Houston Texans defeat Cincinnati Bengals in the second straight week thanks to a game-winning drive led by C.J. Studd in the final seconds.
Once more, C.J. Stroud did it.
Stroud guided the Houston Texans to victory in the closing seconds of the game for the second week in a row. This time, he led the Texans to an unexpected 30-27 victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Regaining possession of the ball with 1:33 remaining, Stroud guided the Texans 55 yards down the field to set up Houston kicker Matt Ammendola’s game-winning field goal. With less than 15 seconds remaining, Stroud and fellow Ohio State product Noah Brown connected for a 22-yard gain that put the Texans within field goal range.
Stroud had an even less impressive performance against the Bengals, one week after shattering the NFL rookie record with 470 passing yards and a rookie record-tying five touchdown passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Stroud hadn’t committed a rookie error by throwing a costly interception with a 10-point lead and less than five minutes left in the game, the Texans would have had the winning drive without even needing him to lead one.
However, Stroud delivered once more when it mattered most, demonstrating uncommon fortitude for a rookie quarterback and solidifying his place as the front-runner for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It also catapulted him into the league MVP conversation.
The Texans claim that Stroud is the only rookie quarterback in the previous forty years to lead back-to-back games’ winning drives in the final two minutes of regulation.
After finishing the game with 23 completions on 39 attempts for 356 yards and one touchdown pass in addition to an 8-yard touchdown run, Stroud gave the Cincinnati crowd an O-H-I-O in celebration.
Stroud’s most recent game-winning performance, which lifted the Texans above.500 to 5-4 on the season, was made even more memorable by being back in the Buckeye State.
“I adore Ohio,” Stroud declared to CBS following the game. “Man, this is my second home.” Being back in Ohio was a blessing because it was an honour to be here and I will always love the Buckeyes.
For the second straight week, Brown was Stroud’s top receiver. He caught seven passes for a massive 172 yards, which was a new career high in receiving yards.
