C.J. Stroud threw for a rookie-record 470 yards Sunday, capping it with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell with 6 seconds left to give the Houston Texans a wild 39-37 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Stroud led a 75-yard drive in 40 seconds after Baker Mayfield put Tampa Bay (3-5) ahead with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton, the duo’s second scoring hookup of the day. Stroud found Dell for a 26-yard completion prior to his fifth touchdown pass of the day.
Marc Bulger held the previous rookie record for passing yards in a game with 453 for the St. Louis Rams in November 2002.
Stroud completed 30 of 42 passes, connecting with Noah Brown six times for 153 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. Dalton Schultz added 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown and Dell finished with six grabs for 114 yards, along with two scores.
The Texans (4-4) grabbed a 33-30 edge when backup running back Dare Ogunbowale kicked a tiebreaking 29-yard field goal with 8:45 remaining. Ogunbowale replaced Ka’imi Fairbairn, who was ruled out at halftime after suffering a quad injury.
Mayfield connected on 21 of 30 passes for 265 yards for the Buccaneers, who lost their fourth straight game. Rachaad White rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Mike Evans contributed 87 yards on four receptions before leaving late in the game with an injury.
Tampa Bay controlled most of the first half, scoring three times in its first four possessions to build a 10-point lead. Chase McLaughlin hit a 35-yard field goal just over two minutes in, five plays after Schultz fumbled at the Houston 42.
After Stroud hit Nico Collins for a 14-yard touchdown on the Texans’ next possession, the Bucs marched 75 yards over nearly seven minutes. Mayfield capped it with a 3-yard scoring strike to Otton for a 10-7 edge at the 2:13 mark.
White’s 1-yard touchdown run with 9:05 left in the half made it 17-7 but Houston got a 50-yard field goal from Fairbairn with 5:17 remaining, making it 17-10 Bucs at halftime.
–Field Level Media
