The Houston Texans may have a coaching staff problem, including with DeMeco Ryans.
Ryans took over play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Matt Burke in Week 5, but there has been little to no improvement in the two weeks since, as ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime noted.
“The unit has woefully underperformed. It ranks 19th in points allowed (24.3) and has allowed 30 or more points in three of the Texans’ seven games, which is already the second most in a season since coach DeMeco Ryans arrived in 2023,” Bien-Aime wrote on October 29.
“The most jarring defensive issue is their pass defense — featuring three Pro Bowlers in the secondary — has regressed the most. Led by the cornerback duo of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, Houston ranked fifth in passing yards allowed per game (179) and had 19 interceptions last season.”
The ineffectiveness may show up most in the passing game, but the Texans’ 11th-ranked run defense has also shown cracks in critical moments, perhaps because it failed to stop either.
Their fall-off has been noticeable on film.
New York Giants offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor called out the Texans’ run defense, saying that their tackles are “not the biggest” and would rather pass rush than play the run, explaining as much while describing a 42-yard run from Cam Skattebo in overtime.
The Giants won on a walk-off touchdown run from former Texans starter Devin Singletary in Week 7, which came on the next play after Skattebo’s scamper.
Still, not being able to stop either the run or the pass leaves the Texans vulnerable to both.
Bien-Aime added, “This year, Houston ranks 27th in passing yards allowed (244 per game), with only three interceptions, while also giving up the highest explosive rate (19%) in the league.”
Bien-Aime noted that teams have attacked the Texans down the seams and cited Will Anderson Jr.’s comments about needing to play perfectly since teams know what they are trying to do defensively. Ryans notoriously focuses on execution of fewer concepts than variety.
That may be the underlying issue.
Former Texans Player Offers Damning Take on DeMeco Ryans
Former Texans cornerback Steven Nelson, who played for Ryans in 2023–the coach’s first season with the team–pointed out what he believes is a refusal to adapt as needed.
“When they talk about, ‘Oh, you got to think about playing man-to-man.’ Bro, that’s bulls***. That’s not–they just don’t want to because they want their scheme to work,” Nelson said on “Kickin’ It With Kunkel” on October 27. “They have very capable guys. [Jalen] Pitre, he’s not the best at man. He can play man; that’s not his skill set. Kamari Lassiter can play man. We’ve seen it. Of course, Stingley. We’ve seen Stingley follow.”
Nelson said, “I sit back, and I listen to all this s***. I’m like, ‘It’s hilarious,’ because I’ve been through it,” citing a heavy emphasis on “situational” work when game-planning to take away an opponent’s top plays from their opening script during the week.
“You work on all of that s***. Okay, boom. When that s*** doesn’t work, most coordinators, they say, ‘F it.’ They blow it up, and they go man-to-man because that’s their way of saying–that’s their way of covering their ass and saying, ‘We’re putting this on you guys now. Since our plan didn’t work, we’re putting the rest of the game on you. So, I don’t understand [not adjusting] because I’ve lived by that.”
DeMeco Ryans Holding Houston Back?
Asked why Ryans is choosing to “live and die” by his system rather than adjust, Nelson said he did not know, tasking Kunkel and viewers to research.
He wondered about their man and zero coverage rates this season compared to years past.
“I don’t know why he’s not adjusting. I don’t understand it,” Nelson said, noting he is not in communication with any players regarding the subject and that he is just going off what he has observed from afar. “It could be it’s something that’s like, ‘Hey, Meco, he wants to live or die by his calls. I don’t know that.”
That said, Nelson did acknowledge seeing what he believes is less man coverage from Ryans and the Texans this season.
“Only thing that’s really changed, from what I’ve seen, was it’s the same coverages besides man. They don’t play a lot of man. When I was there, we played a lot of man,” Nelson told Kunkel. “They’re not doing that with them.
“His base defense, which is quarters and Cover 3, that hasn’t changed. The only thing that changed with that is that he has these monster pass rushers now. And so, now he thinks that they’re gonna win the game because why? They wreaked havoc last year, and he’s backing the corners off. That’s the only thing that changed to me.”
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans Coaching Staff Put on Blast