HOUSTON — As the games get bigger, C.J. Stroud just keeps getting better.
The rookie became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game after throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and the Texans returned two interceptions by Joe Flacco for scores in a 45-14 rout of the Browns in a wild-card matchup Saturday.
“C.J. is the reason why we’re in this position,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s special, a special young man. Special player. Continues to shine no matter how big the moment is.
“Our whole team is leaning on him and he has the shoulders to carry that weight.”
Stroud, the second overall pick in the draft last April, is also the highest-drafted rookie QB to win in the postseason.
He picked apart Cleveland’s vaunted defense, throwing touchdown passes of 15 yards to Nico Collins, 76 to Brevin Jordan and 37 to Dalton Schultz.
“It’s been a heck of a year and I thank God, I can just go another week with my teammates,” Stroud said. “This is like a dream come true.”
At 22 years and 102 days old, Stroud passed Michael Vick, who was 22 years, 192 days old in 2002 when his Falcons beat the Packers.
“I’m super blessed to be considered with a great name like Michael Vick, who was my favorite quarterback growing up,” he said. “And hopefully I can make it two [wins].”
Stroud threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns before halftime as the Texans built a 24-14 lead.
The defense took over after that, with Steven Nelson and Christian Harris returning interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive drives in the third quarter to extend the lead to 38-14.
“It was really, really big to put up 14 points on top of what C.J. was already doing,” Nelson said. “That just put the icing on the cake for us.”
With the Texans up 45-14 with nine minutes to go, Stroud’s work was done, and he was replaced by Davis Mills.
It’s the Browns’ worst postseason loss since a 34-0 thumping by the Baltimore Colts on Dec. 29, 1968.
Houston is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and Stroud’s stellar play and the leadership of Ryans, who’s in his first year, transformed the Texans (11-7) from NFL laughingstock to AFC South champions.
Flacco, who turns 39 on Tuesday, came off the couch to go 4-1 as a starter to end the regular season. He led the Browns (11-7) to just their third playoff appearance since their 1999 expansion rebirth, but second in four seasons under coach Kevin Stefanski.
“We picked a bad day to have a bad day,” Stefanksi said. “That’s all of us. That’s players, coaches, offense, defense, special teams. Not good enough.”
Playing in his 17th postseason game but first in nine years, Flacco couldn’t continue his magical run under the bright lights of the playoffs.
“It’s definitely a shame the way it went down and hard to deal with at the moment,” Flacco said.
The previous highest-drafted rookie QB to win a postseason game was the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, who was the fifth overall pick in 2009.
