‘Calm, confidence .. I wonder if his heart rate drops,’ how C.J. Stroud grew, led Texans to playoff game vs. Ravens

BALTIMORE, MD – Bobby Slowik has watched and studied, hung out with and collaborated, and marveled proudly at the machine-like precision of Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Uncommon poise and accuracy. Improvisational skills. Rare savvy for the youngest quarterback to a win a playoff game in NFL history, surpassing Michael Vick. Arm strength with the zip to fire spirals into tight windows anywhere on the field.

All of that leaves Slowik, the Texans’ offensive coordinator, with a burning question: ‘I wonder if if his heart rate drops. He’s a special individual in that way. It’s been really fun to be a part of.”

The fun for Stroud and the Texans offense has built and built heading into Saturday’s AFC divisional round playoff game against the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens defense headline by linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and safety Kyle Hamilton.

Stroud just dismantled the Cleveland Browns’ top-ranked defense, delivering a nearly perfect performance in a 45-14 victory in the AFC wild-card round. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 157.2 passer rating, just shy of a perfect 158.3 rating.

So, yes, Slowik is no longer caught off guard by the 22-year-old California native’s latest opus. It’s become an expected outcome every week: Stroud a step ahead of defenses specially designed to curtail his impact.

“I wouldn’t say it’s old-hat, but I’d say he has proven that it shouldn’t be a surprise by this point in the year,” Slowik said. “He’s progressed and built through the year a great rapport with the coaching staff, with the offensive players, with the team, and he’s very confident, and I think that shows every time he steps on the field, and it was no different against Indianapolis, which was really a playoff game for us, and it was no different last Saturday. And I would expect that to continue no matter where we play. He’s proven that big games don’t faze him.”

Catching passes from Stroud makes tight end Brevin Jordan and everyone with the Texans’ jobs more enjoyable. Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State drafted second overall, Stroud is a Pro Bowl alternate and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner who has transformed the Texans’ once lackluster offense with his generational passing.

“Oh man, that’s him, that’s literally his identity,” said tight end Brevin Jordan, who had a 72-yard catch-and-run for a momentum-grabbing touchdown against the Browns. “That’s how he carries himself outside of this building. He’s just an accomplished dude. He’s a West Coast killer. I’ve been saying that all day. That guy is unbelievable.”

Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson is extremely impressed with Stroud. An NFL MVP candidate, Jackson passed for 194 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019, his first playoff game.

“From my experience, he played better than I did from my rookie playoff game, I would say that,” Jackson said. “He was throwing the ball all over the field, making things happen. He did great.”

Stroud ‘s passer rating last week was the best in NFL history from a rookie with at least 20 passing attempts.

“I feel like that’s just how I am as a person,” Stroud said. “I’ve been this way since I’ve been a child… I’ve always been the youngest in my family. I’ve always been the one who kind of gets picked on or whatever, but that made me tough.”

Ultra-sharp, super calm, Stroud is defined by his poise and ability to rise to the occasion.

In the first game against the Ravens to open the season, Stroud passed for 242 yards, but lost a fumble and had no touchdowns in a 25-9 defeat at M&T Bank Stadium.

Since then, Stroud has become much more advanced. His superior work ethic pays dividends again and again.

“He prepares like someone who has been in the league six, seven, eight years, and that speeds up all our conversations,” Slowik said. “I feel like I’m talking to another coach. So, our back and forths are usually pretty quick. He understands what I’m saying, I understand what he’s saying.”

For Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, observing Stroud’s growth has given him a great deal of pride.

“With C.J., where his growth has shown the most to me is just his calm and his confidence,” Ryans said. “I think just his demeanor and how he’s grown as a leader has really, really stepped up big-time for us. When we’ve needed it most, I feel like just throughout the entire season, and now in this moment, he’s the leader we need him to be. He’s the player that we need him to be. His demeanor on the field, off the field, is exactly what you want out of a starting quarterback.”

Stroud has made sure that he earned everything he got. From the starting job to his buy-in in the locker room, Stroud left no stone unturned. He has regular Friday night dinners with fellow quarterbacks Davis Mills and Case Keenum. He organized throwing sessions in Los Angeles and Houston during the offseason.

During the regular season, Stroud passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 100.8 passer rating. He rushed for three touchdowns and 167 yards. He’s extremely elusive in the pocket, just ask the Indianapolis Colts’ defense.

The Texans are 9 1/2 point underdogs. That doesn’t seem to bother Stroud, either.

From 3-13-1 a year ago to 11-7 and AFC South champions, the Texans are winners again. And Stroud is a major reason why they’ve improved so much.

“It’s really just up to us to go out there and do our jobs, and we believe in ourselves and we trust in ourselves to win games and hopefully win this game,” Stroud said. “We have complete confidence in ourselves, so we’re not really worried about what everyone else has to say.”

Stroud arrived in Houston with a vision of building an immediate winner. He had no interest or acceptance of being part of a rebuilding project that could take years to create a competitive football team.

In a group text with fellow rookies after the draft, the second overall pick and two-time Heisman finalist from Ohio State made his agenda crystal clear. Months before leading the Texans to an AFC South division title and their first playoff berth since the 2019 season, Stroud was already setting the standard.

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“It was just us, the rookies, and we were like, ‘Man, we’re going to be the foundation that changes this thing around,’ and lo and behold, that’s kind of what came to be true,” Stroud said. “It’s been cool just to see some of the things we talked about come to fruition.”

Stroud, 22, is not only playing the best of any rookie quarterback. He’s playing as well as any quarterback in the league.

Since his return from a concussion suffered against the New York Jets, Stroud has led the Texans to three consecutive victories.

With a win Saturday, Stroud can become the first Texans quarterback to lead his team to the AFC championship game in franchise history.

The narrative that the Texans are playing with the house’s money since they weren’t expected to be this good, this fast, that doesn’t fly with Stroud.

“That’s not my thought process or our teams, we’re trying to just do our job,” Stroud said. “We don’t really pay attention to what people say. It’s not up to them what goes on when you’re on the field, so it’s really just up to us to go out there and do our jobs, and we believe in ourselves and we trust in ourselves to win games and hopefully win this game. We have complete confidence in ourselves, so we’re not really worried about what everyone else has to say.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com