The Houston Texans’ 0-3 start has already turned into a test of accountability, and DeMeco Ryans didn’t try to push that weight anywhere else after Sunday’s 19-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Instead, he put it squarely on himself.
"We're 0-3, obviously I haven't coached good enough. If I coach better, we'll be on the winning side," Ryans said during his postgame press conference.
That kind of directness matched the reality of Houston’s afternoon in Indianapolis. The Texans were right there until the end, but they still walked out empty-handed after another close loss. It followed defeats to the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, leaving Houston still hunting its first win of the season.
The problem isn’t that the Texans haven’t shown anything. There have been flashes, including C.J.
Stroud’s 353 passing yards in the Week 2 loss to Cincinnati. But flashes don’t change the standings, and Houston has yet to string together a full game that turns potential into a result.
Against the Colts, the Texans again had chances to make the decisive play. They didn’t. And now the early-season hole is getting deeper by the week.
That’s where the pressure starts to shift from disappointment to urgency. An 0-3 record is a rough place for any team, especially one that came into the season with playoff expectations. There’s still time to recover, but the margin is shrinking fast.
For Houston, the next step has to be more than just playing close. The Texans need cleaner execution, better answers on both sides of the ball, and a coaching staff that can put players in position when games tighten up. Ryans’ message made that clear.
Sunday was another reminder that small details are deciding these games. Houston stayed within striking distance throughout the afternoon, but close only counts if the final play goes your way. Right now, the Texans are learning that lesson the hard way.
In Other News...
DeMeco Ryans Is Trying To Stop Texans Pressure From Getting Worse
The Texans are staring at an 0-3 start for the second straight year, and DeMeco Ryans is trying to keep the season from sliding any further before the schedule gets even more unforgiving. He acknowledged the adversity in front of his team and stressed the need for everyone to stay together and keep their attention on the work ahead, a familiar message for a club trying to steady itself after a rough opening month.
Week 4 brings the Dallas Cowboys, a test that will say plenty about whether Houston can clean up its issues and turn the page. Ryans knows the pressure is only going to build if the Texans keep falling behind early, so the next step is less about talk and more about finding a way to play cleaner football when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Are Already Asking Too Much Of C.J. Stroud
Houstons offense has already drifted into a familiar place early in the season, with the ground game failing to match the investment the Texans made at running back and along the offensive line. Through two weeks, the running backs have not consistently generated positive plays, and C.J. Stroud has ended up leading the team in rushing yards, a sign of just how quickly the attack has tilted toward the pass.
For the Texans, that puts an unfair amount on Strouds shoulders and leaves little margin for error if defenses keep treating Houston as a one-dimensional offense. David Montgomery and Woody Marks have not yet given the unit the steadier production it needs, and until that changes, the Texans will keep asking their quarterback to carry far more of the load than any young passer should have to. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Offense Has Fans Worried After Another Missed Chance To Reset
Another missed chance to steady the season left Houston staring at an 0-3 start after the Week 3 loss to Indianapolis, and the concerns are starting to stack up on the offensive side of the ball. Without Nico Collins, the passing game never found much rhythm, and a run game that looked like it should have had room to work against the matchup never really got going.
For a team still trying to find its footing under the current coaching staff, the early signs have not been encouraging, even if it is far too soon to write off the season. What makes the situation uneasy is how familiar the problems look already: the Texans keep coming away from these games with more questions than answers, and the offense has not yet shown it can provide a reliable reset. [Read more 🡒]