How DeMeco Ryans, CJ Stroud orchestrated remarkable turnaround to put Texans back in playoffs
Jan 9, 2024, 10:09 am
Going from worst to first is no small feat. Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Texans are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 behind impressive first years by coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Ryans and Stroud are the fifth first-year head coach and rookie quarterback combination to make the playoffs in NFL history and the first since Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano did it with the Colts in 2012.
The Texans, who won just three games last season, beat the Colts 23-19 Saturday night to earn their playoff berth and Jacksonville’s loss to Tennessee Sunday made them AFC South champions.
“I’m happy, excited about this moment, excited about this opportunity that we have in front of us,” Ryans said. “It’s a proud moment for our organization, so I’m just happy to be a part of it and happy to be along for the ride.”
Next up is a rematch with Cleveland on Saturday in the wild-card round of the playoffs. The Browns beat Houston 36-22 on Dec. 24 in a game that Stroud missed while recovering from a concussion.
Ryans, a former linebacker for the Texans, completely transformed the team in his debut season as a head coach after spending the previous two years as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator.
He is Houston’s third different coach in as many seasons after David Culley and Lovie Smith were both fired after just one awful season.
Ryans was asked about exceeding expectations, but he doesn’t view Houston’s season that way.
“Every team that starts the season, your expectations have to be to get into the playoffs and have an opportunity to win it all,” he said. “That’s why you play the game. I don’t know any other expectation. When you’re a competitor, this is why you compete. If we continue to do our best and work the right way, we’ll have an opportunity. That’s what our guys did, and we’re here with our opportunity right now.”
Stroud, the second overall pick in the draft, had one of the best seasons by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. His 4,108 yards passing are the third most by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Luck (4,374) and Justin Herbert (4,336).
He threw 23 touchdown passes with just five interceptions. Stroud ended the regular season with 144 consecutive passes without an interception and leads the NFL in touchdown to interception ratio.
“I’m blessed enough to be in this position for this great organization, this great city of Houston,” Stroud said. “Words can’t explain how proud I am of my teammates. Without them, there’s no me or no winning, you know what I’m saying? It’s just a blessing just to be able to be part of something special.”
WHAT’S WORKING
Houston’s passing game continues to be the strength of the team thanks to Stroud’s stellar play despite the team missing multiple receivers because of injuries. He threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts in his second game back after missing two games after suffering a concussion.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The Texans gave up a season-high 227 yards rushing to Indianapolis on Saturday. Ryans knows his team will have to be better in that area if it hopes to advance in the playoffs.
“We just have to be better of swarming the football, but it starts with tackling,” he said. “It wasn’t good enough and we have to improve it this week.”
STOCK UP
WR Nico Collins. The third-year player had a career-high 195 yards receiving, highlighted by a 75-yard TD catch in the win over Indianapolis. Collins has 1,297 yards receiving this season, which is more than he had in his first two seasons combined. He joins Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins as the only players in franchise history to reach 1,200 yards receiving.
STOCK DOWN
As noted above, Houston’s run defense was awful Saturday. It would be unfair to single out one person as the problem with players across the defense contributing to the poor performance.
INJURIES
DE Jonathan Greenard (ankle), who leads the team with 12½ sacks, missed a second straight game against the Colts. … WRs Robert Woods (hip) and Noah Brown (back) also missed the regular-season finale.
KEY NUMBER
46 — The Texans had 46 sacks this season which were the most in franchise history, surpassing the 45 they had in the 2015 season.
NEXT STEPS
Houston must find a way to contain Amari Cooper when the Browns visit Saturday after he had a franchise-record 265 yards receiving with two touchdowns in their most recent meeting.
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C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.