Four games into the season, the Houston Texans are still looking for their first win, and DeMeco Ryans has decided the fix starts with him. The head coach is taking over defensive play-calling from coordinator Matt Burke. The defense has become a sore point for the Texans this season, after being among the most productive last year.
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“It all starts with me. If there’s a lack in communication, I look at myself first,” Ryans said in his press conference. “It starts with me and making sure I’m a better communicator. So just to help spark things more, I’m going to take over the play-calling for the defense and I’m going to make sure that communication is right. If our guys are saying communication is not right, then, ultimately, it falls on me. So, it’s on me to get it fixed.
According to ESPN, Houston has given up 27.3 points per game, sitting among the bottom ten defenses in the league. They have also allowed 343.8 total offensive yards per game.
The Week 4 clash against the Dallas Cowboys only pulled the curtains further apart on the team’s defensive sluggishness. Running back Javonte Williams was able to score three rushing touchdowns, and CeeDee Lamb had an extremely productive outing with 17 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. It forced Texans quarterback CJ Stroud to work overtime, who threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns. It was perhaps because the offense picked up the slack that Houston even came close to beating the Cowboys.
Rewind to 2025, and it looks like a different team. The Texans ranked second in points allowed per game at 17.4 and first in yards allowed at 277.2 per game. They allowed more than 20 points in only four games in the regular season last year, and none of their opponents scored above 30 points.
But to defensive end Will Anderson Jr., ‘last year’ means nothing.
“This is the thing with football: I try to tell the guys this. Nobody gives a (flip) about what you did last year,” Anderson told USA TODAY Sports. “Nobody cares what you did last year. They don’t care about what Pro Bowl you made, what All-Pro team you made, they don’t care that you were the No. 1 defense. What are we going to do this year?”
Communication has been cited as a big part of the problem, and that is exactly what Ryans wants to clean up.
“No slight against Coach Burke; he’s done an outstanding job. Just want to make sure I can streamline communication in the best way possible so that isn’t the theme when I stand up here the next time I see you guys and talking about communication.”
As pointed out by USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell, the Texans defense has been unable to contain opponents in the last quarter. Against the Buffalo Bills, Houston allowed a 96-yard drive in the final two minutes.
After facing the Cowboys, Ryans pointed straight at the defense:
“Our guys moved the ball really well,” Ryans said after the loss to the Cowboys. “We just did not play well enough defensively and it’s really a bad feeling.”
That frustration seems to be what tipped things over. When he was asked how things would look different with him making the calls, he kept it honest.
“We’ll see. I’m just looking for something to change,” Ryans said. “Right now, we haven’t done great the first four games, defensively, when it’s been on guys to close the game out. And it’s, man, can we spark a little change? Matt has done a good job. We’re not overhauling the defense, just trying to spark some change.”
The Texans started 0-3 last year and still turned it into a run toward the playoffs, and they did the same in 2023 after an 0-2 start. But 0-4 is a different animal, and handing the defensive play sheet back to the head coach is a clear sign the old way wasn’t working.
Can the Texans hope for better in Week 5?
The Texans have also been limited because of injuries to key players on the defense, which include linebacker duo Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, defensive end Jadaveon Clowney, and Anderson Jr. Here’s what we know from the latest injury report.
Anderson did not practice on Wednesday, along with linebacker Jamal Hill. Al-Shaair and Clowney were limited in practice, as were rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and defensive end Logan Hall. Linebacker Wade Woodaz was able to practice fully.
Al-Shaair and McDonald resuming practice slowly is good news. Much has been expected of the rookie, who has told KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson that he will be activated for the upcoming clash against the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans should be a win for the Texans. Tennessee’s offense has struggled massively this season, which should be taken advantage of. With Demeco Ryans now calling defensive plays, perhaps there can be something to look forward to.
History isn’t on Houston’s side either. Only one team has ever recovered from an 0-4 start, the 1992 Chargers. A loss to the Titans would leave the Texans’ playoff hopes hanging on a comeback that only one team in history has ever pulled off.