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DJ Bien-Aime, ESPN
HOUSTON — As the defensive line barreled in on Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during a team drill Monday, he quickly resorted to a pass underneath to wide receiver Nico Collins for only for a short gain.
Stroud walked toward the nearby vacant end zone in frustration stemming from an uneven offensive practice. Then he watched his last rep on the Texans’ large video scoreboard monitor behind the end zone.
He eventually made his way to the right sideline where he was met by wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who tried to encourage the second-year quarterback.
Practice ended not long after, but Diggs and Stroud weren’t done. Even though the duo’s connection was on display with a few receptions throughout practice, they spent roughly 20 minutes afterward on route timing.
That’s been the theme for Stroud and Diggs since the Texans acquired him in a trade with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Whether it’s constant communication on the sidelines, connecting during team drills or getting extra reps, the quarterback-receiver duo has worked on building chemistry in hopes of being a prolific pairing.
Following the extra reps, Diggs stood at the podium dripping in sweat. He admitted the relationship is a “work in progress” but made sure to reiterate his endorsement of Stroud.
“I’m not going to say everything is perfect, but you see us kind of getting on that same page here and there,” Diggs said. “Getting on the same page play after play, and that communication — that open line of communication — I feel like that’s going to really separate it, seeing that we have such a small period of time.
“But this isn’t my first rodeo, and I’m not, by any means, reinventing the wheel. This is the same football we’ve been playing since we were 5. And [Stroud] is special. I think everybody kind of knows that.”
Stroud is equally complimentary and is impressed with Diggs’ work ethic.
“He’s somebody who loves the game and doesn’t cheat it, and that’s why he’s been successful and I think he’ll continue that success,” Stroud said. “I’m blessed enough to, hopefully, be a part of that. That’s some things that just stuck out to me. Just how personable he is, how relatable he is. He’s really friendly and very vocal, so it’s really nice to have him around.”
Year 1 resulted in a historic rookie season where he led the league in passing yards per game (274) for qualified passers and touchdown to interception ratio (23:5). But the Texans made sure to add offensive talent for his encore season in Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and Diggs to pair with their returning playmakers in tight end Dalton Schultz and receiver tandem of Tank Dell and Collins.
On paper it looks tantalizing as Stroud called that group a “five-headed monster.” But through a week of camp, Stroud has targeted Diggs the most.
“They’ve been really good,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “You see them growing and you see their connection, bond and they’re communicating. Seems like after every snap, those guys are talking pre-snap with alignments and they’re getting on the same page and that takes time.
“It takes building a relationship outside of being on the football field. It takes building that relationship in the locker room, meeting rooms, and that’s what I see from both of those guys. A ton of communication, which allows their relationship to grow even stronger.”
The Texans are set to open up preseason play against the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 1 (8 p.m.; ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) in Canton, Ohio.
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