DeMeco Ryans isn’t interested in leaning on what the Texans have done before. After Houston fell 20-6 to the Bengals on Sunday, the head coach made it clear that past recoveries from slow starts won’t matter unless this group starts playing better right now.
“Nothing. We got to go to work,” Ryans said at a press conference.
“We got to go play good football. That’s bottom line.
It’s nothing to look back on of what happened in the past. This team right now, [the] 2026 Texans have to dig deep, look down - all of us, look down, look deep within ourselves and see how we can find a way to play better football.”
The Texans have given themselves room before. Ryans took over in 2023 and Houston opened 0-2 before still reaching the playoffs. Last season brought an 0-3 start, and the Texans again fought their way into the postseason, then won Wild Card games in both years.
Still, Ryans wasn’t willing to treat those comebacks as a comfort blanket after this latest setback. The Texans need to fix what’s in front of them, not celebrate what happened in previous seasons.
The good news for Houston is that the division hasn’t sprinted away yet. The Titans and Colts are both 0-2, and the Jaguars sit at 1-1.
That keeps the AFC South bunched up for now, with a Week 3 trip to Indianapolis waiting next. A win there would go a long way toward changing the mood in Houston.
In Other News...
Texans Get Needed C.J. Stroud Relief After Scary Week 2 Scene
A postgame limp from C.J. Stroud had enough Texans fans holding their breath after Houstons Week 2 loss to Cincinnati, especially with the quarterback taking a beating while trying to keep the offense moving. Stroud later cleared up the concern, saying the discomfort was normal soreness rather than something more serious, a welcome bit of news after he still managed to finish the game.
For a team staring at an 0-2 start, any hint of trouble around Stroud would have only added to the pressure. Instead, Houston gets some reassurance that its quarterback is not dealing with a significant injury, leaving the Texans focused on fixing the rest of what went wrong while hoping their franchise passer is ready to keep carrying the load. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Just Put Houston's Biggest Early Problem In Focus
C.J. Stroud did not hide from what stood out in Houstons 6-20 loss to the Bengals in Week 2 of the 2026 season: the Texans were short on answers when Nico Collins was unavailable, and the offense had trouble finding any rhythm behind him. Stroud pointed to the strain on third downs, the lack of consistency in the running game and a Cincinnati defense that controlled plenty of the evening, all while Houston slipped to 0-2.
For a Texans team trying to settle in early, the bigger issue is less about one bad Sunday than the way the same problems keep showing up in different spots. Stroud said the group has to be better in the run game and in short-yardage situations, and he still sounded confident the offense can clean things up, even if the start has made the margin for error awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Have A Growing Jaylin Noel Problem They Cant Ignore
With Nico Collins sidelined in the Week 2 loss to Cincinnati, the Texans were looking for any kind of spark on offense, and Jaylin Noel provided one in a limited role. The second-year receiver turned three catches into 84 yards, flashing the kind of burst and route-running that can change the feel of a drive in a hurry.
DeMeco Ryans acknowledged the growth Noel has shown and hinted that his involvement could expand, which only adds to the intrigue for a Houston offense still searching for reliable answers. The wrinkle, of course, is Collins' eventual return, and how the Texans balance getting their top target back while also making sure Noel's momentum does not get buried on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]