Getty Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Texans QB C.J. Stroud embrace after Week 1 matchup.
The Divisional round matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans may have been the first chapter of a budding rivalry. Both teams are led by young talented quarterbacks with Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Texans QB C.J. Stroud.
The Ravens are the dominant established team led by the veteran Jackson, while the Texans are an up-and-coming young team ready to battle for a Super Bowl in future years.
Jackson and Stroud met in the middle of the field following the game where Jackson told the rookie, “It’s just the beginning for you.”
Jackson followed up by telling Stroud, “You feel me? You’re gonna be there. You hear me? They’re waiting on you.”
“It’s just the beginning for you.”
@Lj_era8 with an awesome message for @CJ7STROUD 🙏
High praise for the rookie from the soon-to-be two-time MVP Jackson. Stroud had a difficult game against the Ravens, so the encouragement from one of the best quarterbacks in the game is encouraging.
Stroud was only 19 for 33 for 175 passing yards in the 34-10 loss to the Ravens. He was unable score a touchdown against the Ravens for the second time this season.
Jackson is only 27 years old and Stroud is just 22 years old. Saturday, January 20’s Divisional matchup could have been the start of one of the next great quarterback rivalries for years to come.
Both teams have bright futures ahead with Jackson and Stroud at the helm.
Texans Hit a Homerun With C.J. Stroud Pick
The Texans certainly hope Jackson is right in his praise and if this season is any indication of what is to come then it likely will. The Texans 2022 season finished with a 3-13-1 record, including a Week 18 32-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts that many mocked them for.
The win put them at the No. 2 spot in the draft behind the Chicago Bears who were likely to trade the pick to a QB needy team as they had Justin Fields. The Carolina Panthers paid the king’s ransom to jump ahead of the Texans who also were projected to draft a QB.
In the 2023 draft class Stroud and Bryce Young were considered the top quarterback prospects. It seemed the Panthers were going back and forth for much of the offseason about who they wanted to draft.
NFL 2023 Rookie QB Leaders
Passing Yards
4,108 – C.J. Stroud (15 GS)
2,877 – Bryce Young (16 GS)
2,218 – Aidan O’Connell (10 GS)
Passing Touchdowns
23 – C.J. Stroud
12 – Aidan O’Connell
11 – Bryce Young
Completion Percentage
63.9 – Stroud
62.1 – AOC
59.7 – Young
4th RD…
The Panthers ended up taking Young and Stroud fell to the Texans. It’s only one season but right now Stroud looks to be the better quarterback.
Stroud threw for 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. The passing yards is the third most ever by a rookie QB, and Stroud also set the record for most passing yards in a single game as a rookie with 470 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.
The Texans will need to continue building around the young QB to keep his development moving forward but as of right now the pick looks like a homerun.
C.J. Stroud Gave His Own Message to Lamar Jackson
Stroud started the interaction between the two quarterbacks after the game by telling Jackson, “Go win it all, bro.”
It looks like the young rookie will be rooting for Jackson in the AFC Championship game against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
He told Jackson, “Keep balling bro.” Jackson went off for 4 total touchdowns, 2 through the air and 2 on the ground, against the Texans.
CJ Stroud on he and DeMeco building a foundation together #Texans
“I’m excited to build with him, I think it’s going to be a great dynasty, hopefully we build.”
Jackson single handedly carried the Raven’s offense with 252 all-purpose yards, which included 100 rushing yards. The presumptive MVP will need carry this momentum against a difficult Chiefs’ defense if he hopes to reach his first Super Bowl.
Stroud asked Jackson for one other item during their interaction, a jersey from the MVP QB. “Send a jersey for me,” he told Jackson, with Jackson agreeing he would.