DeMeco Ryans needs to work his defensive magic with the Texans
The Houston Texans have a new sideline leader once again. Hopefully, promising DeMeco Ryans can fix the franchise’s biggest weakness this decade.
For the fourth consecutive season, the franchise will open the season with a new head coach. In 2020, Bill O’Brien was still at the helm of the Houston Texans before being replaced by Romeo Crennel. A year later, David Culley led the club to a 4-12 finish. This past season, the team promoted defensive coordinator Lovie Smith to head coach and Houston fell to 3-13-1.
Now one-time Texans’ linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who spent his first six seasons in the league with this club and earned a pair of Pro Bowl invitations along the way, is now at the helm of a club that owns a combined 11-38-1 record the past three seasons.
The 10-year defender spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. In 2022, the eventual NFC West champion allowed the fewest total yards and fewest points per game in the NFL. Only the Tennessee Titans surrendered fewer yards per game on the ground than Ryans’ unit.
That latter fact is significant, especially when it comes to the Texans. Since 2020, the team has been ranked 32nd, 31st, and 32nd, respectively, vs. the run. Houston allowed 40 offensive touchdowns this past season, this despite the fact that the club forced an impressive 27 turnovers – as many as the AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars.
Back to that rushing defense and its massive issues. Houston has played 50 regular-season games since 2020 and 42 of their opponents ran for at least 100 yards. In seven of those outings, the Texans allowed a disturbing 200-plus yards rushing.
The defensive free-agent additions include a pair of former 49ers in safety Jimmie Ward and defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway. Other newcomers include linebackers Denzel Perryman (Raiders) and Cory Littleton (Panthers), defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (Jets), and end Chase Winovich (Browns).
Next. 5 NFL teams that have gotten worse in 2023 NFL Free Agency. dark
General manager Nick Caserio also has 12 draft choices at his disposal. The Texans will no doubt address their quarterback situation very early. However, this team desperately needs to find a way to prevent teeams from pushing them around on the ground, especially in a division that includes running backs Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Travis Etienne.