Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
Texans rookie C.J. Stroud has been so good, so early, so consistently that he’s quickly becoming a Tier 1 quarterback — in the same breath as Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow — if he isn’t one already.
But should Stroud be a legitimate MVP candidate this season?
That notion has picked up steam in the wake of his performance Sunday, when he threw for more than 350 yards and registered a game-winning drive for the second straight week to outduel Burrow in his house. Some national pundits even believe the No. 2 overall pick is the MVP frontrunner through 10 weeks.
The first and only time a rookie has won the award was in 1957, pre-merger, when Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown accomplished the feat for the Browns. Brown led the league in rushing yards (942), rushing touchdowns (9) and rushing yards per game (78.5).
What is Stroud’s argument for MVP to this point?
Stroud, who turned 22 last month, leads the league in passing yards per game (291.8), touchdown-interception ratio (15-2) and completions of 20-plus yards (43) for a Texans team that has shattered preseason expectations, currently holding an AFC playoff spot. He is the first rookie since the 1970 merger to be leading the league in yards per game through Week 10.
What has arguably been most impressive about the former Ohio State star is how good he has been in pressure-filled moments. When trailing, Stroud has a 65.6% completion rate, a 10-0 touchdown-interception ratio and a 109.9 passer rating, which ranks second among qualified quarterbacks (minimum 20 pass attempts) to the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, according to Sportsradar. Stroud has a league-leading 127.1 passer rating when trailing with two minutes left in the game.
He also ranks top 10 in a slew of quarterback categories: interception rate (first), passing yards (second), yards per attempt (third), passer rating (sixth), EPA per dropback (seventh), passing…
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Publish date : 2023-11-14 23:17:04
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