How media hype around Texans, CJ Stroud already raising big questions about legacy
13 January 2024
This week on First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe reacted to the Texans' big win over the Colts and were asked how many QBs they would take before CJ Stroud moving forward.
Smith and Sharpe both agreed that Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson should be ranked higher than Stroud, with Josh Allen also a possibility.
Later in the week, Jeff Saturday and MadDog Russo argued that Smith missed the mark, because Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford should be ranked in front of Stroud as well.
Keep in mind, this is a discussion about projecting Stroud's potential, not about each QB's resume. Which makes sense, Stroud is only in his rookie year.
That's why the Stafford and Prescott arguments don't hold water. Stroud had a better season than Stafford this year as a rookie, and Stafford is 36 years old.
In Prescott's case, it's about consistency. He led the league in interceptions just last year, and only played in 12 games. For a matter of prospective, consider this, Prescott had more picks than Davis Mills in 2022 playing in LESS games!
Multiple MVPs coming?
Considering Mahomes has two MVPs already, and Jackson is likely to win his second this season, should we expect Stroud to win multiple MVPs in his career?
A lot depends on the team around him because players don't win awards when their team doesn't make the postseason. And if OC Bobby Slowik leaves, that could impact Stroud's production moving forward. But for now, we have to like the trajectory of the team.
Finally, we've all heard the theories about Stroud getting Panthers coach Frank Reich fired. But what about Mike Vrabel? Did Stroud and DeMeco Ryans' instant success play a role in Vrabel being let go?
The Texans did spank the Titans twice this season, a season in which the Titans were wearing Houston Oilers gear. That couldn't have made Titans ownership happy.
Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!
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Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points, capped by a layup that gave Houston the lead late, and the Rockets rallied for a 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
The Grizzlies were down by four before Jaylen Wells made a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup from Brandon Clarke that put them up 115-114 with just under a minute left.
Green’s layup put the Rockets on top 116-115 before a turnover by Ja Morant gave Houston the ball back. Amen Thompson was fouled and made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to make it 118-115.
Morant missed two free throws after that and Fred VanVleet added two free throws for Houston with 2.1 seconds left to make it 120-115 and secure the victory.
It was Houston’s fourth straight win overall and second in a row over Memphis after beating the Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night.
Morant swished a 38-footer to put the Grizzlies up by 12 with about eight minutes to go.
The Rockets went on a 16-2 run after that to take a 107-105 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Green and VanVleet had 3-pointers during that stretch and Thompson added six points to help Houston erase the deficit.
Morant had 29 points for the Grizzlies, and Desmond Bane scored 25.
Grizzlies: They need to do a better job of finishing after leading by 12 in the fourth quarter.
Rockets: Green delivered the kind of dominant performance the Rockets need from him on occasion as they look to remain among the top teams in the Western Conference.
Houston’s 16-2 run that erased the double-digit deficit.
Houston had 15 offensive rebounds to just eight by Memphis.
Houston visits Denver on Wednesday night, and the Grizzlies play the first of consecutive games at San Antonio that night.