Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward wanted one thing at training camp: to help the defense and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud on the other side of the ball improve.
He requested a play clock on the field during practice.
“Meco [Head Coach DeMeco Ryans] put the play clock out there,” said Ward, who suggested that during his playing days with the San Francisco 49ers. “He put the play clock out there for the offense and was like, ‘See what time it is and hurry and get out the huddle, and you have to hurry up and snap the ball.’”
The clock helped Stroud with his timing and pre-snap recognition of defensive schemes being thrown at him by coach Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke. Ward also noticed early on that Stroud was holding on to the ball too long, trying to read everything the defense was doing at once.
“Everything is timing,” Ward said during his press conference on Monday. “So, when he sees D-ends [defensive ends] or a blitz coming to him trying to get the ball out, that’s just him working on his game. I feel like it paid off for him. In his first three games, he’s out there playing lights out.
“It’s good to see and we feed off of that as a team and guys around sees that. When you see your quarterback playing lights out, as a rookie, that feeds everybody and everybody needs that type of energy and it is contagious.”
Stroud has been on a historic run in his first three games of his NFL career, becoming the first rookie in NFL history to have 121 passing attempts without an interception to go along with 906 yards and four touchdowns. He surpasses former Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, the previous record holder with 103 attempts without a pick in 1984.
The former Ohio State signal caller led the Texans to their first victory of the season with a 37-17 defeat of the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday, where he passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
“Everything is timing,” Ward said during his press conference on Monday. “So, when he sees D-ends [defensive ends] or a blitz coming to him trying to get the ball out, that’s just him working on his game. I feel like it paid off for him.” #Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/r0L0FgTYeq
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) September 26, 2023
Ward, who is in his 10th season in the league, his first with Texans, didn’t know what type of player Stroud would be early on because neither of his defensive teammates were allowed to hit the quarterback. It wasn’t a question of how tough Stroud was for Ward; it was more about how he would perform with pressure around him while in fear of taking a hit.
Although he missed the first two games of the season with a hip injury, Ward did his best to ensure he constantly talked to his rookie play-caller, relentlessly heaping positive affirmations. He also wanted Stroud to know that once he could play again, he would help take responsibility on the defensive side of the ball to help relieve pressure off the offense.
“I told him, ‘C.J., when I get back in there, I am going to fight bro, I’m going to fight for you, bro. Trust me. I’m going to help you out,’” Ward said to the media. “‘I just want you to go out there and play, just do your thing. It’s backyard football. Be a playmaker. You’ve been doing it your whole life.’”