Texans QB CJ Stroud Found Out One Of The Chicago Bears’ Defensive Secrets Before SNF Game

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Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud had a leg up on the Chicago Bears and, in particular, star cornerback Jaylon Johnson before the two teams even met on Sunday night.

That’s because Johnson, one of the league’s defensive backs, accidentally let slip one of coverage secrets in the offseason.

Stroud, who was mic’d up for Houston’s 19-13 victory over the Bears, stunned Johnson when he told him mid-game that he knew how the Chicago star was going to play a certain coverage.

“Stop telling your secrets on Richard Sherman’s podcast, dude,” he told Johnson.

Johnson then asked Stroud what he meant, to which the second-year signal caller said “the Palms look. You ain’t slick, brother. You ain’t getting me.”

A camera then showed Johnson smiling and seemingly as a loss for words.

“Palms” coverage refers to how a cornerback and safety exchange coverage on a side with multiple wide receivers. The general rule is that if the slot receiver is vertical, the corner plays outside receiver, but if the slot runs a flat route, the corner comes off onto him and the safety (or slot corner) takes the outside receiver.

But Johnson has a trick, one which he used to get an interception last season and later revealed on an episode of The Richard Sherman Podcast.

On the play, Johnson ignored his responsibilities and drove on the short route. But Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs saw Johnson bite, so he pump-faked before throwing to the deep out over Johnson’s head.

However, Johnson is such a good athlete that he was able to stick his foot in the ground and drop back underneath the out route to make the interception.

It was a remarkable play. But it’s also one that Johnson is unlikely to make again now that Stroud, and seemingly the rest of the league, knows how he likes to play that coverage.