WATCH: C. J. Stroud leaves Chad Johnson speechless with impressive TD pass
C. J. Stroud and Patrick Mahomes is a great battle to have late in the season.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans played in the second game in Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season. Although Saturday contests are rare, this was a massive game for both teams regarding their playoff seeding and its implications.
While Mahomes drew first blood, with a rushing touchdown drive right after an interception, it was the Texans quarterback who had the most impressive play. Houston scored a field goal and looked to add a touchdown to its score. And when they did it, the quarterback left many speechless with his impressive play:
During Peacock's EA Madden special broadcast, former NFL superstar wide receiver Chad Ochocinco could not believe how well the Texans quarterback played. Moving to his right and throwing across the body, Stroud made it look easy.
Although Houston was able to get ahead during this moment, the team went into halftime losing 17-10 after another good drive led by Patrick Mahomes. Both teams are already qualified for the playoffs, but the Texans want to lock in the third seed, while the Chiefs are in pole position for the seed one and home-field advantage.
C.J. Stroud's stats in the 2024 season
After a fantastic year as a rookie, where he even received votes for the MVP award, the 2024 season has represented a bit of a sophomore slump for the Texans quarterback, whose numbers have fallen down a bit when compared to 2023.
In 2024, he has 3,248 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. His touchdown rate has fallen from 4.6% to 3.7%, while his interception rate has risen from 1.0% to 2.0%. He had just five interceptions as a rookie in one of the most impressive seasons ever.
Although those feel like subtle changes, many NFL fans and analysts agree that this feels a bit of a down year for Stroud, whose high level in 2023 took the Houston Texans to the divisional round. However, his team has already locked the division, making a second straight year with a playoff appearance for him.