Sports
NFL QB stock report, Week 16: Why hasn’t C.J. Stroud played like the phenom he was as a rookie?
Houston Texans sensation C.J. Stroud had a chance to solidify himself this season among the NFL’s elite class of quarterbacks.
The No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft was an easy choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year. During training camp, The Athletic asked coaches and executives which three quarterbacks they’d take to start a franchise from scratch, with Stroud appearing on 16 of 27 ballots. Only Patrick Mahomes received more votes.
Instead, Stroud’s projected jump has been on hold. He hasn’t been bad this season, but his performance has dipped — and so has his standing in these rankings. This is the first time Stroud has found himself outside of the top 10. One executive said Stroud has been “not playing anywhere near (as well as) last year” when he was so dominant that he dramatically accelerated the Texans’ rebuild by leading them to their first AFC South title in four years.
The Athletic’s Week 16 QB rankings
Two statistics stand out. First, Stroud led the NFL in 2023 with 273.9 passing yards per game, but it has dropped to 232.0 this season, ranking 17th. He also led the league as a rookie by throwing interceptions on 1 percent of his passes, but that’s doubled to 2 percent (16th in the NFL) this season.
“I don’t expect C.J. to be a guy who dips and will continue to struggle,” a second executive said. “I think he’ll figure it out, and they’ll figure it out as a team. They have enough weapons. The way they’ve run the ball will take pressure off him.”
Stroud’s issues have stemmed from protection problems on the offensive line. He’s already taken more sacks this season than as a rookie (45 to 38), and he’s been sacked on nearly 9 percent of his dropbacks, an increase of about 2 percent.
There’s no escaping @zachsieler. 😈 #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/4Fd73A1k3f
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 15, 2024
“He’s getting the s— beat out of him,” the second executive said. “He’s been getting hit all year. When C.J. is under pressure, the play is going to drop off. When you’re not comfortable and don’t trust what’s around you, that’s not surprising as a young quarterback. I don’t think he’s regressed. I think he’s just sped up with the progressions and the throws, and that hurts accuracy.”
The hits can be impossible for even the best quarterbacks to overcome, let alone the younger signal callers who are still developing. When the Texans lost three of four earlier this season to the Lions, Jets, Colts (win) and Packers, Stroud took 18 sacks and was hit 17 more times.
Of course, it also hasn’t helped that top receiver Nico Collins missed five games with a hamstring injury, star wideout Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 and running back Joe Mixon missed three early games with a high ankle sprain.
So no, Stroud hasn’t dazzled the way he did as a rookie, but it’s also understandable. Add in the defensive adjustments that young quarterbacks face, the lack of pass protection and the injuries around Stroud, and it’s been enough to rock his typically steady composure.
“People in the scouting community were interested to see how this offense and the player would adjust in Year 2 when teams had a year to study, adjust and learn what he does well and what he struggles with,” a third executive said. “Now it’s up to the offensive staff and the player to adjust if they can.”
It’s also fair to point out that Stroud isn’t the first quarterback to deal with protection and injury issues. But at this stage of his career, that’s a common confluence of factors that result in temporary quarterback regression.
“It’s learning how to deal with that,” the second executive said.
All the while, the Texans still wrapped up the AFC South division title with three games to play. They beat the Bills in Week 4 and lost to the Packers and Lions by a combined five points, so they’re not too far off. Their next two games, against the Chiefs and Ravens, could change the entire perception around the Texans’ playoff chances.
However the rest of the season plays out, no coach nor executive surveyed by The Athletic this season believes Stroud’s rookie year was a fluke. This season is viewed as growing pains for a quarterback who can still mature into one of the league’s best players.
GO DEEPER
NFL playoff picture after Week 15: Eagles, Vikings join Lions atop NFC; Rams lead NFC West
Collision course
Jared Goff has been outstanding all season, but the Lions QB did something Sunday in the loss to the Bills that should create optimism during a frustrating stretch in Detroit.
Earlier in the year, executives wanted to see how Goff would perform when the Lions weren’t in command of the game — obvious passing situations in a deficit when he needed to go throw for throw with an upper-echelon quarterback on the opposing sideline.
GO DEEPER
Lions got a reality check against Bills. How they respond will determine how far they can go
Suffice it to say, Goff didn’t blink despite trailing by multiple scores for the majority of the Lions’ 48-42 loss. And given the state of the Lions’ injury-ravaged defense and the unenviable task of countering another superhuman performance from Josh Allen, there wasn’t any room for error after Detroit’s stagnant start.
Goff finished Sunday 38-of-59 passing for 494 yards and five touchdowns. He led four consecutive TD drives to close the game, nearly helping the Lions pull off a miracle comeback despite a rare Amon-Ra St. Brown lost fumble and a Jake Bates missed field goal.
GOFF TO AMON-RA. 66-YARD TD.
Not over in Detroit.
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📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/uHEKLWabzy— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Goff proved he can post points in a hurry if necessary. And with how many injuries the Lions have endured, it will probably be necessary.
Speaking of which, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts also silenced some doubters, internal or otherwise, with a brilliant performance in a 27-13 victory against the Steelers. He was 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 45 yards and a score, and Hurts did it while running back Saquon Barkley was largely limited.
The Lions and Eagles have been the NFC’s top-two seeds since the playoff picture began to take shape, so it would hardly be a surprise to see them square off with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. And with both quarterbacks answering pivotal questions against quality opponents, such a matchup could live up to the hype.
Pick 2
Two random thoughts. First, Packers wideout Romeo Doubs did indeed make an awesome catch on his game-sealing 22-yard touchdown against the Seahawks, but let’s not lose sight of Jordan Love’s throw. The Packers QB was at the 32-yard line when he made the throw to Doubs, who was at the 10-yard line and wrestling through tight coverage during the QB’s windup. Love picked a perfect spot and couldn’t have thrown it any better.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE CATCH!#ProBowlVote + #RomeoDoubs pic.twitter.com/P8Zu0eEgoD
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 16, 2024
Second, and this might sound weird after a 12-6 rock fight in the rain, but Rams QB Matthew Stafford has been playing at a very high level for most of the past month. His performance two weeks ago against the Bills was as good as it gets in terms of making high-quality throw after high-quality throw. The Rams are shaping up to be a threat if they get into the playoffs, and Stafford’s play is a primary reason.
Bloody Sunday
It was a tough week to play quarterback. Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain; Geno Smith exited with a knee injury; and Justin Herbert aggravated his ankle injury.
Additionally, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener and Will Levis were benched, while Tommy DeVito suffered a concussion.
We kept Winston and Levis in the rankings while the Browns and Titans assess their situations. Haener was replaced in the rankings by Spencer Rattler, as we work under the assumption he’ll get a longer look after his impressive second half against the Commanders.
Showing the fragility of the backup/fringe starter dynamic across the league, just six teams have had the 32nd-ranked QB in 16 weeks this season — the Dolphins (five times), Giants (four), Raiders (two), Titans (two), Saints (two) and Packers (one). And in hindsight, if there was any way to predict how well Malik Willis would have played for the Packers, they wouldn’t be on this list.
Dropped out: Drew Lock (heel injury), No. 31 last week; Haener (benched), No. 32 last week.
(Photo of C.J. Stroud: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
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If you watched Caitlin Clark on Thursday night and thought she looked a little different in the second half of the Indiana Fever’s win, you’d be correct.
Clark told reporters after the Fever’s 83-71 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that she vomited during halftime and didn’t spare any of the nauseating details.
“I haven’t puked that much in a really long time,” Clark said, via ESPN. “But then I felt fine. I felt light. So, I was running around feeling good in the second half, but [I] feel OK. Obviously, I’m losing my voice a little bit. But I’ll be good.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 4, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
Clark powered through the illness, finishing with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. She also tied her own WNBA record in the process.
During the win, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 150 points and 50 assists in a season. She first achieved the feat last season.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 4, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
The win was a needed one for the Fever. Head coach Stephanie White and Clark became the talk of the WNBA after a video of their heated sideline exchange went viral. The win snapped a two-game losing streak and brought them back to over .500, at 5-4.
Clark said everybody this week looked in the mirror and found ways to improve.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts to a foul in the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 4, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
“A lot of people have called and asked me how I am, and I said, ‘What do you mean? I’m great,’” Clark said. “I think a lot of self-reflection from everybody (this week), like look yourself in the mirror and find ways to get better. That’s certainly what I did.”
Clark will try to overcome her illness when the Fever look to build on their positive momentum against the New York Liberty on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was forced to leave Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday after taking a puck to his face on a slap shot midway through the first period.
The 14-year veteran, who played for the Kings from 2014-2017, did not return to the game. ESPN is reporting that McNabb was taken from Levno Center in Raleigh, N.C., to a hospital for evaluation.
Vegas coach John Tortorella did not have an update on McNabb’s status after his team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Huricanes, and the Golden Knights had not provided one as of early Friday morning.
McNabb was defending in front of the net with 9:08 remaining in the first period when a blistering shot by Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers hit him in the facial area. Slow-motion replays show the puck may have struck the protective visor on McNabb’s helmet near his eyes.
After crumpling to the ice, McNabb immediately climbed to his feet, skated off the playing area and headed down the tunnel while holding a hand over his nose and mouth.
“It’s a scary play,” Vegas forward Brett Howden said after the game. ”You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing OK.”
Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin said: “Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough. It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.”
Born in Davidson, Canada, McNabb was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the 2009 entry draft. He played in 37 games for the Sabres and was acquired by the Kings on March 5, 2014. Los Angeles also received Jonathan Parker and a pair of draft picks in exchange for Hudson Fasching and Nic Deslauriers.
McNabb had six goals and 36 assists in three seasons with the Kings before being selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. This is his third Stanley Cup Finals with the Golden Knights, who won the championship in 2023.
In Vegas’ 5-4 Game 1 victory against Carolina on Tuesday, McNabb had three assists for the first time in his career. Ben Hutton and Kaedan Korczak are possible options to take McNabb’s spot if he can’t play in Saturday’s Game 3 in Las Vegas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Seth Jarvis scores overtime game-winner as Hurricanes storm back from 2-0 deficit to even Stanley Cup Final
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The Carolina Hurricanes have evened up the Stanley Cup Final in thrilling fashion, coming back from down 2-0 to win in overtime, 4-3.
It was Seth Jarvis, who has been criticized for not having his usual production in the playoffs, hammering home a power-play one-timer to send the crowd into a frenzy as the Hurricanes salvaged a home game before heading on the road.
This game looked like another chapter in Brett Howden’s surprising playoff run. The Golden Knights forward scored just 12 goals during the regular season, but his two-goal performance in this contest brought his postseason total to 13. He is in clear contention for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes looks to pass during game one of the NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 2, 2026. (Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire)
His first goal of this game was from a nifty Mitch Marner floater down ice. It’s unknown if he was trying to find Howden on the other end, or just clearing his own zone, but it worked out as Howden settled the puck and was quick to snap a wrister past Frederik Anderson.
Then, just after a power play ended for Vegas, Ivan Barbashev, who scored in Game 1’s victory, found Howden streaking toward the offensive zone and put the puck right on his stick. Howden, riding high throughout these playoffs, made a tremendous move and deked out Anderson for his second goal of the game.
NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS BETTING GUIDE: WHY THE HURRICANES ARE THE PICK TO BEAT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Lenovo Center crowd was silenced, as Howden’s heroics gave the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead heading into the third period. But the Stanley Cup Playoffs have a way of getting weird, and Game 2 was proof of that with a back-and-forth battle between these two teams.
Midway through the third, the Hurricanes got the goal they needed from Logan Stankoven on a hard-fought battle behind the net for a puck, which he turned into a wraparound shot past Carter Hart. It got the crowd back into the contest, and Carolina used it to their advantage.
It was Mark Jankowski getting his first goal of the playoffs joining a rush similar to Marner’s flip down ice to Howden earlier in the game. Eric Robinson was trying to get the puck to William Cartier, and a pinball effect saw it land right in front of Jankowski, who fired it off the right post and into the net. Just like that — tie game in Carolina.
Mark Jankowski of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates a third-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 4, 2026. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
With the game hanging in the balance, both teams pressed for the winner. Vegas was trying to grab a 2-0 series lead before returning home for Games 3 and 4, while Carolina was looking to protect home ice and avoid heading on the road down two games.
It looked as if Carolina was going to fulfill the comeback, as Jordan Staal tipped home a shot from Shayne Gostisbehere during a power play that came after the Golden Knights challenged a potential goal on a sprawling save by Anderson. It was a risky move by head coach John Tortorella, and it backfired with 4:35 left in the game as Carolina took the 3-2 lead.
DESPITE POTENTIAL RATINGS NIGHTMARE FOR NHL, VEGAS-CAROLINA STANLEY CUP FINAL STILL HAS PLENTY OF INTRIGUE
But Vegas found itself on the power play shortly thereafter. However, the ‘Canes played it perfectly, with the Golden Knights only getting one shot off before killing it and getting back to even strength. Vegas had no choice but to pull Hart from the net, allowing them the extra skater.
Then, Mark Stone, the Golden Knights’ captain, said not so fast, batting a puck past Anderson following a Marner shot to tie the game at three apiece with less than two minutes to play in the game. And upon video replay, it was Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin who accidentally hit the puck into Anderson, bouncing it off his shoulder and pushing it into the net.
Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights reacts after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of Game 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 4, 2026. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI)
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Overtime was needed as a result, and the first break in the extra period came after Tomas Hertl, the game-winning goal scorer in Game 1, was called for tripping, sending the Hurricanes to the power play once again.
Carolina made it hurt, and now Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas should be a fun one to watch as this series has gotten off to a high-octane start.
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