Texans training camp: Rams HC Sean McVay raves on Houston's secondary

Sean McVay came away impressed with Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans.

He loved what he saw from C.J. Stroud in team drills, delivering timely, accurate passes for easy scores against his defense in the red zone.

But the longtime Los Angeles Rams coach couldn’t stop praising the Texans’ secondary after watching them work against Matthew Stafford. Even though the Rams found their way into the end zone on multiple drives, the first-team defense made life challenging at the Methodist Center in front of a packed training camp.

“I thought they did a really good job,” McVay said. “I’ve been super impressed with Stingley from when he was coming out (of college), and then you watch the production he had last year. And then I thought Pitre was all over the place. Jimmie Ward is a guy that I’ve always respected because of the athleticism, the position flex and what he enables them to do as a safety — a guy that can drop down and play coverage on receivers or tight ends.”

Houston’s secondary was hit or miss last season en route to a division title. When Stingley and Steven Nelson were on the field, turnovers were expected. The duo combined for 10 interceptions and 27 pass breakups while putting together one of the best months in December to close out the regular season.

Explosive plays, however, were a concern. The Texans allowed 65 plays of over 20-plus yards downfield in 2023, mainly due to inconsistencies at safety. Ward, who just signed a one-year extension, missed seven games and ended the season on the injured reserve.

Jalen Pitre struggled to defend man coverage on vertical routes, so the Texans are making him more of a chess piece this season. He’ll take reps in the nickel before floating back to safety. He’ll even blitz when asked to play in the flats.

McVay singled out the third-year defensive back, mentioning how challenging it was to scheme up plays while trying to find No. 5 on the field.

“Pitre’s a guy you can see he’s really good,” McVay said.” I felt them today, and they did a great job. And then obviously, having two special guys coming off the edge makes a major difference.”

Pitre has been on a tear the past two weeks in practice and in games. He looks more comfortable in the nickel and in coverage against tight ends.

In last week’s win over the New York Giants, Pitre set the tone with a 6-yard pick-six against Daniel Jones to help Houston coast out to a 7-0 lead. After totaling five interceptions as a rookie, he plans on nearing that total again this fall.

The Texans will close out the preseason on Saturday at noon against Los Angeles.