C.J. Stroud already has made an excellent first impression in his playoff debut. Stroud tied the NFL record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in a playoff game — accomplishing the feat in the first half
Stroud had three pass touchdowns in the first half, completing 11 of 16 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions in the first 30 minutes. Stroud hit Nico Collins on a 15-yard pass in the first quarter, Brevin Jordan on a 76-yard touchdown completion in the second quarter, and capped the first half with a 37-yard touchdown strike to Dalton Schultz.
Stroud tied Sammy Baugh (1937), Dak Prescott (2016), and Brock Purdy (2022) for the most passing touchdowns by a rookie in NFL playoff history. He’s the first quarterback since Patrick Mahomes in 2021 to have 225-plus pass yards and three-plus passing touchdowns in the first half of a playoff game — and just the fourth to accomplish the feat in the past 20 seasons.
Most pass TD in game by rookie — NFL playoff history
| Player | Year | Pass TD | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
Sammy Baugh | 1937 | 3 | Washington |
Dak Prescott | 2016 | 3 | |
Brock Purdy | 2022 | 3 | |
C.J. Stroud | 2023 | 3 | Houston Texans |
Stroud also ended up as the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game (22 years, 102 days), passing Michael Vick for the mark (22 yards, 192 days). He finished 16 of 21 for 274 yards and three touchdowns for a 157.2 passer rating, the fourth-highest passer rating for any quarterback in a game in NFL playoff history. (and highest by a rookie).
Stroud tied or set the rookie marks for completion percentage (76.2%), passer rating (157.2), pass touchdowns (three), and margin of victory by a rookie quarterback in a playoff game (31).
