When Kyle Shanahan-one of the sharpest offensive minds in football-goes out of his way to praise a defense, you listen. And during NBC’s Super Bowl pregame show, the 49ers head coach didn’t mince words when he singled out the Houston Texans as one of only two teams this season capable of winning a Super Bowl on the strength of their defense alone.
The other? The eventual champion Seattle Seahawks.
That’s elite company, and Houston earned every bit of it.
Under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans' defense didn’t just show up-they took over. They finished second in the league in both points allowed per game (17.4) and total yards allowed (277.2), a rare and telling combination that speaks to both consistency and versatility.
Whether teams tried to run or pass, Houston had an answer. And more often than not, that answer came fast, physical, and disruptive.
They racked up 47 sacks-tied for sixth in the league-and forced turnovers at a clip that would make any coordinator smile: 19 interceptions (third-most), 14 forced fumbles (tied for fourth), and 10 recoveries (third). This wasn’t a defense that just bent without breaking. They didn’t bend much at all.
Up front, Will Anderson Jr. was the heartbeat of the pass rush. In just his third year, the edge rusher played like a seasoned vet and earned just about every accolade you can think of: first-team All-Pro, PFWA All-NFL Team, Pro Bowl starter, and a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
His stat line reads like something out of a Madden simulation-85 pressures, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, two recoveries, and three passes deflected. He didn’t just disrupt plays-he wrecked game plans.
Lining up opposite him, Danielle Hunter brought a decade of experience and a relentless motor. The tenth-year vet wasn’t just a complementary piece-he was dominant in his own right. Second in the league with 90 pressures, he added 15 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles to his résumé, earning second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod as an alternate.
In the middle of it all, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair had a breakout season. He led the team with 103 tackles (48 solo), but it wasn’t just about volume-it was the impact.
He added nine passes deflected, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a recovery, earning his first career Pro Bowl selection. Al-Shaair played with the kind of range and awareness that made him a glue guy in the heart of the defense.
And then there was the secondary, anchored by Derek Stingley Jr., who’s quickly building a case as one of the league’s premier shutdown corners. For the second straight year, he earned first-team All-Pro honors and a spot on the PFWA All-NFL Team.
He broke up 15 passes-fifth-most in the league-picked off four, and housed one for a touchdown. Add in a forced fumble and 36 total tackles, and you’ve got a corner who doesn’t just cover-he changes games.
What made this Texans unit special wasn’t just the individual talent-it was the complete, balanced dominance. They ranked in the top five against both the run and the pass, a rare feat in today’s NFL where most defenses have to pick their poison.
Houston didn’t. They just shut you down.
And perhaps the most telling part? This defense was so good, it often covered for the offense’s inconsistencies. Week after week, they set the tone, controlled the tempo, and gave Houston a chance to win-even when the offense sputtered.
The Texans built their identity on defense this year, and with a core this young and this talented, it’s not just a one-year wonder. This is a foundation. And if the offense can catch up, we might be talking about Houston not just as a playoff team-but as a legitimate contender for years to come.