Tag: Jimmie Ward

TeX’s and O’s: Georgia Safety Javon Bullard could bring physicality to secondary

The Houston Texans could be in the market for a safety this draft cycle, and Georgia’s Javon Bullard fits the bill.

The Houston Texans are ready to contend.

Coming off an 11-8 campaign, general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans have had a spectacular start to the off-season and have brought in players with Super Bowl optimism.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, edge rusher Danielle Hunter, running back Joe Mixon, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and defensive tackle Denico Autry headline a group that’s propelled the Texans into five-five odds. The team appears ready to compete with one large caveat

Is the defensive secondary ready?

The current projected starting safety duo was hit-and-miss throughout the division-winning campaign. Veteran Jimmie Ward missed multiple games due to injury, ending the year on the reserve list. Jalen Pitre regressed from his breakout rookie campaign, especially in man coverage.

Houston may be ready to run ample man coverage looks with star corner Derek Stingley Jr. and newcomers Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson, but they’ll need a constant security net over the top if expecting better results.

Safety has been on the mind of Caserio. Three have visited NRG Stadium this past month, including Georgia’s Javon Bullard, perhaps the best fit for Ryans’ man-heavy scheme.

Bullard, a two-year starter for the Bulldogs, often was tasked with high-leverage roles under Kirby Smart’s man-based unit. He had 56 tackles, seven passes breakups and two interceptions last season in Athens. He also was named the Nation Championship game’s MVP during the team’s title run in 2022.

His pre-draft run has been equally impressive. Bullard was named the top safety of the Reeses’ Senior Bowl practices and impressed NFL teams throughout the week in Mobile, Ala.

Additionally, he had a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and tied together a strong 8.24 “Relative Athletic Score.”

It should come as no surprise that Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke are interested in potentially seeing the Bulldog product supplemented to the ‘SWARM’ persona. The film shows an instinctive player in coverage who isn’t afraid to crash violently and support the run.

The FIT

Bullard is comfortable playing on the back end, reading out plays, and positioning himself well when asked to defend the run and on passing concepts. He may start the following play farther off the line of scrimmage than any of his fellow defenders, but Bullard is quick to see it and react.

 

These instincts allowed Bullard to be a plus player in the run game and he was a reliable tackler if running backs managed to get past Georgia’s formidable front seven.

That same ability to trigger downhill also allows Bullard to make highlight plays on the football. He had four interceptions in his final two seasons with Georgia. That can largely be attributed to how he dissects plays.

Defensive backs coach Dino Vasso should love the attentiveness and pursuit angles Bullard presents downfield, but also the physicality when asked to guard receivers.

This play against Florida shows Bullard at his best. The safety reads the quarterback early, flies downhill to the developing slant route, and crushes the receiver to prevent a first down. The ability to recognize passing concepts and punish targets will be one of Bullard’s best assets at the NFL level.

The CONCERN

While a promising player, Bullard’s not a finished product. He tends to launch at plays he recognizes, which can also leave him in poor position should he misread the coverage.

Earlier in that same contest against Florida, a similar concept was drawn up. Instead of making a highlight tackle, Bullard took a bad angle in coverage, leading to a Gators’ touchdown.

In terms of character, Bullard isn’t a slouch. In The Athletics’ draft analyst Dane Brugler’s “The Beast,” he found glowing commentary on the safety including that, “High school and college coaches agree that he has a future in coaching, because of his mental toughness” and that he was “Regarded as one of the team leaders in the Georgia locker room.”

Bullard is a motivated player and a good athlete tasked with handling free safety responsibilities as the last line of defense for a proven championship-caliber program. His football IQ and attentiveness for sniffing out plays suggest he’s someone well-prepared to play at the next level.

THE ROLE

In Ryans’ defense, Bullard could plug in immediately next to Ward or Pitre and serve as a reliable coverage safety who brings a new element of physicality to any secondary.

Additionally, his presence could allow Pitre to play closer to the box on running downs and potentially create a better role for the third-year Baylor product. Pitre, a former second-round pick, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year while lined up in the STAR position under a similar defensive formation.

Bullard is a very realistic draft target for Houston during the 2nd round, either at pick No. 42 or pick No. 59. It would be far-fetched to imagine Bullard falling out of the second round, let alone to Houston at pick No. 86 midway through Round 3.

Whether Caserio and Ryans believe he could require a trade up, or are content to wait for him where they currently sit, is yet to be seen.

What’s certain is that Bullard could bring a sense of dependability and physicality that Houston desperately needs for its Super Bowl chase.

TeX’s and Os: Could free agent C.J. Gardner-Johnson solve Texans safety woes?

The Houston Texans might have a safety problem, but free agent C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be the answer in the secondary.

The Houston Texans need help in the secondary.

DeMeco Ryan’s defense ranked in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed and passing yards per attempt in 2023. It was a disappointing effort after many thought that Houston’s safeties, led by safety duo Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward, could be the strength of the defense going into the year.

It isn’t a mess entirely. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. broke out in a big way with five interceptions and the team has multiple options to play across from him in 2024. That includes re-signing Steven Nelson or bringing in a veteran free agent like Xavien Howard.

It’s the safety dilemma that stands out.

Ward played in only 10 games and was not a reliable option to be on the field. Pitre went through a severe sophomore slump and didn’t force a turnover in 2023. Ryans even benched Pitre during the team’s brutal Week 16 loss to the Cleveland Browns. It could not have gone much worse after the Baylor product’s incredible rookie year which featured 147 tackles and five interceptions in 2022.

Now, the Texans have to find a way forward. That could require finding at least one additional safety to play, whether that is in case Ward is injured again or to facilitate moving Pitre down towards the nickel cornerback position. Houston could even find two new safeties, which would allow the Texans to capitalize on nearly $5 million in cap savings if they cut Ward after just one year.

There ar multiple ways they could about tackling this. One such option on the free agency market that stands out as both a great talent and a strong value play for general manager Nick Caserio is Detroit Lions impending free agent safety C.J. Gardner Johnson.

The University of Florida product started just five games in the regular season for the Lions in 2023 due to a torn pectoral muscle. He did start in the playoffs, though, where he intercepted Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. But overall, it was a disappointing season for Gardner-Johnson after he was considered a key free agent signing.

In 2022, Gardner-Johnson had 67 total tackles and six interceptions while helping power the Philadelphia Eagles defense to the Super Bowl under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. He had been a value add via a trade with the New Orleans Saints earlier that year and bet on himself afterwards with the short one-year deal with Detroit.

Gardner-Johnson was highly rated by Pro Football Focus in 2023, with a defensive grade of 72.7 and a coverage grade of 72.8. His run support was also solid, with a grade of 68.5. These were minor upticks from his performance in Philadelphia and they could be attributed to smaller sample size, however it’s impossible to ignore the talent of the 26 year old.

Now, he’s a free agent again and the tape shows a player that could fit well with the Texans.

Gardner-Johnson is largely considered a “strong safety” as someone who is capable of both patrolling the back end or playing close to the line of scrimmage. Considering that potential overlap of that skillset with Jalen Pitre, it’s important to start with Johnson’s ability in coverage. He graded out very well in this aspect and it shows up on tape.

In the Lions’ Cover 4 heavy defense, similar to the Houston Texans this past year, Johnson frequently played deep to allow rookie Brian Branch to be closer to the line of scrimmage. He performed well in this aspect and those skills additionally show up when reviewing his 2022 time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s a ballhawking safety who can read the quarterback and explode to make plays.

Ryans preaches the importance of stopping the run and Gardner-Johnson is no stiff there. He has an ability to both come down to the box and support with blitzes as well as read out run plays from the high safety position and collapse. His vision and athleticism is apparent and he’s a rangy athlete who could be played all over the field.

In Houston, he would allow for very interchangeable coverage sets between himself and Ward. Both could be trusted with complex coverage assignments and the defensive staff would have the ability to rotate either safety with both being plus players and run support.

This idea of interchangeability could also be used with Pitre and changing where both those players are pre-snap, even switching between safety and nickel assignments to confuse opposing quarterbacks.

It’s unclear whether or not the Texans will actually be interested in Gardner-Johnson, but the fit makes sense. At 26 years old, he would be a young player for the Texans defense that could contribute in both phases of the game. He’s a reliable player in coverage that would free up the athletic Pitre to do what he does best closer to the line of scrimmage and have a strong third season. It would also create an additional chess piece for defensive coordinator Matt Burke to implement more disguised coverage schemes against the AFC’s best quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.

In a league where coverage is suddenly at a premium., this could be a very affordable fix.

Texans defense made huge statement in win vs. Broncos

The Texans’ defense played an integral role in the team’s impressive win over the Broncos.

HOUSTON – – This time, the feelings differed for the Houston Texans defense. One week prior, they watched their division rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, celebrate a 24-21 victory on their home field and put a damper on the Texans’ playoff hopes. The Jags orchestrated 445 yards on offense and used several explosive plays to keep the defense second-guessing in coverage.

With the Denver Broncos heading into town, the Texans’ defense knew they would try to repeat what Jacksonville had done one week prior. Still, that plan failed as Houston held Denver to 282 total yards on offense and stopped their five-game winning streak with a tough 22-17 win to improve to 7-5 on the season, which equals the combined amount of wins the team had the last two seasons.

Houston recorded 3.0 sacks and three interceptions, marking the first time the team has accomplished this since Dec. 2019 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also didn’t allow the Broncos to convert on third downs (0-for-11), marking the third time in franchise history the Texans’ defense has held a team to zero third-down conversions.

“This is our brand of football,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. “Our guys are a resilient group, a resilient group of men who show up every single week. They put the work in every week, and they show up on Sundays, and they execute, and they play for each other. That’s all I ask for, and our guys continue to get better.”

Getting better is what rookie edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has been doing all season. The third overall selection in this year’s NFL draft has put together a solid rookie campaign that will have his name in the running when it is time to vote for Rookie Defensive Player of the Year. He made his presence felt early and often Sunday by making life difficult in the pocket for Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.

The former two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year finished the game with career-highs in quarterback pressures (8) and sacks (2). Anderson also caused havoc on special teams with his pressure on the punter and used his athletic ability to tip a pass that landed in the hands of teammate Derek Stingley Jr.

“It has been a relentless grind the whole season,” Anderson said during his postgame press conference. “It has been up and down, and finding that momentum at getting better at rushing, I think that has been the most exciting thing.”

One reason Anderson and the rest of the defensive linemen were able to harass Wilson for the entire game was due to the defensive backfield of Derek Stingley Jr., Steven Nelson, Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward all playing together for the first time this season. They limited the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback to 186 yards passing, in which 45 of those yards came on one completion to wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Houston’s defensive backs were also able to do something that opposing defenses had not done to Wilson in five games: force interceptions. He had three on the day, two by Stingley, who has been playing some of his best football since he returned from a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for six games. Since his return, Stingley has had four interceptions in three consecutive games, a Texans franchise record.

“It is a good feeling to do what I have been doing, but that is only because we are communicating on the backend,” Stingley told reporters.

Stingley’s second interception even impressed Wilson, who thought he could hit an open wide receiver running in the middle of the field.

“I took a shot down the field to ‘Court’ [Sutton], thought we had him, honestly, and he made a heck of a play,” said Wilson to the media. “I don’t know how he made that play, to be honest with you.”

The victory over the Broncos helps the Texans in the standings as they are currently in the hunt for an AFC Wild Card playoff spot with five games remaining in the regular season.

Texans snip Broncos’ streak as Jimmie Ward seals win with pick

The Texans ended the Broncos’ winning streak in a thriller

The Denver Broncos were trying to extend their winning streak to six. The Houston Texans were looking to keep their magic ride rolling.

Jimmie Ward made a pick of a late Russell Wilson pass on Sunday at NRG Stadium and the Texans held on for a 22-17 victory.

The victory bumped Houston to 7-5 while Denver fell to 6-6.

The Texans are better than you think, and it’s not just about C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans are better than you think as a team, which means that it’s about more then just C.J. Stroud.

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When the Houston Texans started the 2023 season 0-2 with losses to the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts, it seemed as if Houston’s NFL franchise would be nothing but an interesting footnote with new head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. Coming off a 3-13-1 2022 season as they had, the Texans went all-out in the draft, taking Ohio State’s Stroud with the second overall pick, and trading up to select Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick. Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio also made some interesting free-agency moves, and took Houston speed receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, but in those first two games, the Texans still looked worlds away from competitive status.

What a difference a couple of months can make. The Texans have won five of their last seven games since that 0-2 start, Ryans and his staff seem to have multiplied and maximized the efforts of just about every player on the roster, and Stroud has graduated from a college quarterback with some question marks about his NFL potential to one of the best quarterbacks in the league, regardless of tenure.

Stroud is the force multiplier for the Texans in conjunction with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, but is this team good enough to get to the playoffs and make noise there? Houston has had one of the league’s tougher schedules this season, and they close out the 2023 regular season with games against the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, NEw York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and the Colts. So, it’s a legitimate question, and when you look at the Texans’ entire squad, there’s more than just Stroud to talk about. In truth, the Texans are performing over their projections at just about every position, and they’re doing so with a lot of players you may not even know. 

“For us and our team and where we are, we’re still just grinding one week at a time,” Ryans said Monday, one day after his team beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a 30-27 last-second thriller. “Really focused on us and focused on getting better. From our game yesterday, I really loved the fact that everyone contributed to the win. I think that’s the most impressive thing to me about that game. True team win. Everybody stepping up, everybody made a play. If you were up in that game, you made a play, and that’s the cool part about our team is that it doesn’t matter who is out there, we expect everyone to do their best, play to the best of their ability, play fast, play physical, and that’s what you saw from our entire team yesterday.”

More and more, it’s what we’re seeing from the Texans week in and week out as things come together for them.

So, it’s time to focus on the feature question: Who are these guys, anyway, and why are they winning all of a sudden?

It’s about more than the quarterback.

Texans safeties questionable to return against the Buccaneers

Houston Texans safeties Jimmie Ward and M.J. Stewart are questionable to return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.

The Houston Texans have had injuries hit two of their safeties against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Safety Jimmie Ward is questionable to return with a hamstring injury while safety M.J. Stewart is questionable with a shoulder injury. Both were injured on consecutive plays early in the second quarter.

Coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters earlier in the week he appreciated the values Ward brought to the defense.

Said Ryans: “Just the confidence that he brings to our defense has been great, his leadership has been awesome for us. Just being around a ton of young guys, he’s helped those guys a lot. Just really thankful to have Jimmie here with us.”

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Jimmie Ward on Falcons offense: ‘I don’t think they’re trying to pass’

“They got wide receivers if they use ’em,” – Texans DB Jimmie Ward on Atlanta’s offense. “I don’t think they’re trying to pass the ball.”

Texans safety Jimmie Ward didn’t seem overly concerned about stopping the Falcons’ passing attack when asked about facing Atlanta’s offense on Thursday, and it’s hard to blame him. 

Anyone who’s watched film of the Falcons this season can see they have a one-dimensional offense with a limited passing game. Quarterback Desmond Ridder hasn’t been able to get the ball to his playmakers with enough consistency.

The pass-blocking has been poor as well, but Ward thinks the Falcons are simply choosing not to utilize their weapons.

“They got wide receivers if they use ’em,” said Ward. “I don’t think they’re trying to pass the ball. They’re trying to out-physical teams and run the ball. So, we’re going to have a tough task — stopping them from running the ball.”

Watch Ward’s interview below, as shared by FOX-5 Atlanta’s Miles Garrett:

The Falcons are slight favorites going into Week 5, but this won’t be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. Even though the Texans are rebuilding, rookie QB C.J. Stroud is playing at a Pro Bowl level this season. 

We’ll see if Atlanta puts together a more balanced performance on Sunday, or if it ends up being the Bijan Robinson solo show once again. 

Falcons starting lineups

Falcons Week 5 depth chart

Hollins on Ridder exchange

NFL Week 5 Power Rankings

Examining Ridder’s 8 starts

Texans S Jimmie Ward says QB C.J. Stroud is ‘playing lights out’

Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward says quarterback C.J. Stroud has been “playing lights out” through the first three games.

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.

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.’”

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Texans vs. Jaguars Thursday injury report: S Jimmie Ward rising

The Houston Texans released their second injury report of Week 3 as they face the Jacksonville Jaguars, and S Jimmie Ward was a full participant.

The Houston Texans released their second injury report of Week 3 as they gear up for the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from TIAA Bank Field.

The Texans had a new addition to the non-participant list as cornerback Derek Stingley (hamstring) joined the ranks. Safety Jalen Pitre (chest), linebacker Denzel Perryman (wrist/hand), and cornerback Tavierre Thomas (hand) were also non-participants.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) was the lone limited player.

Receiver Tank Dell (thigh), tackle George Fant (ankle/knee), defensive end Jonathan Greenard (knee), safety Eric Murray (concussion), quarterback C.J. Stroud (right shoulder), Jimmie Ward (hip), and receiver Robert Woods (rest – not injury related) were all full participants.

The Jaguars had defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder) upgraded as a limited participant.

For more information on Jacksonville’s injury report, check out the Jaguars Wire.

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2 ruled out, 5 questionable in Colts vs. Texans

Here are the injury designations for the Colts and Texans in Week 2.

The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) and Houston Texans (0-1) are entering a divisional matchup in Week 2 that likely will be impacted by injuries on both sides.

On the final injury report, the Colts didn’t rule any players out but did have two players listed as questionable, including one starter. For the Texans, two starters were ruled out for the game while three others are listed as questionable, two of which are starters.

UPDATE: We swapped Colts tight end Drew Ogletree for Kylen Granson. Ogletree was cleared from the concussion protocol and taken off the injury report while Granson was a late addition to the injury report due to a hamstring injury.

Here’s a look at the injury designations for the Week 2 matchup.