Faces of the Future
It’s no secret that the Houston Texans have had a multitude of issues for the past several years, but with some new faces around, it seems the team has taken massive steps in the right direction. It all started with the introduction of new Head Coach, former Texans linebacker, DeMeco Ryans and a rookie quarterback out of Ohio State, CJ Stroud.
A Star Is Born
With the second pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, the Texans welcomed CJ Stroud to the city of Houston as their new quarterback. In the months to come, it would become evident the Texans had finally found their “H-Town Hero”, the QB that could completely turn around the franchise.
Under rookie HC Ryans, the humble 22-year-old put up groundbreaking stats. In his own first regular season, Stroud threw for 4,108 passing yards, making him just the 5th rookie in league history to pass for over 4,000 yards.
He recorded 23 passing TD and only 5 INT all season. With this TD/INT ratio, he led the NFL and became the first rookie QB to do so. Further, he began his rookie season with 192 consecutive passes without an interception, which was an NFL record. He also led the league in yards per game (YPG), averaging 273.9 yards per game. Third to only legendary QBs Joe Montana and Tom Brady, he is among the only three quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the league in both passing YPG and TD/INT ratio in the same season.
Stroud has received many accolades for his stellar performance during his rookie season. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Week twice, in Week 9 and Week 18, as well as Offensive Rookie of the Month in November. He was recognized by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) as Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, in which he became the first-ever player in team history to win both. Receiving one of the highest honors, Stroud took home the award for the 2023 AP (Associated Press) Offensive Rookie of the Year at the 13th annual NFL Honors.
Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way
Without the presence of Houston legend, J.J. Watt, the Texans have for years been seeking a young talent that could resurge the team’s defensive action. With the third overall pick in 2023 NFL draft, the Texans found just the guy they were looking for: defensive end out of Alabama, Will Anderson Jr., who sparked life into this Texans team in his rookie season.
In his first regular season he amassed 45 tackles (10 for loss of yardage), a blocked field goal, and 7 sacks, which set a new franchise record for the most sacks by a rookie in a single season. With his 67 pressures, he led all NFL rookies.
Will Anderson Jr. was named Defensive Rookie of the Year by the PFWA, joining a narrow list of former Texans honorees, including current head coach Demeco Ryans. At the 2023 NFL Honors, his incredible rookie campaign was recognized and he was deservingly awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year. With this award, he became the first Texans rookie to win since former Texan Brian Cushing, the only other player to win being, again, HC DeMeco Ryans.
The Texans’ #2 and #3 overall 2023 draft picks helped the Texans become 1 of only 4 teams to have players be awarded both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year in the same season. These young stars promptly proved to be well worth it selections by the organization.
H-Town Made
Rookie wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell swapped out his University of Houston Cougars jersey, for a Houston Texans jersey, when he was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. From the start of the season, QB Stroud and nimble receiver Dell proved to be a dynamic duo.
Though his rookie campaign was cut short due to injury with a fractured fibula, through 11 games played, he recorded 47 catches for 709 yards, and seven touchdowns. Prior to his injury, his seven TD led all rookies. Perhaps this was merely a minor setback for a major comeback. Once back to full health, this young star could prove to be a weapon for Stroud, and a popular name in this Houston Texans offense for many years to come.
The Stars at Night Are Big and Bright
The Texans, in what was considered a rebuild year for the team, got the chance to prove that their remarkable regular season was anything but a fluke, under the brightest lights: a “win or go home”, prime time television game.
The team punched their ticket to the playoffs in the last game of the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts. In prime time, CJ Stroud completed 2 passing TD for 264 yards in a 23-19 win, ultimately making them playoff bound, sending them to the wild card round. This made CJ Stroud and Demeco Ryans the first rookie QB-HC duo to make the playoffs in 12 NFL seasons. In one year, QB Stroud was able to turn a previously 3-13 win-loss record team to a 10-7 division winning and playoff clenching team.
The Underdogs Take the Dogs to the Pound
Houston was next slated to play the Cleveland Browns, a game in which the Texans were predicted as considerable underdogs. But, the team did not buckle under pressure and pulled off a major upset in a 45-14 win at home, sending them to the divisional round of the playoffs, against the Baltimore Ravens. This game, which was the team’s first playoff win since 2019, saw many exhilarating theatrics, including back-to-back pick-sizes.
Stroud, in his playoff debut, threw 3 TD (NFL rookie playoff record) for 274 yards. With this win, he became the youngest starting QB to ever win a playoff game.
Overall, Stroud closed the chapter on his incredible rookie season with 26 total TD for 4,557 yards (regular season and postseason combined).
Don’t Mess With Texas
This is only the beginning, but this Texans team is well on their way to becoming a true force to be reckoned with. Though they fell short of the Championship round this season, it’s clear that the Texans’ 2023 rookie class has brought back exciting football for the fans in the city of Houston.
》 Faith It ‘til You Make It 《 