HOUSTON – Jimmie Ward read the eyes of Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis, diagnosing the passing lane and jumping it for an interception he returned for a touchdown.
The eighth career interception and second touchdown he’s scored since the San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the first round a decade ago was different and familiar at the same time for the Texans team captain. Ward had shifted from his normal safety position to line up at nickel cornerback as the replacement for an injured Jalen Pitre, a hard-hitting standout who partially tore his pectoral and is seeking second opinions on whether he’ll undergo season-ending surgery or attempt to play again this season without surgery after missing multiple games, according to league sources.
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Now, Ward is his replacement at a position he didn’t want to play when he was with the 49ers and influenced his decision to sign with the Texans in free agency and sign a one-year extension this year. Ward, though, has accepted that he needs to embrace playing nickel for the good of the team starting Sunday for a road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ward doesn’t hate playing nickel. He’s good at it, and there’s a plus side to being closer to the action near the line of scrimmage as a run-stopper, blitzing presence and coverage assignments against slot receivers.
“I’m around the ball,” Ward said. “So, when you’re around the ball, you’re going to make some plays. Hopefully, I make more plays than I give up.”
Since returning from a groin injury, Ward has played some solid football. For the season, he has two interceptions, three passes defensed, 30 tackles and six for losses. Last season, his first with the Texans, he had 50 tackles and one interception. With the 49ers after moving to nickel when Tashaun Gipson emerged at safety, Ward had 50 tackles and a career-high three interceptions.
It’s a unique position because it combines linebacker, safety and corner elements.
“It’s definitely like a hybrid linebacker,” Ward said. “Like a covering linebacker for sure.”
#Texans Jimmie Ward on what he likes about playing nickel spot with Jalen Pitre @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/7ncIOeMvLJ
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 27, 2024
How comfortable is Ward at moving positions for the stretch run of the season for the 7-5 Texans who are in first place in the AFC South division despite losing four of their past six games following a 5-1 start?
“It’s going to be hard to do what Jalen did,” Ward said. “I can’t really talk about it. I’ve got to display it Sunday. We’ll see, and y’all can be the judge of how I do.”
Asked if he’s excited given his stated reluctance in the past to move to nickel, Ward smiled and replied: “I’m just excited to have a job and be healthy and do my one-eleventh. I’m healthy enough to play. I get to be on the field. It’s Thanksgiving, so I’m thankful.”
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said the team will miss Pitre’s presence.
Pitre, back at his natural nickel position where the Stafford graduate excelled as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Baylor, had started every game and recorded 65 tackles, six tackles for losses, one forced fumble, one interception and eight passes defensed before the injury.
“Jalen is a very unique player,” Ryans said. “Jalen did a lot for us defensively and again, we’ll deploy our guys however we need to put them out there. It doesn’t change everything that we’ll do. You’ll miss the dynamic play making ability that Jalen has because he is such an impactful player.”
Against the Dallas Cowboys, Pitre delivered two big hits with one forced fumble returned for a touchdown by defensive end Derek Barnett.
Ward played the nickel spot for Ryans when he was the 49ers defensive coordinator and followed him to Houston to play safety. Ryans has confidence in Ward’s skills and toughness.
“Yeah, Jimmie has played a lot of spots for us and Jimmie is a versatile player,” Ryans said. “He has played in the back end. He can play all over the back end and we’ll see where Jimmie lines up on Sunday and he’s been a good playmaker for us. Wherever he lines up, it will be dynamic and he’ll make some plays. He flies around and has a swarming mentality, so wherever we put him, that’s what he’ll do.”
The Texans intend to keep running their same defense. Ward will do his best to approximate what Pitre does in his own way.
Nonetheless, Pitre’s physical presence will be missed, which defensive coordinator Matt Burke alluded to before the injury happened last week.
“Our job is to take whoever we have available and put them in the best spots and I’m not sure everyone can do what Pitre does,” Burke said. “So, if Pitre’s shoelace broke for a play, maybe we’d play something differently, or – but then we’d have to figure out what that person’s strengths are or how do we want to approach this thing. So, I do think he’s got a pretty unique skillset and he’s a unique player for us and that helps us play the way we play.”
The Texans will have to adapt to the loss of Pitre for multiple weeks, at the least. There’s also the potential scenario that doctors will recommend surgery and it will be a season-ending injury. Playing with a partial tear, even with a protective brace and pain-killing medication, increases the risk of fully tearing the pectoral.
Against the Titans, Ward gave up some big plays on deep passes. He also had one of his more productive games overall, recording six tackles, three for losses with one pass defensed.
In the past with the San Francisco 49ers, Ward was reluctant to play nickel even though he’s proven to be good at the spot.
“I just got to do my 1/11, whatever the coaches ask of me to help the team win I’m going to do,” Ward said. “I think it went well. I stepped in. I did good enough. Scratch that, I didn’t do that well enough. We lost. Whatever ‘Meco wants me to play. He’s the head ball coach. He’ll put me in position to make plays.”
The Texans, on both sides of the football and on special teams, need to improve, as they seek to win the AFC South division title and make a playoff run.
“I feel like you got to look in the mirror,” Ward said. “Me playing 11 years, I’ve got to look in the mirror every day. Even if we win, there’s always a play that I can do better.”
How did Ward feel like he played at nickel when forced into action? Where can he improve?
“Everything, I wasn’t the best at everything,” Ward said. “Somebody goes down, you come in and you’re rusty. I just gave them my all, did the best I can at that time and I’m looking to build on that.
“Of course when you lose, a lot of things stand out like things that you messed up. Sometimes, when you win, it’s kind of overlooked because you won. They definitely got on us in the film room, for sure.”
The Texans need a win. Badly. They head into their bye week and have challenging games ahead against the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens after the week off.
“It’s a long season,” Ward said. “I’ve been to an NFC championship game at 10-6. It’s still a lot of football left. Obviously everybody wants to win every game, but it’s hard to do that so just take one week at a time.”
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
