(SportsRadio 610) - There are countless ways players choose to prepare for games. The routines that are rooted in their day-to-day and week-to-week processes can seem robotic.
For the Texans rookie quarterback, it's running like a well-oiled machine.
Whatever particular routine the C.J. Stroud has found thus far, it's working and it's one that he's not just committed to, but specifically attributes to his early success.
"Everybody kind of has their own recipe for success and me personally, it's just my routine and turning around every week for that team we're playing and just working," Stroud said. "Working hard and being hard on yourself, being critical, being accountable on everybody, including yourself and holding everybody to a standard of what it takes to win and that's what it takes."
While Stroud has gotten his first win out of the way, there certainly seem to be plenty more on the way if he continues to play clean football.
The rookie has completed 71-of-121 pass attempts through the first three games, which are the most without an interception in NFL history.
Stroud attributes his ability to take care of the football to the standard his former head coach and play-caller at Ohio State, Ryan Day held him to.
"He knew I could see the game well, I could read coverage, anticipate really well and he always told me, 'You have what it takes to not throw interceptions, so use that,'" Stroud said. "That's something that I take pride in."
For Bobby Slowik, the process of developing as a first-year offensive coordinator and play caller himself has been that much more enjoyable and rewarding doing it along side his quarterback who brings a level of preparedness that he hasn't seen from a young signal caller.
"It's immensely fun," Slowik said smiling. "Very fun. There's not many things we talk about, I would say, truthfully, I don't think there's any that I can recall that we talk about that he can't immediately point to what I'm talking about. Whether I reference something on film that their defense does, I reference a hole that we want to get to, I talk about a route that we want to run. It clicks really fast and that's mainly because of preparation to me. It just makes for a very easy conversation and very easy back and forth."
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has said from the time that Stroud was drafted, that there is no pressure coming from him, the staff nor the organization. Rather, he's just asked Stroud to be the 'best version of himself,' and nothing else.
However, while some on the outside may be surprised at the level of devotion, preparedness, accountability and overall success Stroud is having may be surprised, those that see his process everyday are not.
Stroud has come in from day one and been all the way in. While quite a bit of the conversation during training camp was about the 'volume' yet quarterback friendly playbook, Slowik says he's not once worried about putting too much on Stroud's plate.
"I don't really think there ever is a balance to preparation," Slowik said. "I think you prepare as much as you can, whether it's film or playbook.
"I don't think preparation really ever inhibits you as a player. I think the balance is really struck when you're out on the field and just the ability to – when you know where all your answers are, it just frees you up as far as not always feeling like you're always locked into what to do if one isn't there."
Slowik, along with receivers coach/passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels, have helped Stroud and the offense immensely through the first three weeks in that regard.
Working behind a patchwork offensive line, they've had to find ways for Stroud to get rid of the ball much more quickly, particularly since week one in Baltimore.
In last Sunday's 37-17 victory over the Jaguars, Stroud completed 20-of-30 pass attempts for 280 yards, including two touchdowns. The rookie had the ball in the pocket for an average of 2.6 seconds and took only four hits and for the first time through three games, did not take a sack.
Stroud has also shown the propensity to excel against opposing defenses disguising coverages.
The rookie has been meticulous at the smallest of details to find windows of opportunity in opposing defenses and that is not just credit to the level of preparation his coaches go through with him, but what he brings to the day-in-day-out process himself.
"The amount of time he dedicates to football I think, is exceptional for a rookie," Slowik said. "He does not want to go out on the field and lack command of any kind. He wants to know where all the answers are to everything he could possibly get, and I think every week it just sticks more and more and more. You can see it in how he plays, particularly his pace of play."
