Best in class: Texans’ C.J. Stroud, Packers’ Jordan Love meet for first time in battle of talented quarterbacks, friends

GREEN BAY, Wis. – C.J. Stroud rapidly became one of the top quarterbacks in the game, transforming the Texans’ offense with his arm talent, poise and growing knowledge of defenses as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year led the team to a division title and one playoff victory in a historically good first season.

Jordan Love had a longer trajectory, waiting his turn for three years as the backup to Aaron Rodgers before thriving as a full-time starter last year and being rewarded with a $220 million contract that included a record $75 million signing bonus.

Now, the two Southern California natives and friends lead their teams in a high-profile matchup Sunday at Lambeau Field between the 5-1 Texans and the 4-2 Green Bay Packers.

Despite the presence of two of the better and bigger running backs in the NFL in the Texans’ Joe Mixon and the Packers’ Josh Jacobs, this game may ultimately be defined by two elite quarterbacks.

Stroud has expanded his star turn this season for the AFC South leaders, passing for 1,577 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions for a season-long pace of 4,468 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions one year after he manufactured one of the best rookie quarterback seasons ever with 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown to interception ratio as he joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana in that exclusive statistical fraternity.

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And Love passed for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first season out of Rodgers’ shadow. This year, Love has overcome a knee injury to pass for 1,131 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Both quarterbacks have strong arms and are extremely accurate. Both Stroud and Love, who have the same agent in David Mulugheta, are known for their ability to improvise and deliver the football downfield.

“I think Jordan is a great dude,” Stroud said. “I think he’s a great quarterback. He’s definitely a friend of mine and somebody who I look up to. And I think the way he’s handled his career has just been very professional and just always has a good attitude. For him to be able to play the way he’s playing now, especially off an injury, I think is just super dope.”

The Texans, looking to expand their first four-game winning streak since the 2018 season when Deshaun Watson was their quarterback and they won nine games in a row, are led by Stroud and his steady, consistent game.

And Love, a 2020 first-round draft pick from Utah State who’s three years older than Stroud, 22, is coming off of a four-touchdown performance against the Arizona Cardinals.

“C.J.’s a Cali guy,” said Love, who grew up in Bakersfield, California. “So, I’ve been watching him for a while now, since high school, so watched him in college and then watched him ball out last year. Me and C.J. are close.”

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Love is capable of piling up big numbers, passing for 389 yards and four touchdowns, and three interceptions, in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He’s not quite as careful with the football as Stroud and tends to make bold decisions. He spreads the ball around between wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson and tight end Tyler Kraft. And the Packers pound the ball a lot behind Jacobs, who has rushed for 464 yards.

Having to bide his time before becoming QB1 in Green Bay has actually benefited Love. Just as playing immediately was what was right for Stroud and a Texans organization that turned the page years after trading Watson to the Cleveland Browns and became a winner again last season with a new starting quarterback.

“I think God puts you in a situation or puts you through things for a specific reason,” Stroud said. “And I feel like, maybe for Jordan, He wanted him to see the field and learn from Aaron and being able to just be a sponge and soak up just a lot of information. And, for me, God thought the best thing for me was to just go out there and play, fail, make mistakes and I definitely know that my journey was a lot of those ups and downs.

“We have our own identity and our own names for a reason. So, I definitely feel like it’s been a blessing just to be able to learn my journey and then also look at his and look like, he’s doing pretty well. So, I think it’s just a testament to whoever’s watching, who is trying to get to our position is like, no matter what route you’re in, or like, if that’s early, you’re playing early, you’re getting offers early, or if you have to sit and wait a little bit, at the end of the day, you’ll get what you deserve. And my dad used to always tell me, ‘Cream rises to the top.’”

The Texans’ scouting report on Love is simple: He’s outstanding in all facets of the quarterback position.

“Going against Jordan Love this week, it will be the best quarterback we’ve seen this year,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, whose team has defeated Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and fell short against the Vikings’ Sam Darnold. “So, it’ll be a really, really tough matchup, really good team. Green Bay has done a great job this year just. They’re explosive on offense. And they pose a lot of challenges not only with Love, but the guys he’s getting the ball to.

“Jayden Reed, they do a good job moving him all around whether he’s getting the ball in the backfield or in the passing game. It’s just an explosive offense. They run the ball well with Jacobs, just a well-coached team. So, we have our hands full, just as all weeks. It’ll be a really big-time matchup for us and I know our guys are excited about it.”

Comparisons between Stroud and Love are inevitable.

Stroud, like Love, also distributes the football around as Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell and injured wide receiver Nico Collins, the NFL receiving leader with 567 yards despite being placed on injured reserve last week with a hamstring injury, all have caught at least 20 passes.

“I just think they’re young quarterbacks that are capable of making all the throws,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “That’s probably a better question for somebody else than me. I don’t sit there and study C.J. like that. I haven’t until, this is our first chance going against him, but I do have a lot of respect for him and what he was able to do a year ago just to be able to come into the league as a young player and put up the type of numbers that he did and lead them into the playoffs. I think that was pretty impressive. I try to avoid the comparisons. I just know they have a lot of great players who have been doing it at a high level for a long time.”

Led by ballhawking safety Xavier McKinney and cornerback Jaire Alexander, the Packers lead the NFL with 17 takeaways. McKinney has intercepted five passes and is one of the best free agent signings of the offseason.

Stroud had an interception against the New England Patriots last week on a deflected end zone pass intended for tight end Dalton Schultz.

“I’ve got to be accurate and really just understand that this team is known to their defense kind of keeps their team in the game by getting turnovers,” Stroud said. “And they do a great job of that, especially on the back end, got some really great DBs. And up front, they play really well and their ‘backers are really solid. So, another great challenge for me to try to be better. I feel like I’ve been kind of like a little sloppy, turning the ball over a little bit.

“Sometimes the ball doesn’t roll your way, but you’ve got to take those shots and you’ve got to be aggressive to see what you can get away with and what you can’t. So, I don’t regret any of the decisions I made, but I definitely know you’re putting yourself at risk. So, I definitely know that this game, I’ve got to be very smart with the football and just take my shots when they come. But if they don’t come, then just being smart with the football.”

Read more on the Texans:

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• Source: Texans’ British Brooks underwent successful knee surgery Thursday to repair torn meniscus
• ‘Super proud of Will’: How Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. creates mutual admiration with C.J. Stroud, J.J. Watt
• Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after career-high three sack performance
• Sources: Texans’ Kamari Lassiter expected to be out a few more games, Jimmie Ward to miss Packers game

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