DJ Bien-Aime, ESPNOct 31, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
Close
Covering the Houston Texans for ESPN is DJ Bien-Aime, who joined the network in July of 2022 after reporting on the New York Jets. A former athlete who completed his college career at Louisville, DJ can be heard on ESPN Radio hosting his show, “Talkin’ Texans.”
Upon returning home from a Week 2 practice, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud refreshed himself and immediately began analyzing tape of the Chicago Bears’ defense. During this session, Stroud exchanged text messages with his group chat of receivers and tight ends, sharing his insights on how to exploit the opposing team’s weaknesses. These discussions were based on the cut-up clips provided by quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson and senior offensive assistant Bill Lazor.
In the midst of this communication, Stroud predicted a play that ultimately led to the Texans’ only touchdown in their recent victory over the Bears. This strategic approach, facilitated through the group chat, has been a key element in Stroud’s success since becoming the team’s starting quarterback.
The collaborative effort between Stroud and his teammates has been instrumental in his early achievements, including being named the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year and guiding the Texans to their first playoff win since 2019. In his second year, Stroud has amassed impressive statistics and has demonstrated a deep understanding of defensive strategies, thanks in part to the ongoing discussions within the group chat.
The upcoming game against the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football” will see Stroud and the Texans utilizing their collaborative approach to dissect the opponent’s defensive schemes. Throughout the season, the group chat has proved invaluable in preparing for various defensive scenarios, contributing to the strong bond between Stroud and his fellow players.
Stroud’s commitment to team communication and strategic planning dates back to his time at Ohio State, where he honed this approach with a group of talented receivers. The success of this method has continued into his professional career with the Texans, showcasing his dedication to excellence and his leadership qualities on and off the field. Stroud did various things to earn his teammates’ trust in his rookie year, despite entering training camp in a competition with incumbent starter Davis Mills. He hosted a bowling event for the offense, flew his receivers to Los Angeles to run routes at UCLA, and invited teammates over to have his chef cook for them or watch movies. When the season began, Stroud added the group chat in his efforts to build team chemistry.
“It’s great, dude,” tight end Dalton Schultz told ESPN. “It correlates directly to game day because it’s the looks that we’re talking about. The whole discourse is just being on the same page… [Stroud is] the ultimate teammate, and he wants to win. Doing that, especially so young, it’s great. That’s leadership.”
Wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson’s favorite example of the chat from last season came in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stroud was texting the group about how Peterson loved to undercut inside routes. Peterson had done so in the opener against San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings on an in-breaking route to force an incompletion.
“Late in the fourth quarter, Peterson tried to undercut Collins, so he changed his route and cut outside, catching Peterson off guard. Stroud delivered the ball, and Collins sprinted down the sidelines for a 52-yard touchdown to cap a 30-6 win.”
The chat helped integrate newcomer Stefon Diggs into the mix when he was acquired in a trade with the Bills in April. Unfortunately, Diggs tore an ACL in the Texans’ 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and is out for the rest of the season. Before the injury, Stroud had a passer rating of 104 and completed 73% of his passes when targeting Diggs. Diggs ranked seventh in catches (47) and second on the Texans in receiving yards (496).
“Even in the Texans’ 34-7 loss to the Vikings in Week 3, the chat communication helped Stroud and Diggs convert a third down when Diggs ran a slant route against Flores’ Cover 0 blitz, according to Woods. Against the Colts, Diggs’ longest reception of the season (a 49-yard completion) came on a Stroud scramble that was aided by the chat.”
A big difference from Year 1 to 2 of the group chat is the addition of Diggs. But the other change is the timing of the messages.
“As a rookie, Stroud would text at all times of day, according to Hutchinson. But in Year 2, Stroud tries to send most of his messages before it gets too late at night.”
“One of Stroud’s favorite parts of the chat is the closeness that it brings between the offensive skill players. It reminds him of the camaraderie at Ohio State.” Can you please rewrite this text?