Jimmie Ward Talks Veteran Leadership Among Houston Texans' Young Secondary

Parts of the Houston Texans' young roster are yet to experience the trials and tribulations of a competitive NFL season. It'll be on veterans like safety Jimmie Ward to bridge that gap.

In what may be the case for every game down the stretch, the Houston Texans’ next game is the most important of the season.

They’ll host the Denver Broncos on Sunday with a chance to bump their playoff odds to about 50 percent. A loss, however, could mean dire straits and a 25.3 percent chance, per Sumer Sports.

While quarterback C.J. Stroud has looked the part, this is still a young team filled with inexperienced players, not just at quarterback, but throughout the roster and coaching staff, too. Their collegiate careers and prior coaching experiences prepared them for the home stretch, but it’s an obstacle nonetheless.

Ward is greeted by former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator and current Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans / Getty Images

Subsequently, Houston will lean on the veterans they’ve brought in to establish coach DeMeco Ryans’ winning culture. Expect them to have an outsized role, both on and off the field, as winter nears.

One such veteran is safety Jimmie Ward, who came with Ryans from the San Francisco 49ers last offseason. On Friday, he spoke about the approach necessary for the pivotal games remaining on Houston’s schedule.

“It’s not the Catalina Wine Mixer,” Ward joked. “It’s still football at the end of the day, it’s an important game, but you don’t need to make nothing up, you don’t gotta do nothing different. Just play the same game you’ve been playing since you were nine.

“Obviously you’re getting paid a little more money and there’s a lot more fans in the stands but at the same time, it’s still football.”

Ward hasn’t played since Nov. 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but expects to make his return for Week 13. With cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre also missing some time with injuries, Sunday will mark the first time Houston’s starting secondary will share the field—at least in a game that counts.

Missing time is never optimal but Ward, who has 35 tackles and a forced fumble across six games, emphasized the importance of fostering development for his younger teammates. Stingley and Pitre are both in their second season.

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“The best I can do for my team is to help coach … give them tips, give them advice,” Ward said. “But at the same time, you just gotta go out there and let the guys play. Sometimes you gotta go through it, that’s a great learning experience, too. Watch video, watch tape, and learn from mistakes.”

Ward will lead the Texans into battle against a Broncos team that has won five straight games. Houston’s ability to limit the impact of quarterback Russell Wilson and Denver’s passing offense will play a role in deciding the young team’s playoff fate, for better or worse.