C.J. Stroud was looking to bounce back in Week 9 after logging his least-productive game as a passer in the Texans' Week 8 loss to the Panthers.
Against Carolina, Stroud threw for just 140 yards and didn't record a passing touchdown. Both numbers marked — or matched — career lows for the rookie starter.
He blew those numbers out of the water in Houston's 40-37 win over the Buccaneers.
It wasn't a surprise to see Stroud post a prolific game. After all, Tampa Bay entered Week 9 sporting one of the NFL's best run defenses and Houston was without its top running back, Dameon Pierce, thanks to an ankle injury.
So, much of the responsibility for moving the offense fell to Stroud; even more pressure was placed on him to deliver once the team's kicker, Ka'imi Fairbairn, left the game with a quad injury.
MORE: Why backup RB Dare Ogunbowale was kicking during the Texans-Buccaneers game
Here's a breakdown of Stroud's stats for the game.
C.J. Stroud stats today vs. Buccaneers
Stroud completed 30 of 42 passes against the Buccaneers for 470 yards and five touchdowns. He didn't commit a turnover during the game and logged a passer rating of 147.8 for the contest.
According to NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, Stroud has become the youngest quarterback in at least 73 years to throw for 450-plus yards and five touchdowns in a single game. Before that, Patrick Mahomes had been the youngest player to hold that distinction.
C.J. Stroud is the youngest player (22 years, 33 days) since at least 1950 with 450+ pass yards & 5+ pass TD in the same game.
— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) November 5, 2023
Patrick Mahomes was the previous youngest at 23 years and 63 days.
He set the single-season rookie record for pass yards (470) in Week 9 against the…
And that was hardly the only record that Stroud was able to break during his outing on Sunday.
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Most passing yards by an NFL rookie in a single game
Stroud broke the NFL's single-game rookie passing record with his mark of 470 in the Texans' Week 9 win over the Buccaneers. Former Rams quarterback Marc Bulger had owned the record since 2002 via his total of 453 passing yards against the Chargers.
Below is a look at the rookie quarterbacks to surpass 400 passing yards in a single game:
| Rank | Player | Year | Team | Yards |
| 1 | C.J. Stroud | 2023 | Texans | 470 |
| 2 | Marc Bulger | 2022 | Rams | 453 |
| 3 | Aaron Brooks | 2000 | Saints | 441 |
| 4 | Jeff Garcia | 1999 | 49ers | 437 |
| 5 | Kellen Moore | 2016 | Cowboys | 435 |
| 6 | Andrew Luck | 2012 | Colts | 433 |
| 7 | Cam Newton | 2011 | Panthers | 432 |
| 8 | Ryan Tannehill | 2012 | Dolphins | 431 |
| 9 | Cam Newton | 2011 | Panthers | 422 |
| Matthew Stafford | 2009 | Lions | 422 | |
| 11 | Nick Mullens | 2018 | 49ers | 414 |
| 12 | Joe Burrow | 2020 | Bengals | 406 |
| 13 | Mike White | 2021 | Jets | 405 |
| Matt Leinart | 2006 | Cardinals | 405 | |
| 15 | Deshaun Watson | 2017 | Texans | 402 |
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Most passing TDs by an NFL rookie in a single game
Stroud also tied the NFL's single-game rookie passing touchdowns record in Houston's win. His game-winning strike to Tank Dell was his fifth of the contest; that made him one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to throw five touchdowns in a single game during his rookie season.
| Player | Year | Team | TDs |
| C.J. Stroud | 2023 | Texans | 5 |
| Daniel Jones | 2023 | Cowboys | 5 |
| Deshaun Watson | 2017 | Texans | 5 |
| Jameis Winston | 2015 | Buccaneers | 5 |
| Matthew Stafford | 2009 | Lions | 5 |
Suffice to say that Stroud is keeping good company. His outing against the Buccaneers should make him the heavy favorite to be the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, and it looks like the Texans have found their franchise quarterback for the post-Deshaun Watson era.