NFL rookie QB tracker Week 13: Stroud earns big win،
Two rookie quarterbacks suffered some bumps in Week 13 while one of them continued to excel.
Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers struggled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but came up short. Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans fell in overtime to the Indianapolis Colts, while CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans earned a needed win against the Denver Broncos as he continues to make his case for the rookie title of year in the NFL.
Here's more on the trio's performance in Week 13:
2023 Draft Selection: Round 1, choice 1
Result of the game: 21-18 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Statistics line: 15 for 31, 178 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 18.8 QBR
Still winless on the road, Young and the Panthers closed in on the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Young continued to be under pressure, getting sacked once for a loss of 8 yards. He has been sacked 44 times this season, the fourth most in a player's first 11 career games since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
After just three points in the first half, Young led Carolina to a seven-play, 65-yard third quarter that ended with a touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard, putting the Panthers ahead by three points.
In the fourth quarter, Young followed up Hubbard's second touchdown of the day with a successful 2-point conversion, blasting his way to the end zone.
Bryce with the spin 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/cCzdg9L1T2
– Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 3, 2023
However, with a chance to win the game, Young took a few steps back. He threw an interception with 2:21 left to seal Carolina's fifth straight loss, eliminating the Panthers from the playoffs.
Following: Young and the Panthers will travel to face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in hopes of winning their first road game.
2023 Draft Selection: Round 1, choice 2
Result of the game: 22-17 vs. Denver Broncos
Statistics line: 16 for 27, 274 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 17.0 QBR
The Texans dominated the Broncos on both sides of the ball to produce a 13-0 second quarter lead that would not be relinquished.
Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 52-yard catch in the first quarter — the deepest completion of his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
VENTILATE IT 🚀🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/R9EY57eYxj
– Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 3, 2023
Stroud briefly left the game in the fourth quarter but returned to finish. He still leads the NFL in passing yards with 3,540, completing over 63% of his passes.
Following: Stroud and the Texans will look to build on their winning streak Sunday when they take on the New York Jets.
2023 Draft Selection: Round 2, choice 33
Result of the game: 28-38 loss to the Indianapolis Colts
Statistics line: 16 for 33, 224 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 27.8 QBR
The Titans got off to a hot start against the Colts, scoring on their first drive after going 15 straight games without a touchdown on the first drive, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Lévis' start included a play that almost went wrong. What would have been a rookie fumble that the Colts recovered turned into a defensive play for the quarterback. Levis stripped the ball from Julian Blackmon to force a fumble, recovering it to regain possession.
When we want we can
📺: Look #INDvsTEN on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/Y6jmwI4zk4
– Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 3, 2023
Trailing 25-19 with 5:30 left in the fourth quarter, Lévis sent a 3-yard pass into the end zone to DeAndre Hopkins. Both teams failed to score the rest of the quarter, leading to overtime.
🧘♂️🧘♂️🧘♂️
Send @DeAndreHopkins to the Pro Bowl » https://t.co/M6tlEVcH9I
📺: Look #INDvsTEN on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/Rra6i5mfwm
– Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 3, 2023
Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew threw a game-winning touchdown to Michael Pittman Jr. in the overtime period, handing the Titans their eighth loss of the season.
Following: Lévis and the Titans will face the Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football”.
