C.J. Stroud throws game-winning TD, breaks rookie record in Texans win

What a game in Houston and what a day for C.J. Stroud.

The second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft broke an NFL rookie record by throwing for 470 yards in Houston’s 39-37 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a thriller that saw two touchdowns scored in the final minute of the game.

With the Texans leading 33-30 in the final minutes of the game, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield led a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton with 46 seconds left. The touchdown gave Tampa Bay a 37-33 lead as they tried to snap a three-game losing skid.

But Stroud and the Texans didn’t quit. After calling their final timeout of the game with 31 seconds left, Stroud found Noah Brown to get the Texans to the Tampa Bay 41-yard line. After a spike with 16 seconds left, Stroud found Tank Dell for 26 yards along the sideline to get Houston down to the Tampa Bay 15. On the next play, Stroud delivered a strike to Dell again for his fifth touchdown pass of the day, and give Houston the 39-37 lead with 6 seconds left in an incredible final drive.

Houston took a knee on the two-point conversion attempt, and Tampa Bay was unsuccessful in the lateral play to end the game. The win moved the Texans to 4-4 while the Buccaneers fall to 3-5.

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CJ Stroud’s big day

Stroud finished 30 for 42 with 470 passing yards, the most passing yards ever thrown by a rookie in an NFL game. The previous record was held by Andrew Luck, who threw for 433 yards for the Indianapolis Colts in 2012 against the Miami Dolphins.

Here’s the most passing yards thrown by a rookie in NFL history:

C.J. Stroud — Houston Texans: 470 yards, 2023Andrew Luck — Indianapolis Colts: 433 yards, 2012Cam Newton — Carolina Panthers: 432 yards, 2011Ryan Tannehill — Miami Dolphins: 431 yards, 2012

The quarterback out of Ohio State has been the most impressive rookie QB this season, as he has thrown for 2,270 yards with 14 touchdowns and one interception. At the halfway point of the regular season, Stroud is also on pace to break the rookie single-season passing record, which is held by Andrew Luck. The former Colts quarterback threw for 4,374 yards in 2012.

Emergency kicker kicks go ahead field goal

Stroud’s big day wasn’t the only crazy thing to happen at NRG Stadium on Sunday.

Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was injured in the first half of the game with a quadriceps injury, which forced running back Dare Ogunbowale to step in as the team’s emergency kicker. He not only handled the kickoffs for the team, but he nailed a 29-yard field goal to give Houston a 33-30 lead in the fourth quarter.

Texans-Buccaneers ends in a scorigami

As if the day couldn’t get anymore insane, the 39-37 final score was a scorigami, meaning it was the first time in NFL history the score was achieved. It was the 1,080th unique final score in league history.