C.J. Stroud is balling early on against the Bills.
C.J. Stroud has already become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he is showing out in one of the marquee matchups of the NFL's Week 5 slate. In the second quarter of the game between Stroud's Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills, the second-year star launched a 67-yard touchdown to wide receiver Nico Collins.
The score put the Texans up 14-3 as they look to improve to 4-1 on the season, and Stroud was strutting his stuff with a casual celebration after the score.
Stroud and Collins have formed one of the most lethal connections in the NFL so far this season. Entering Week 5, Collins had a huge lead over the rest of the field with 489 receiving yards, more than 100 yards better than the second-best in the league. He and Stroud have built a chemistry together that makes them nearly unstoppable every Sunday.
Despite the Texans' offense struggling at times this season, they still raced out of the gates to a 3-1 start with a chance to make a big time statement on Sunday against the Bills, who also entered the game 3-1. They have excelled on both sides of the ball so far, as their defense has held Josh Allen and the explosive Buffalo offense to just three points in the first half and put together a pair of touchdown drives on the offensive end.
Stroud is on the same page as his receivers in this one and out together a masterful first half where he completed 12-of-15 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He's doing that despite the running game struggling a bit with 43 yards on 14 carries.
If Stroud and the Texans can keep up this pace and hold onto their 17-3 halftime lead, they will improve to 4-1 and establish themselves as one of the top contenders in the AFC. With Stroud playing the way he is, it's hard to see the Bills coming back in this one.
