason for the play of STAFOD.
Bloody Sunday
It was a tough week to be a quarterback. Mahomes had a high ankle sprain. Geno Smith was sent off due to a knee injury. Justin Herbert aggravated an ankle injury.
Additionally, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener and Will Levis were benched and Tommy DeVito suffered a concussion.
We’ve kept Winston and Levis ranked while the Browns and Titans evaluate their situations. HAENER has been replaced by Spencer Rattler in the rankings. We’re working under the assumption he’ll be around for a while longer after his impressive second half performance against the Commanders.
Dolphins (5 times), Giants (4 times), RAIDERS (2 times), Titans (2 times), who ranked 32nd in QB for 16 weeks this season, showing the vulnerability of backup/fringe starting pitchers throughout the league. . ), Saints (2), Packers (1). And in retrospect, if there was a way to predict how well Malik Willis had played in Packers, they would not have been included in this list.
The dropped person:
(CJ Stroud Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)