C.J. Stroud Fails to Eclipse Russell Wilson as Texans QB Notches Top 5 Standings Amongst NFL Rookies

QB CJ Stroud’s dream run ended in the city of Baltimore. However, Lamar Jackson and the experienced bunch made quick work of the Houston Texans in the must-win game: the Divisional Playoffs. The Texans lost the game 34-10, and the team looked completely out of elements. Still, Stroud came closer to breaking Russell Wilson‘s long-standing rookie record.

CJ Stroud has produced exceptional performances throughout the regular season. He took his team to the playoffs and defeated the Browns 45-14 in a convincing victory against Joe Flacco’s side. The team looked confident in the divisional round and was going head-to-head with the Ravens until halftime. However, the Texans lost their way in the second half and didn’t score a single point in the heartbreaker. CJ Stroud broke the rookie QB passing record and made it into the top 5.

Russell Wilson stays ahead of CJ Stroud

Russell Wilson made the amazing record in 2012 of covering the most passing yards by a rookie QB in the playoffs. The record has stood the test of time. Stroud surely came close to breaking the record but went undone because of a dismal second-half performance against the Ravens. The young QB recorded 274 passing yards against the Browns. At Baltimore, CJ Stroud covered 175 passing yards to bring the total to 449.

With this, CJ Stroud stands in fifth place in the league in terms of most passing yards by a rookie QB in the post-season. Russell Wilson had 572 passing yards in 2012. Stroud needed to cover 124 more passing yards, but the Ravens defense didn’t give the Texans any chance. There are three more QBs between Wilson and Stroud, including sensational Brock Purdy.

QBs that are still ahead of Stroud

The second place on the list is taken by QB Brock Purdy. He covered 569 yards in his first season, just shy of 3 yards to match Wilson’s long-standing record. The Saints legendary QB, Aaron Brooks, grabs the third spot. Brooks started playing in 2000 and covered more than 561 yards. He held the record for the most number of yards covered by a rookie in the postseason for 12 years.

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Mark Sanchez is in the fourth spot. He achieved 539 passing yards with the Jets in 2009. Analysts were backing Stroud to break this record, but the Ravens’ defensive line gave him no chance. Apart from securing the fifth spot in terms of passing yards by a rookie in the postseason, CJ Stroud also secured the third spot in terms of passing yards (4.1k) covered by rookies in the regular season.

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