DJ Bien-Aime
HOUSTON — In a shock transfer, the Texans launched security C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday, a supply advised ESPN.
In three begins, Gardner-Johnson had 15 tackles with no interceptions or cross breakups.
The Texans traded their 2022 first-round choose — left guard Kenyon Inexperienced — to the Philadelphia Eagles for Gardner-Johnson in March, hoping so as to add a ball hawk. Gardner-Johnson had six interceptions in 2024 for the Eagles of their march to a Tremendous Bowl title.
Gardner-Johnson has struggled to choose up coach DeMeco Ryans' defensive scheme this season, which has contributed to a number of massive performs in opposition to the secondary by means of the primary three weeks for the Texans, who're 0-3 to start out the season.
On Monday, Ryans was requested concerning the communication between his secondary's gamers, admitting “it hasn't been nice.”
“Once you see a giant play that occurs on our protection, someplace alongside the traces, there is a bust in communication,” Ryans mentioned. “All of it begins with communication, and it hasn't been as crisp because it must be. We see that. We now have to make some changes there to verify we get it corrected.”
Every of the Texans' three losses has been by 7 factors or much less. At minimal, in response to crew sources, Gardner-Johnson has allowed three massive performs in these video games which have contributed to the opposing offense scoring touchdowns, including that Gardner-Johnson has struggled to persistently guard the right opposing participant when required to “match protection” primarily based on the Texans' defensive name and the routes run by the offense, struggles that additionally occurred throughout walk-throughs within the lead-up to video games.
Throughout Houston's Week 1 matchup in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 13-yard landing to tight finish Davis Allen, who ran a nook route into the top zone, which Gardner-Johnson was chargeable for. Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter tried to scrub up the protection bust however wasn't in a position to run down Allen. Houston misplaced the sport 14-9.
In Week 2, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield threw an over path to wideout Ryan Miller for a 20-yard landing on the sport's opening drive. The Texans had been in Cowl-2, which required Gardner-Johnson to cowl the deep proper half of the sphere. He as a substitute jumped a 10-yard in-breaking route from Buccaneers wideout Sterling Shepard, exposing the deep half for the Miller scoring reception. The Texans misplaced 20-19.
Final week in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gardner-Johnson made a vital mistake with the sport knotted 10-10 late within the fourth quarter, leaping an out-breaking route by Parker Washington when he was chargeable for something over the center of the sphere, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence pounced on the error, hitting receiver Brian Thomas on a put up for a 46-yard reception all the way down to Houston's 10-yard line in opposition to man-to-man protection.
Houston would permit Jaguars working again Travis Etienne to attain a play later in an effort to protect time for a game-rallying drive. However the harm was carried out and the Texans had been unable to seek out the top zone, falling 17-10.
Compounding the protection busts, Gardner-Johnson has refused to take duty for his errors, rubbing his teammates the unsuitable manner, sources added, with one member of the crew saying Gardner-Johnson “finger-pointed” as a substitute of proudly owning as much as the error.
The Texans host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Houston. Each groups are 0-3. The Texans are hoping improved chemistry will assist them break into the win column.
