Houston Texans Incredible Players Have Make History Following The Recent Performances
The Texans have two regular season games left on the schedule. But they hope their season lasts beyond that into the postseason. Even if Houston’s season ends without a playoff appearance, it’s been a remarkable one-year turnaround under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, who has seemingly changed the culture of the team in a very short time. Related content Part of that culture change includes two valuable rookies in quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. Stroud and Anderson Jr. were taken back-to-back by the Texans in April’s NFL Draft with the Nos. 2 and 3 overall picks – and have quickly made their marks on the team. But the duo could make history.
According to multiple sportsbooks, Stroud and Anderson Jr. are in the betting favorites to take home Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. If the two can put together impressive performances in the final two games of the season, they can make history by becoming just the fourth pair of teammates to take home the Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.
Stroud and Anderson will join 2022 Jets winners Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, 2017 Saints winners Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, and 1967 Lions winners Mel Farr and Lem Barney.
The Texans are 8-7 and are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South with Tennessee and Indianapolis. Houston’s two remaining games are against the Titans and Colts, so by the end of Week 18, we’ll have an AFC South champion crowned.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is back from a concussion that cost him each of the last two games, just in time to try to hold off Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua in the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Stroud — who has tossed 20 touchdowns to five interceptions for the Texans this season — remains the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, with DraftKings still giving him -1600 odds. Meanwhile, Nacua is second in the race from an odds perspective, at +500. The fifth-round pick has had a remarkable season in his own right, with 96 catches for 1,327 yards. Nacua needs just 147 receiving yards over the final two games of the season to break the rookie receiving record (1,472) set by Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers back in 1960. Amazingly, Groman did that in just 14 games.
For a more recent example, Nacua needs 129 yards to top the 1,455 yards that Ja’Marr Chase posted for Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, the second-highest total for a rookie in NFL history. Chase was voted the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021. At the same time, a year prior to Chase winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings had to settle for a second-place finish, despite catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards in the final 16-game regular season. That’s because Justin Herbert had an excellent rookie season for the Los Angeles Chargers, and right or wrong, quarterbacks always seem to be favored for these type of awards.
The 8-7 Texans have been one of the shocks of the NFL season, but are currently the first team out in the AFC playoff picture. The Rams, meanwhile, have rebounded from a 5-12 season in 2022 and are currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs, also with an 8-7 record.
