C.J. Stroud ‘special’ as Texans get wild-card revenge on Browns

HOUSTON – The Houston Texans took their Week 16 loss to the Cleveland Browns personally and beat them in their wild-card game 45-14, led by a historic day for quarterback CJ Stroud on Saturday.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans called Stroud “special” because the second pick in last year's draft tied the NFL record for most touchdown passes (three) by a rookie during a playoff game.

“CJ is the reason we are in this position,” Ryans said after the game. He's a special young man and player and he continues to shine. No matter how big the moment, our entire team leans on him, and he has the shoulders to carry the weight. And he shows up this week after week…” No moment is too big for him. He’s had a special season and we can’t wait to continue. “

Ryans and Stroud became the third coach-rookie quarterback duo since 1950 to win a playoff game. 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 person to win a playoff competition, surpassing Michael Vick.

“I’m very excited for this team and for the city of Houston,” Stroud said. “I'm just lucky to be in the position that I'm in. … I've worked a lot, and so have my teammates, and it's cool to see the fruits of your labor come to fruition. I'm super lucky to “To be considered with a big name like Michael Vick, who was my favorite quarterback growing up. I'm super lucky and I hope I can reach two [wins]”.

This game was a rematch from Week 16, a game the Texans lost 36-22, and the players didn't forget it as a song blared in their locker room before the game.

“The song we were playing when we walked in was 'Get Back a Motherf— uh,'” Texans tight end Brevin Jordan told ESPN. “We didn’t have CJ Stroud [in Week 16], and when we went back to watch the movie, there was always a guy or two who weren't on the right targets or on the right missions. It’s just one of those games where we fixed it, and we took that game personally.”

The Texans trailed 14-10 in the second quarter and, from that point on, went on a 35-0 run to open the game.

It started when Stroud ran a play action and threw a 4-yard pass to Jordan, who ran 72 yards after the catch into the end zone to give 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 to lead 24-14 at halftime.

Ryans told his team at halftime that it was about finishing and “games that swing at halftime.”

“What was said in the locker room is that we are here,” Ryans said. “We talked about our moment, we talked about opportunity. Now the most important thing is, what do you do with it? It was about going out and finishing, continuing to execute, continuing to finish . And that's what we've done. “

In the third quarter, the Texans closed the door on any potential comeback when cornerback Steven Nelson and linebacker Chris Harris intercepted Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, returning both picks for touchdowns to lead 38-14.

There were other key contributors to the Texans' rematch victory. In Week 16, receiver Amari Cooper had 265 yards and two touchdowns, which helped the Browns control this game. Ryans decided that former No. 3 cornerback Derek Stingley would follow Cooper on Saturday.

“Stingley did an incredible job on Cooper and limited him to four catches, so that was a remarkable job,” Ryans said. “Sting was up for the challenge before the game. And that's what playoff football is all about. It's about your playmakers stepping up and making plays.”

According to Next Gen Stats, Stingley faced Cooper on 71 percent of routes and held him to zero catches, as Cooper finished with 59 yards on four catches.

“I was in rhythm,” Stingley told ESPN. “I was locked into my technique and my eyes. I was making sure I wasn't going to be the one.”

The Texans will wait to see who they face in the divisional round. But in Jordan's eyes, as long as Stroud performs at a historic level, they are confident in any game.

“If all 11 of us are on the same page on the offensive end, taking our place, fulfilling our mission, we feel like no one can play with us,” Jordan said. “Especially when you have number 7 there.”