Texans' CJ Stroud & Cam Newton set record straight on who had the better rookie season
BEST OF THE BEST
13 February
BEST OF THE BEST
Houston Texans phenom CJ Stroud catches up with Cam Newton for a spirited and yet friendly debate over which QB had the better rookie year.
The guys take a deep dive into the stats, the big wins, and also discuss the challenges of making the jump from college to the pros.
Both quarterbacks show a tremendous amount of respect for one another, and there's no denying both players caught the league by surprise in year one.
Stroud certainly had a better season through the air, but Cam's ability to pass and use his legs helped secure him the hardware for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011.
Stroud also won OROY recording over 4,100 passing yards, but his ability to protect the football stands out when comparing these two players. Newton threw 17 interceptions to Stroud's 5.
At the end of the day, Newton concludes Stroud's year was better because the Texans won games and made the playoffs. Newton's team was 6-10, despite a historic rookie year from Cam.
Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!
Warning: Graphic language
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.