CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans are off to the playoffs

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He used to work here in these parts. Missed a heck of a basketball game last night at PNC Arena. I know you would have had a good time at that, but let's talk a little football. I appreciate, especially as the playoffs are cranking up and congratulations to the Texans. You saw this coming right at the beginning of the season, D'Amico Ryan's year one rookie quarterback playoffs.

I did not. I think I had the Texans as a six win team. They've exceeded my expectations. I bet they've even exceeded their own expectations. So yeah, it's been a good season for them.

There's no question about that. A lot of that has to do with the offense. Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicles here with us as we kind of, I guess, get people more familiar with the name Bobby Sloan, who is the offensive coordinator and had a rookie quarterback to work with. But I guess his background was more defense at the beginning of his career. And he's got a long history with the Shanahan's. He worked with Mike in DC back, you know, what about 12, 13 years ago. Then after getting out of football, worked with Kyle and then flipped only a few years ago over to the offensive side.

Is he a savant? Yeah, he comes from a family of coaches like his dad, uh, has, has been in the league, has coached in Canadian football league as well. So, you know, coaching his mother was a track coach and I think an Olympian as well.

So, uh, they have a family of coaches and, and, and, and, and just athlete. And, you know, he started out in, in defense, like you said, and I think he always had a desire to get into office. His dad was a defensive mind, but he always had a desire to get into offense and, and he did that. And he said, says, learned under Carl Shanahan, Mike Shanahan is his mentor.

Um, like you mentioned briefly, and, um, he's just kinda, kinda learned on that caution and he's been able to plug stuff, uh, from there. And as you can see people under that Shanahan tree are having success in the NFL right now. And this is, and, and Bobby Phil, he's a smart, smart guy who, who knows both sides of the football and he'll be a good coach someday.

You know, it's interesting. Uh, I once asked David Cutcliffe, former Duke coach about what's the first thing you do with a young quarterback. And he says, the first thing I do is I teach them defense. And you have to know both obviously to be a successful quarterback in the league.

Uh, so that certainly sounds like a good idea. If I had to ask you to describe what the Houston Texans are offensively, what would you say? Uh, explosives, uh, they are, I think second or third in the league and most, uh, pass plays of, of 20 yards or more. Um, they, they know how to carve up zone defenses. And as you can see, that's what happened in the Colts, even on that first play of the game, uh, from see, they tried to Nico Collins, but they're an explosive offense.

Um, there's still a work in progress. They they're not consistent very much in, in the running game. And, and when they're consistent in the running game, when they get the running game going, then they're really hard to beat. Um, of course they're done with some injuries tank that was a huge part in that, but, um, they still have Nico Collins, who's one of the best wire receivers turned out to be one of the best wire receivers in the league and then a quarterback who's going to be a future star in this league.

I don't know future. I mean, he might be a star right now. That's the, that's the way, I mean, they're already talking about, uh, I saw on ESPN, how many quarterbacks in the NFL would you take over CJ Stroud right now? I'm like, we have really, we have really advanced the conversation and that's great. So, um, obviously Bobby slowick and CJ have worked well together. Um, how has that progressed over the course of the season, uh, in terms of giving him more and more and more.

And if the Panthers went that way, you know, how would he approach maybe dealing with Bryce young? The pack therapy podcast is in session. Tim Donnelly here, host of the drive in your guide for pack therapy. Every episode is your chance to score inside information on the pack. We set you up for Wolfpack games all season long, and we break down the ACC competition. What to watch for as we roll towards the tournament madness, plus special guests to keep your Wolfpack hope alive.

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Chumba casino.com. Yeah. I've heard the body folks about this a couple of, on a couple of occasions, uh, you know, early in the season, they kind of, they felt like they, it was Bobby folks first time calling plays too. So he was kind of a Ricky as well.

Right. And, you know, they didn't give CJ as much. Uh, and then they started to see around that coach game that he could handle more than what they initially thought. And they started being on the same page.

The communication was great between the two. Um, and they were talking to, they, he, as Bobby thought that they were talking the same language and, and that just allowed them to fully trust what CJ could do. And like, they have no, uh, attachments on him, no limitations on him ever since week three. Um, it's just been full go and that's allowed CJ to even when, uh, you know, the offense or the first read or, or, or the play break down, you know, CJ is able to improvise, um, because he just has a depth knowledge and he's on the same page with body smoke and how, how they can attack defenses. And, uh, they've just grown tremendously since the first game, you know, his, even since he suffered a concussion, he's right. Completely instead of his passes.

So, uh, they're just, they're, they're in one right now in sync right now. How much autonomy does D'Amico Ryan's give the, his offensive coordinator? He gives it all. Um, Bobby Ford runs the entire office.

I actually learned this a couple of weeks ago. Um, he left, he does provide some, some input and maybe how, uh, like a few suggestions here and there, but he lets Bobby completely run off. And so Bobby basically head coach of the offense.

No, that's that, that that's encouraging. If, uh, if Bobby Slowik was tapped by David Tepper, uh, he would only have to deal with an owner who is apparently suggesting plays, uh, Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Uh, all right. How does this game shape up between Houston and the Joe Flacco led Cleveland Browns? I cannot believe I just said that out loud. I know, man.

Yeah, I think it's going to be, it's going to be one of their separate games. The Texans obviously struggled the first time they met the Browns. Um, and of course he just out, wasn't playing. Um, but Jim Schwartz just seems to have a, a, a stranglehold on, on caution and entry offenses. Uh, he's, he's had success. I think that was a stat that, uh, I think I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's like one in 14 costs and entry options against Jim Schwartz defenses, but like they've been the, or one in nine, I'm sorry, but they've just been that good. And I think CJ style does make this a little bit different, just his ability to throw the accurate ball because Kate Keenum just couldn't do anything.

Right. Uh, but I do think if the Browns are able to shut down Nico Collins and put a lot of attention on Nico Collins and the coach, then the Texans have to wonder, you know, where they get office from, because they didn't get much offense from any other guys other than Nico last weekend, a little bit from Don Schultz, who had 42 yards receiving, but outside of that, nobody caught balls. I think, I think that's the biggest X factor in whether the Texans can get Nico Collins the ball and whether they can run it because outside of that, they'll, they'll be in trouble. I mean, it's just, I, I, the, the contrast between CJ Stroud and Joe Flacco, uh, in terms of age experience, I mean, uh, you know, athleticism, this has to be the big at one end of the spectrum to the other. Uh, if you were ever going to put a, basically, uh, like a timeline on two quarterbacks, supposing each other in a playoff game, it should be a blast.

Jonathan Alexander at John M Alexander on Twitter, uh, covers the Houston Texans for the Chronicle. I appreciate your time, man. Have a good time this weekend.

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