For a Houston Texans team fighting to stay in the playoff picture, the return of a single player could completely change their defensive identity. The team sits at 6-5. Next, they will face the Indianapolis Colts, who are at 8-3. So DeMeco Ryans did not waste a second, as he brought back Jalen Pitre, sending a message to Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones.

“Jalen, he opens our playbook up, the full playbook. We can do a lot of different things with Jalen. Everybody sees he’s been a dynamic playmaker for us.”

And Ryans feels Pitre can be a big threat to the Colts. His skill set gives Houston something rare. He plays like a hybrid, and that kind of versatility is tough to replace. His range helps the Texans shift coverages and hide looks.

“Whether it’s in the run game or the passing game, the kid flies around; he plays with his hair on fire,” Ryans added. “I love watching him play the game of football because he does it in such a relentless way, and he’s going to be in a position to make a ton of plays. We know offenses have to have awareness for ‘JP’ and where he is at all times, because he’s that type of impact player for us.”

His numbers back that up, too. Jalen Pitre has had 26 solo tackles, 20 assists, and 3 interceptions in 8 games this season, and his coverage impact shows up everywhere. His impact is written all over the stat sheet. He has allowed only 26 catches on 12 targets. That turned into 247 yards and no touchdowns.

But the most telling number is the 54.6 passer rating opposing quarterbacks have when targeting him, a figure that proves he’s not just a playmaker, but a true shutdown presence. During his absence, the Texans gave up a 76.2 passer rating in three games. So yes, his presence changes the math.

Finally, his comeback means even more because of what he went through. After being diagnosed with a concussion following the loss to the Broncos, he has now been cleared to return. However, this is not the only boost DeMeco Ryans gets this week.

C.J. Stroud will boost DeMeco Ryans’ team

DeMeco Ryans dropped big news for the Battle Red crowd on Friday. C.J. Stroud and Jalen Pitre both cleared concussion protocol. So, the Texans walk into Week 13 with two major pieces back on the field as they get ready for the Colts.

“Just to start off, I’ll let you guys know Jalen (Pitre) and C.J. (Stroud) have cleared the concussion protocol,” Ryans said. “So we’re expecting both guys to participate on Sunday.”

Stroud went down in Week 9 and missed three games, so this return matters for Space City. And it resets the tone for the offense heading into a tough matchup.

After that, it got even clearer. Stroud only practiced on Tuesday, and the short week before the Thursday game against the Bills forced him to sit again. Now he is a full participant. He hit all three practices this week and is set to start without any injury tag.

Before the concussion, he threw for 1,702 yards and 11 touchdowns with five picks while completing 66.5 percent of his passes. Those numbers explain why his comeback feels big.

The Colts’ defense has given up 245.5 passing yards per game. That ranks the fifth-most in the league. So, the Texans need to perform well. Now, all eyes will be on Pitre and Stroud to see how they respond on Sunday.