The first quarter of the 2025 NFL season has been a rollercoaster ride for third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud.
His team struggled to figure things out on the offensive side of the ball, and their inefficiency was a glaring issue.
Stroud averaged just under 200 yards passing per game, and he had more interceptions (3) than he did touchdown passes (2) as the team started 0-3 for the first time since 2020.
Things had gotten so bad in the Houston sports scene that fans criticized Stroud for his fashion choices, taking to social media to voice their opinions on the hats he wore to games.
Yes, the fans were so upset by the record that they became fashion police.
But there’s an old saying in the sports world that goes, “Winning is a cure for all things,” and that’s precisely what was needed to quiet the noise around Stroud. Over the past two weeks, the Texans have recorded consecutive wins heading into the bye week, and their record has improved to 2-3.
On Wednesday, Stroud was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after a standout performance in Houston’s 44-10 victory at Baltimore, where he completed 23-of-27 passes (85.2%) for 244 yards and four touchdowns, earning a 143.9 passer rating.
It is the third time in Stroud’s career that he has been selected for the honor.
Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, tied for the most touchdowns (4) in Week 5, while his passer rating was second-best in the league. He completed a career-high 85.2 percent of his passes, which was also the second-highest in the NFL for Week 5 and the highest of his career (min. 20 attempts).
Going into the season, first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley emphasized that Stroud would rely on his scrambling ability to escape the pocket and pick up extra yards with his legs when his receivers were covered.
Against the Ravens, Stroud had his longest rush of his career with a 30-yard run that led to a touchdown after he threw a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Nico Collins to finish the drive.
Houston’s offense scored 44 points against Baltimore, which tied for the third-most points by any team in the NFL this season and was the highest number by any team in Week 5, marking the highest road point total in franchise history.
Through five games this season, Stroud has completed 102 of 144 passes (70.8 percent) for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns, but his performance over the last two weeks has stood out as he has completed 45 of 55 passes (81.8 percent) for 477 yards, six touchdowns, and a 139.2 passer rating.