Rookie QB-coach to make playoffs Texans DeMeco Ryans C.J. Stroud make history as fifth postseason team with rookie duo

Anyone that picked the Texans to reach the playoffs before the 2023 season began had either a DeLorean with a flux capacitor or a Texans' hat on when filling out their predictions.Houston went 3-13-1 in 2022. That was a year removed from going 4-13, which was a year removed from going 4-12. The Texans were going to be on their fifth head coach in four years and were going Dakoda Shepley Jersey to be starting a rookie quarterback under center.But DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud have been on a mi sion all season. Ryans was putting on a mastercla s of coaching all season despite a young roster that was often marred by injuries.Stroud was lighting up opponents week after week.On Saturday, the Texans did what many believed impo sible: they punched their ticket to the playoffs. A fearle s Ryans-Stroud combo wound up in a win-or-go-home game. The victory sealed Houston's playoff spot and a Titans' win over the Jaguars on Sunday would secure the franchise its first division title since winning back-to-back in 2018-19.MORE: There has been plenty of history made along the way. But Stroud and Ryans will go into the record books as a rare combination.Rookie quarterback-coach combinations to make playoffsMost teams that come into a year with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback are looking at a rebuild. In the Texans' case, it was the sign of a team with a bright future getting started early.Ryans and Stroud became only the fifth rookie quarterback-coach combination to make the playoffs, Jacob Eason Jersey the first since Chuck Pagano and Andrew Luck in 2012. Here's a look at the only other combinations to pull off the impre sive feats: Year Team Coach Quarterback Record Playoff finish 2023 Texans DeMeco Ryans C.J. Stroud 10-7 TBD 2012 Colts Chuck Darrell Taylor Jersey Pagano Andrew Luck 11-5 Wild-card round 2009 Jets Rex Ryan Mark Sanchez 9-7 Conference championship 2008 Ravens John Harbaugh Joe Flacco 11-5 Conference championship 2008 Falcons Mike Smith Matt Ryan 11-5 Wild-card roundThe track record of rookie combos to date is to lose early or play late. No rookie coach-quarterback combination hasreached the Super Bowl, however.Rookie quarterbacks to reach playoffsStroud has had a remarkable season for a rookie quarterback. And he joins some rare company by being under center for a playoff team in year No. 1.He is only the 15th quarterback since at least 1950 to lead his team to the playoffs in his rookie season while starting at least 10 games, . Year Team Quarterback Record Playoff finish 2023 Texans C.J. Stroud 10-7 TBD 2021 Patriots Mac Jones 10-7 Wild-card round 2016 Cowboys Dak Prescott 13-3 Divisional round 2012 Redskins Robert Griffin III 10-6 Wild-card round 2012 Colts Andrew Luck 11-5 Wild-card round 2012 Seahawks Ru sell Wilson 11-5 Divisional round 2011 Bengals Andy Dalton 9-7 Wild-card round 2009 Jets Mark Sanchez 9-7 Conference championship 2008 Ravens Joe Flacco 11-5 Conference championship 2008 Falcons Matt Ryan 11-5 Wild-card round 2005 Bears Kyle Orton 11-5 Divisional round 2004 Steelers Ben Roethlisberger 15-1 Conference championship 1985 Rams Dieter Brock 11-5 Conference championship 1985 Browns Bernie Kosar 8-8 Divisional round 1983 Broncos John Elway 9-7 Wild-card roundC.J. Stroud statsIt was another explosive game for Stroud in a season filled with explosive games. He finished the game having completed 20 of 26 pa ses for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns.Stroud finished the season with 4,108 pa sing yards, 23 pa sing touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also completed 63 Warren Moon Jersey .9 percent of his pa ses.The debut season put Stroud in several historic camps among rookies. He became only the fifth quarterback to top 4,000 pa sing yards, trailing only Andrew Luck (4,374) and Justin Herbert (4,336). Stroud and Herbert are the only two quarterbacks to have topped the 4K mark in under 16 games (15 each).Stroud also became the third rookie quarterback to throw five or fewer interceptions while pa sing for at least 20 touchdowns. He joins Robert Griffin III (20 touchdowns, five interceptions) and Dak Prescott (23 touchdowns, four interceptions).Stroud's game on Saturday also moved him into a tie with Herbert for the most games as a rookie with at least 250 pa sing yards, two pa sing touchdowns and no interceptions, . He also became only the seventh quarterback to meet all that criteria while also DeeJay Dallas Jersey completing at least 75 percent of his pa ses, .