The Houston Texans are staring at an 0-4 start, and after the Week 4 shootout loss to Dallas, DeMeco Ryans decided the defense needed a new voice at the top. That move has already earned a strong stamp of approval from one of Houston’s key pass rushers.
Will Anderson Jr. said Wednesday that he likes the idea of Ryans taking over defensive play-calling, pointing to the head coach’s ability to demand more while still keeping players in the right frame of mind.
“DeMeco is going to call you out. What you need to do, the grace part, he gives grace, but will also hold people accountable,” Anderson said on Wednesday, per Texans reporter Aaron Wilson.
“He's going to say, ‘You're not repping our style.' Burke has done a good job.
DeMeco is going to get us going.”
Houston’s defense has built a reputation for being relentless in recent seasons, but that edge has not shown up so far this year. Instead, the unit has slipped well below the level the Texans expect, giving up points at a rate that has put the group among the league’s weaker defenses.
That’s why Ryans’ move makes sense on paper. The Texans believe they have the talent on that side of the ball, and Ryans brings a résumé built for this exact job. Before getting into coaching, he spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a standout middle linebacker, then climbed quickly through the ranks in San Francisco, going from defensive quality control coach to defensive coordinator in just a few years.
The timing could help, too. Houston heads into Week 5 against Tennessee, another winless team, and the Titans don’t bring a threatening offense to the table. That gives the Texans a chance to use this switch as a reset.
Texans at Titans kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 11 from Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
In Other News...
George Pickens Just Added To The Texans Secondary's Awkward Problem
George Pickens had plenty of reason to respect what the Texans brought up front after the Cowboys game, and he made sure to point it out afterward. Asked about Houstons defense, the Dallas receiver credited the Texans pass rush, naming Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter as the players who stood out most to him in the trenches.
What he did not do was extend the same praise to Houstons secondary, even when the conversation gave him the chance. For a Texans defense trying to establish itself as a complete unit, that kind of split reaction is the sort of postgame detail that lingers, because it suggests the front did its job while the back end still has something to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Bring Back Former Titans Receiver Before A Notable Week 5 Test
The Texans added a familiar face to their roster this week, signing wide receiver Bryce Oliver to the 53-man group ahead of their Week 5 meeting with the Titans. Oliver had already spent time on Houstons practice squad, and his path back comes after two seasons in Tennessee before his release, giving the Texans an extra receiver with some built-in familiarity as they get ready for a divisional matchup.
It is a move that gives Houston a little more flexibility in a receiver room that has already been changing, especially with special teams value carrying plenty of weight for the bottom of the roster. The timing also makes the decision a little more interesting, with the Texans lining up for a game against the team Oliver just left behind and more personnel movement still possible as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
DeMeco Ryans Put Texans O-Line On Notice Before Titans Game
The Texans ground game has been one of the quieter frustrations of the season, with Houston sitting near the bottom of the league in both total rushing yards and yards per carry. As Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans approaches, DeMeco Ryans has made it clear where he believes the next step has to come from, putting the focus squarely on the offensive line and the way it handles the run game.
Houston has protected its quarterback well enough to give the offense a fighting chance, but the run-blocking has not matched that standard. Ryans wants to see more consistent work up front, the kind that keeps blocks alive and helps finish plays instead of letting runs die early, and the Titans game offers another chance for that part of the offense to show it can become more than a lingering issue. [Read more 🡒]