Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been here before. Rookie Houston Texans signal caller C.J. Stroud has not.
For many, Jackson has the advantage heading into Saturday’s AFC Divisional matchup between the Ravens and Texans. He’s considered the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP. Baltimore is the No. 1 seed in the AFC and has home-field advantage in the playoffs.
In no way does this mean that Stroud will not be up to the task. He was on pace to put up a record-breaking rookie season before missing two games late with a concussion. Stroud then shined in his NFL Playoff debut last week against the Cleveland Browns, completing 16-of-21 passes for 274 yards with three touchdowns in a 45-14 win.
A lot will be made of this matchup heading into the game on Saturday. For now, let’s compare the two star signal callers and see how they match up against one another.
Related: Top storylines for Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens NFL Playoff game
C.J. Stroud has slight advantage over Lamar Jackson through the air
It’s darn surprising what Stroud was able to do in 15 regular-season starts as a rookie. He finished with the eighth-most passing yards in the NFL. Jackson came in 15th among regular starters. Overall, Stroud has the advantage across multiple statistical categories.
| Player | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | YA | YC | QB rating |
| C.J. Stroud | .639 | 4,108 | 23 | 5 | 8.2 | 12.9 | 100.8 |
| Lamar Jackson | .672 | 3,678 | 24 | 7 | 8.0 | 12.0 | 102.7 |
As you can see, it’s pretty darn close.
Stroud’s worst performance during the regular season came back in November against the Arizona Cardinals. That game saw him throw three of his five interceptions despite Houston winning by the score of 21-16.
Jackson’s worst performance also came in November against the Cleveland Browns with the star quarterback throwing two interceptions in a 33-31 loss to the Ravens’ division rival.
When looking at what these two quarterbacks did during the regular season and how it will translate to the AFC Divisional Playoffs, we also have to check in on how they performed against top-level defenses.
Jackson only played two games against defenses that finished in the top-10 stopping the pass. Both came against the aforementioned Browns. In those two games, Jackson completed 28-42 passes for 409 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for a 102.2 QB rating.
Stroud has taken part in six such games, including last week against the Browns. He’s completing 59% of his passes, but has thrown six touchdowns compared to one interception. That’s pretty darn good.
- Advantage: C.J. Stroud
Related: Ranking NFL Playoff quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson has clear advantage on the ground
While mobile, Stroud’s MO coming out of college was not that he’s going to beat you a ton on the ground. After all, the youngster recorded all of 136 rushing yards and one touchdown in three seasons with Ohio State. In his 15 regular-season starts, the former Buckeye star registered 167 rushing yards and three scores. His best performance came back in late November against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 47 yards.
Jackson is the antithesis of this. He’s a record-breaking running quarterback, one that can change the dynamics of a game with just one run. The former NFL MVP tallied 821 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground during the regular season. Remember, he became the first quarterback in NFL history with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons back in 2019 and 2020.
- Advantage: Lamar Jackson
Related: Sportsnaut experts pick NFL Divisional Playoffs
How the defenses stack up against Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud
It’s all about the level of competition you go up against. In this, Stroud has more recent experience taking on elite-level defenses compred to his more-veteran counterpart.
That will once again be the case come Saturday afternoon. Baltimore’s pass defense ranked No. 5 in the NFL during the regular season. Opposing quarterbacks threw 18 touchdowns against 18 interceptions against this unit. Meanwhile, the Ravens’ defense recorded a league-high 60 sacks. That included Justin Madubuike (13), Jadeveon Clowney (9.5) and Kyle Van Noy (nine) all recording at least nine sacks.
In the back end, three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey is dealing with a calf injury and did not participate in the first practice ahead of Saturday’s game. That’s certainly something to monitor for the Ravens.
Led by likely NFL Coach of the Year DeMeco Ryans, Houston’s young defense came to play big time during the regular season. While it did rank in the bottom 10 of the NFL in passing yards allowed, opposing quarterbacks threw just 17 touchdowns against 14 interceptions when taking on the Texans.
Jonathan Greenard broke out big time out on the edge in his fourth season. The former Florida star recorded 12.5 sacks to go with 22 QB hits and 15 tackles for loss.
Stud rookie first-round pick Will Anderosn was also a force with 32 total pressures and seven sacks as he became a paramount figure in the NFL Rookie of the Year conversation.
If these two can get consistent pressure on Jackson, it will make things easier for a defense led by youngster Derek Stingley Jr. at cornerback. The former top-three pick recorded five interceptions while yielding an absurdly low 41.3 QB rating when targeted. He’s a key for the Texans if they are going to pull off the massive road upset Saturday afternoon.
- Advantage: Lamar Jackson