How ‘perfectionist’ Texans rookie C.J. Stroud collaborated, changed play against Falcons for late touchdown pass

HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud identified a poker tell from Atlanta Falcons star safety Jessie Bates III, and then he took the initiative as he relied upon his instincts and knowledge to make an advanced power move.

The Texans’ standout rookie quarterback collaborated with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, suggesting an adjustment to Dalton Schultz’s route during a successful two-minute drill.

“I told him that I was thinking about doing it, and he was like, ‘Man, if you’re feeling it, then go ahead and make a play,’” Stroud said. “So, we made the play, and it is what it is.”

Instead of having Schultz run a post pattern, Stroud had the veteran fake inside and then cut sharply on a go route straight upfield. The sudden change caught Bates off guard and Stroud lobbed a perfect spiral behind him into Schultz’s hands for a late go-ahead touchdown pass last Sunday during a 21-19 road loss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Although the Texans ultimately didn’t win the football game, that doesn’t make what Stroud did any less advanced or diminish his rare savvy and execution. The 22-year-old Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State adapted on the fly to the Falcons’ complicated 6-1 defensive scheme that employed Cover 4 schemes, two-shell and a robber look that included double coverage to contain his top wide receiver, Nico Collins.

A conversation on the sideline between Stroud and Slowik about how to beat Bates, one of the top safeties in the NFL who nearly picked off the rookie earlier in the game, paid dividends.

“I don’t want to give out all my secrets, but I think it’s a gut feeling that you get in between the games,” Stroud said. “So, me and Bobby had a conversation on the sideline about a certain route that we wanted to do, and we didn’t have it in at practice. Jessie Bates is a great player. Super good, really instinctive. He almost picked me off. He did some weird 360-turn. It’s the first time I’ve seen that, so now I’ve got it in my bank and hopefully he doesn’t ever get me again. Playing against him keeps you honest, and I knew that he was going to try to make the play of the game and try to take it away.

“Previous film study I was watching a big time third down situation and just seeing they were in this like quarters, matchy, Cover 4 look, and I told Dalton to do a certain thing in his route that I thought would get us not only the first down, but the touchdown, so we were on the same page. I’m literally trying to break down exactly what I want from him in the huddle. At first, I don’t think it registered. And then he was like, ‘Okay, I get it. I get it.’ So, Dalton’s really smart and made a hell of a route. Just being instinctive. Trying to put my guys in the best position to make plays and win games, and that instinct, it was really special.”

It’s moments like these and many other stellar performances from Stroud that have made him the top rookie quarterback in this draft class and keyed his emergence as one of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL this season regardless of experience.

Stroud has already set an NFL record with 186 passes without an interception to start his career.

Stroud, drafted second overall out of Ohio State, ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,461 passing yards. He has seven touchdown passes and the aforementioned zero interceptions, passing Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s record of 176 throws without an interception against Atlanta last week.

“Great leader for us, stayed poised the whole game,” wide receiver Robert Woods said. “In that drive, I was impressed. This guy called it out in the huddle, knew exactly what would happen. He found Dalton in the end zone and gave us a chance to compete and win the game, but we didn’t finish it.”

Stroud is on pace to pass for 4,967 yards, 24 touchdowns and zero interceptions for the season heading into Sunday’s home game against the New Orleans Saints.

None of this success surprises Slowik, the Texans’ first-year offensive coordinator and play-caller. It all comes back to communication, intelligence and a bold nature to be willing to try things within the game and go off structure when the situation calls for change.

“All conversations with C.J. because of the preparation and how much study and work he puts in are very easy, very fast,” Slowik said. “So, kind of how we got to that last touchdown was we had ran a concept a couple times in the game, and we saw a hole there, and we had a route in the game to take advantage of it, but it was out of a different formation in a little bit of a different look with a different guy on it. We had kind of been talking on the sideline and C.J. was comfortable.

“He had thrown it during the week. He was comfortable with trying to give it a shot with Dalton, and Dalton is probably the one guy on the team that I would trust to be able to go out and execute something like that watching someone else do it. We have a lot of trust in each other. If we’re confident in being able to do it, I have no issue going out and getting something like that done when we had a rep during the week. Now, Dalton ran a filthy route. It was awesome.”

As has Stroud as the field general and leader of the NFL’s third-ranked passing offense, 11th-ranked total offense and 11th-ranked scoring offense.

Stroud leads the NFL with 801 passing air yards this season. In five starts, he’s averaging 7.9 yards per attempt.

How has Stroud ascended so quickly? Hard work, of course. And there’s a distinct element of being hard on himself. He’s his own toughest critic.

“It’s hard to live like that, but I just put pressure on myself and just try to be as best prepared as I can, so, yeah, I would say I’m a perfectionist, but it’s hard doing that,” Stroud said. “I’m really hard on myself, which is a good thing, but I’m trying to be more accepting of my flaws and plays I don’t make. At the same time, I’m a perfectionist. I can’t even sugarcoat it.”

What Stroud has done so far in this fast start to his rookie season speaks volumes about his vast potential. As good as Stroud already is, imagine what he’ll become if he continues on this track of efficiency and aggressiveness.

“I think it’s intelligence, it’s instincts, it’s feels, the ability to make throws,” Slowik said. “The biggest thing is the quarterback, at the end of the day, has a comfort level with the receiver he’s throwing the ball to, which he did.

“He had an immense amount of faith in Dalton, and I’m sure he had walked everybody through his conversation with Dalton, that they wound up getting on the same page, and they pulled it off. It was cool to see.”

With his passing lanes to his wide receivers largely restricted as Collins finished with three receptions for 39 yards and Woods with three catches for 30 yards on nine targets as he dropped a few passes, Stroud adjusted. He hit Schultz seven times for 65 yards and a score on 10 targets.

“Just poised, he makes smart decisions,” Schultz said. “And even the throwaways are smart decisions. He’s got a lot of poise for a young kid. I think he’s doing a great job. Obviously, none of us did enough to win the game.”

Sunday’s matchup will arguably test Stroud and the Texans’ one-dimensional offense more than any other team they’ve faced.

The Saints have the NFL”s fourth-ranked overall defense and rank fifth in scoring defense, fourth in passing defense and eighth against the run. They have strong players at each level of the defense, including defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson, linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner and cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor and safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye.

They already have seven interceptions and they’ve won 11 of 14 games against rookie quarterbacks going back to the 2015 season. They limited Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young to 153 yards and one touchdown pass in a win earlier this season, sacking him four times as he lost one fumble.

“Run game, pass game, they do everything really well,” Stroud said. “They play as one. They’re really stout. We’ve got to be on our A-game.’ Definitely a great defense.”

Stroud, though, has been up to the task throughout the season. Nothing has seemed too big for him. He embraces each moment and keeps making strides in his game. His leadership and intangibles are off the charts.

“He may be a rookie, but’s he’s not a rookie,” Texans left offensive guard Tytus Howard said.That guy’s special, so we follow him. He leads us, and he is going to take us a long way.”

It’s Stroud’s show. The Texans are going to follow his lead.

“When I get in the huddle and I’m saying the plays, guys look at me right in my eyes,” Stroud said. “It feels like they trust me more more than they did maybe in the preseason. I just want to keep building trust and keep putting it on the field and keep playing well because I know I can and I have that confidence in myself.

“But just as quick as you get comfortable and think that your stuff doesn’t stink, that’s when you get shot or make a mistake that you shouldn’t make. So, for me, understand the little details and get better every day. Yeah, I think that’s what I’ve been feeling, more trust from everybody.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.