WATCH: Texans QB C.J. Stroud hits Nico Collins with a massive 75-yard touchdown pass in his first primetime offensive play against the Colts

The Houston Texans went against the Colts in a decisive week 18 game.

WATCH: Texans QB C.J. Stroud hits Nico Collins with a massive 75-yard touchdown pass in his first primetime offensive play against the Colts

C.J. Stroud threw a 75-yard TD pass (Images via X)

On Saturday, the Houston Texans, led by their rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, went against their AFC South division rivals Indianapolis Colts in a decisive week 18 game. Both teams were playing to secure a playoff spot and further better their shot at winning the AFC South division title.

Rookie sensation C.J. Stroud was playing in his first-ever primetime game in the NFL. The Texans quarterback proved that he won’t fold under bright lights as he threw a touchdown pass on his very first play on Saturday against the Colts.

YouTube video

During the 1st quarter of the game, the Texans were trailing by 3 points and were facing a first down and 10 from their own 25-yard line. Stroud — who took the snap from under center — faked a handoff to his running back before throwing a dime to his wide receiver Nico Collins.

FS Video

Collins defeated the defensive back to complete the catch and take it to the house for a 75-yard touchdown catch. With just one play, Stroud helped the Texans to take a 7-point lead in the game. Check out the footage of the incident attached below.

In the game, C.J. Stroud completed a whopping 76.9% of his passes for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns. His number 1 receiver Nico Collins — who is having a breakout season — caught 9 passes for 195 yards and 1 touchdown while averaging 21.7 yards per reception. As a result, the Texans ended up winning the game and sealed their spot in the playoffs.

C.J. Stroud becomes the 5th rookie QB to register 4000-plus yards

Back in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected C.J. Stroud with their 2nd overall pick. Some experts had concerns with Stroud since he didn’t do well in the S2 cognition test, but he is proving everyone wrong.

C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud (via Imago)

Following the Texans’ week 18 game against the Colts, Stroud became just 5th player in the league’s history to register 4,000-plus passing yards in their rookie campaign. Stroud registered 4,108 passing yards and 21 passing TDs while throwing only 5 interceptions.

He was even a frontrunner for the MVP award for a while. But, now he is certainly one of the frontrunners to win the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

However, Stroud would rather be focused on leading his team to a deep postseason run. The Texans have already qualified for the playoffs with a solid 10-7 record. They can also clinch the AFC South division title if the Jacksonville Jaguars lose their week 18 game against the Tennessee Titans.

In case you missed it: