Chiefs defense will have to account for this added dimension in C.J. Stroud’s game
Momentum in last weekend’s Houston Texans-Los Angeles Chargers playoff game hung in the balance when quarterback C.J. Stroud took matters into his own hands.
Or, more accurately, his legs.
Stroud’s 27-yard scramble was the biggest play in a field goal drive just before halftime, and the Texans turned a close game into a comfortable victory. The play also has given the Chiefs something extra to consider as they put together a defensive game plan for Saturday’s Divisional Round game.
The burst was the longest run of Stroud’s two-year NFL career.
“We saw last week what he can do when he decides to run it,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said.
Which hasn’t been often. Stroud burst on the scene in his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year season in 2023 by passing for 274 yards per game and 23 touchdowns. He ranked 21st among quarterbacks with 167 rushing yards.
This year, the rushing total increased to 233, ranking him 18th.
But that play against the Chargers shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“It’s like all these athletic quarterbacks who play in the league now, it brings a whole other dimension and you have to figure out ways to — whether you commit one guy to the quarterback, turn three loose, however you do it — you have to have ways to do it,” Spagnuolo said.
The winner of Saturday’s game will meet either the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson or the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen, two of the game’s best running quarterbacks.
Stroud said he’s looked to run more this year — his regular-season attempts jumped slightly in 2024 — and won’t hesitate to scramble his way to success.
“I feel like I’ve been able to do that this year,” Stroud said. “It’s not something I’ve been opposed (to). I think I’m elite throwing the ball from the pocket. But I have been able to extend plays this year. It’s not something I’m looking for all the time but it’s definitely something I think can help us get an edge.”
A perfect example of a strong-armed quarterback using his legs in critical situations will stand on the opposite sideline from Stroud on Saturday.
In each of the past two Super Bowl victories, Mahomes kept game-winning drives alive with runs. Against the San Francisco 49ers last year, Mahomes picked up first downs on a fourth-and-1 with an 8-yard run and a third-and-1 with a 19-yard scramble in overtime.
A year earlier against the Philadelphia Eagles, on a gimpy ankle, Mahomes’ 26-yard run set up the game-winning field goal in the final seconds.
Spagnuolo’s experience has told him the importance of the game seems to bring out the daring in otherwise pocket-passing quarterbacks.
“When the importance of these games keep amping up, you can expect a quarterback to say, ‘Hey, I might have to run it here,’” Spagnuolo said.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM.