Category: Game Breakdowns

Texans WR Stefon Diggs explains pregame scuffle with Packers CB Jaire Alexander

Stefon Diggs offered a direct and candid answer following Sunday’s altercation with Jaire Alexander

Houston Texans receiver Stefon Diggs made it clear that while his pregame scuffle with Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander caused a commotion, he doesn’t regret calling out the All-Pro defender.

“I don’t give a f— if I’m by myself or with a million. I’m never the bigger person. I ain’t letting s— go,” Diggs told reporters. “They picked it up or whatever. But I ain’t with the football tough guy s—.”

While walking back to the locker room, Diggs said he heard “chirping” coming from the Packers’ sidelines. He found Alexander and called him out.

Soon enough, other Green Bay players started to get involved. Eventually, multiple coaches had to break up Diggs, Alexanders and others so the two sides could head back to the locker room.

Following Green Bay’s 24-22 win, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said would’ve preferred for Diggs to “be the bigger person.”

“We don’t want to encourage that,” Ryans said. “We just want to go out and play ball the right way and make sure it’s settled on the field. We can’t be about chirping and all the extra stuff, we’ve just got to be about executing when the ball is snapped.”

Sunday marked the sixth time Diggs and Alexader went up against each other and the first since 2022. Back with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs finished with 108 receiving yards and a touchdown.
For his career, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver had totaled over 400 receiving yards and six touchdowns in coverage against Alexander. On Sunday, the Packers held Diggs to five catches for 23 yards and one first-down reception.
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“How we played offensively is just not good enough for us,” Ryans said. “We have to play better. Guys have to execute better. Have to step up.”
The Texans return to NRG Stadium to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at noon CT.

Why did Texans miss out on field goal before halftime?

So, what happened before halftime between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts? Texans Wire tries to explain the situation.

You might be asking yourself between sips of beer: Why did the Houston Texans enter halftime without points against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium?

C.J. Stroud spiked the football with five seconds remaining after completing a pass to Dalton Schultz at the Colts’ 31. The Texans were going to send out the field goal unit to take an eight-point lead while getting the ball to begin the third quarter.

Instead, the referee stopped the clock to review the play for an incompletion. It ended up being a catch, but here’s where things get interesting.

The referee initially said 15 seconds were left but Colts coach Shane Steichen called a timeout to argue about the timing. He was right, so the referee gave back the timeout to Indianapolis and moved the clock back to five seconds.

But why didn’t the play count?

Don’t worry, we’re getting there.

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Since the timeout was removed, so was the spiked ball. The Texans needed to spike the ball again to stop the clock. And since they lined up in shotgun, the clock kept running.

Stroud threw an incompletion to end the half, even though Houston thought it had one last play. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans took ownership for the clock management issues before entering the locker room.

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“That was on us on the sidelines. We gotta be better than that,” Ryans told CBS sideline reporter A.J. Ross.

The Texans lead 15-13 entering the fourth quarter.

Film Room: Keys to defending Anthony Richardson & the Indianapolis Colts

On Sunday, DeMeco Ryans will have to scheme up a masterclass defensive performance to slow down Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts.

The NFL is officially back!

After an offseason that saw the Houston Texans elevate from a fun, new playoff team to what many consider a Super Bowl contender, the squad is ready to debut both their new talent and uniforms on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Back in January, Houston defeated Indianapolis on its way to both the AFC South title and the playoff win. During the offseason, the Colts remained quiet on the free agency front while the Texans went for the splash moves.

Rather than commit exorbitant resources to bring in talent, general manager Chris Ballard is betting heavily that the natural development of young players and similar coaching efforts to a year prior can propel the team forward.

It’s not a sexy approach, but that doesn’t mean that second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and offensive mastermind Shane Steichen won’t be a chess match of problems to prep against.

Richardson, the most athletic quarterback to ever test at the NFL Combine, torched Houston in a Week 2 victory last season, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter before exiting with injury. Despite the loss of that talent, Steichen was able to assemble a patchwork offense around journeyman Gardner Minshew that kept the Colts in the playoff hunt through Week 18.

One of the league’s most unique physical talents at quarterback with undoubtedly one of the league’s best play designers and play callers – now in their sophomore season. That presents a unique challenge that DeMeco Ryans and his defense will face to kickstart the 2024 season.

What does the path to success look like? The film tells a compelling story.

First, Houston must find ways to stay disciplined against a unique ground game. The Texans ranked sixth in rushing yards per game in 2023 with 96.6 yards allowed, but that number soared against Steichen’s schemed run game with 176.5 yards allowed on average between two contests.

New defensive tackles Foley Fatukasi and Mario Edwards Jr., plus linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, should help fortify the interior against Indianapolis interior trenches. Still, even if able to match physicality, the question becomes more about run discipline.

Steichen isn’t afraid to balance the line between modern and historic concepts to generate a run game. Take this play below, for example, against the Los Angeles Rams: There’s little window dressing, yet the defense is accustomed to seeing the handoff.

Combined with some pulling blockers, the Colts effectively run quarterback power for a first down.

Sometimes, however, it’s the opposite. Play designs can border on bland to oversaturated and elaborate.

In his 2023 debut, Steichen leaned into a formation that’s similar to the “Flexbone” or the triple option many readers have seen at high school-level games or military colleges. It’s an older offense that has gone out of vogue in new school concepts, but it still accomplishes the primary goal of creating an excellent run look.

The orbit motion from Josh Downs moves the linebackers in the wrong direction before he ultimately reverses and becomes a lead blocker for Richardson on the keeper.

Defending these concepts becomes challenging, not only due to the noise around the actual play but also because of how unique it is to the Colts.
Concepts like the ones below are an absolute must to defend Indianapolis but aren’t ones that Houston will see again this season. Even Lamar Jackson, the league’s poster boy of mobile passers, doesn’t run an offense the way Steichen plans to use Richardson. As such, it’s an odd position of a niche but a necessity entering the contest.

Looking back at the Los Angeles game, see how much detail Steichen can stuff around this simple quarterback-read option. A wide receiver comes motion that crosses the formation and a tight end crosses the formation to become the lead blocker should Richardson keep.

Life altogether becomes challenging for the linebackers. With Christian Harris out, expect Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o to start this upcoming game. There’s a degree to defending the run that becomes a guessing game. If players pursue or fly downfield incorrectly, it’s a win for Indy’s offense.

That’s their second key to victory – force legitimate passing downs to eliminate Richardson’s mobility. Steichen, just as he does in the running game, will look to make life easier for Richardson through the air.

That likely comes in two specific ways.

The first will be creating quick passes in optimal receiver matchups, specifically the slot. Rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from Texas will be positioned with either alignment or motion to run routes against Jalen Pitre or the linebackers, which should be an offensive advantage.

It will be an early test for Pitre in the nickel spot defending receivers, especially when the route can go any direction. It becomes even more challenging when integrated with his run-stopping responsibilities in the context of the “RPO.” Steichen and Richardson will have no problem borrowing the college game for easier gains.

Those slot routes not only create quick passing options for Richardson, but they also play an essential role in nullifying the pass rush.

Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter have a game-wrecking mentality on the exterior for Houston. It’s a strength that Indianapolis plans to take out of the game early. Having third-and-short or third-and-medium calls will allow quicker passing and route concepts where the Colts can roll the pocket and have Richardson on the move.

The Texans’ ability to force third-and-8-plus from Indinanpolis’ offense will put Richardson in a scenario where he’s forced to participate in grown-up NFL quarterbacking.

Richardson’s accuracy, albeit likely overblown by the public, is still a process from down to down and forcing progressions that take longer than 2 seconds buys time for Ryans’ defense to affect his process. The offense won’t be able to scheme the same quick passes and it will require the pocket to hold against the Texans’ front.

Truly, Houston’s ferocious pass rushers and Ryans’ scheming talents on coverages and stunts make their impact when Indianapolis has to hunt for chunk yardage.

The third and final key to the game circles back to Ryans – Houston cannot find themselves outcoached or allow their talent to be coached out of the game.

On paper, this is a matchup where stars like Anderson, Hunter, Al-Shaair, and cornerback Derek Stingley should give the Texans a firm advantage from a talent standpoint. They cannot allow Steichen to remove those pieces from the chessboard purely from a schematic standpoint.

Houston must force Indianapolis to win by forcing them to win individually against someone like Stingley in coverage or Anderson crashing down on the interior after a stunt. What does that effectively look like?

Ryans cannot hesitate to move Stingley around the field, as he did in the playoffs against Cleveland and Baltimore, if Indianapolis is willing to play around him. Allowing Steichen to consistently align Michael Pittman or

Mitchell across from rookie Kamari Lassiter, however promising he looks, would be a waste toward a budding All-Pro talent in the secondary.
On the defensive line, Ryans will have to be creative and ensure that his edge rushers don’t go to waste on chips and pocket movements.

Ryans and Steichen have a budding coaching rivalry from their times in San Francisco and Philadelphia, respectively. How these two prepare their players and can attack evolving weaknesses of each other likely dictates how this matchup fares.

It’s almost impossible to bet against Ryans after the last 12 months and there’s ample reason to believe they’re ready for the challenge that Steichen and Richardson present as a unit.

Fans will get their first look at how the hometown hero coach fares against the Colts’ dynamic offense at noon CT on Sunday.

TeX’s and O’s: Texans gamble on coaching and upside at cornerback

The Texans have forged ahead with a new vision for DeMeco Ryans’ defense, most notably at cornerback.

It’s an unconventional strategy.

Many NFL teams who overachieve are prone to double down on their recipe for the following season. It’s hard to stray away from the formula that brought unexpected success and instead go onto a different and unknown path. The New York Giants are a notable example with their massive extension to quarterback Daniel Jones that, despite evidence it may not be the wisest idea, felt necessary after they made the playoffs in 2022.

The Houston Texans have done the exact opposite. Instead of doubling down and re-signing key players, they’ve forged ahead with a new vision for head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense despite a strong finish at 10-7 and a playoff victory in his debut season. The team appears willing to take risks for a Super Bowl run rather than merely sit content with their 2023 success.

Nowhere is that more evident than at cornerback.

Steven Nelson had an incredible 2023 season as the Texans’ starting cornerback across from sophomore breakout star Derek Stingley Jr. He started 16 games and had a career-high four interceptions, five including his incredible postseason pick-six of Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Joe Flacco in the wild-card round. Nelson provided consistent, above-average cornerback play and was admirable in filling in during Stingley’s mid-season absence.

Rather than bring back that known commodity, Houston opted to go in a different direction. Nelson would have been one of the more expensive free agent cornerback signings and also represents a potential declining asset who is 31. Instead, they took two apparent dart throws at the position.

The Texans signed Atlanta Falcons free agent cornerback Jeff Okudah during the first week of free agency and Carolina Panthers free agent cornerback C.J. Henderson the week after. Those two players were, coincidentally, the first two cornerbacks drafted in the 2020 NFL draft at Nos. 3 and 9 overall, respectively.

Neither of the former top-10 picks lived up to their billing so far, though. Okudah has only two career interceptions and 13 passes defended in just 31 career starts between the Detroit Lions and the Falcons. Henderson has three interceptions and 16 passes defended in 32 starts of his own between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Panthers. Both have played for multiple coordinators, struggled to stay healthy and ultimately have been unable to provide consistent play at the NFL level.

That doesn’t scare Ryans and the Texans.

Before he was drafted, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote the following of Okudah:

Head coach and general manager’s dream prospect with blue-chip physical traits, mental makeup and personal character. He has size, length and foot quickness to road-block press release and elite closing burst to close catch windows or eliminate yards after catch”. His sentiment was eerily similar for Henderson, described as a “silky smooth boundary cornerback with mirror-and-match footwork and the agility and athleticism to stay connected to routes. He has NFL recovery burst and the long speed to track vertical routes downfield.

After a season that saw Texans defenders such as Nelson, Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Christian Harris and Sheldon Rankins play some of the best football of their careers, Houston is ready to bet on themselves again. How they’ve coveted these high football trait players is a testament to how this coaching staff likely views themselves and what they believe the environment in Houston can generate.

Okudah and Henderson’s traits are evident on film. It’s believable that a staff that saw such enormous success in Year 1 may also believe they can be the first to wield these players consistently.

Okudah is a great player in man coverage and his size and speed combination is a tough draw for opposing wide receivers when he’s allowed to play simple. He’s also shown the added ability to defend when the nickel when called upon. This play of Okudah shadowing 2023 first round receiver Jordan Addison stride-for-stride before extending for a great play on the football is a great example of what Houston’s staff will look for.

Henderson has also shown flashes on film, particularly during his first year in Carolina. When he was asked to play as a No. 2 cornerback next to Jaycee Horn, he put together a career best season in Steve Wilks’ defense. His closing speed to break on the football is evident and he reads plays exceptionally well as they develop.

Both players will likely be tasked to play plenty of man coverage and quarters coverage alongside Stingley. If Stingley travels with the best receiver, as he did at the end of 2023, this assignment becomes even more straightforward. Ryans will task these talented young cornerbacks to take care of the man in front of them and play to their instincts, all while rarely facing a huge mismatch.

The scheme not only empowers their athleticism to shine but the environment with Stingley and a formidable pass rush that includes Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter will shield defensive backs to an extent on passing downs.

These players also notably fit the Houston defensive mantra of SWARM.

This shows up on Henderson’s film quite a bit. His ability to quickly read plays translates well with his willingness to tackle and kill plays that bounce to the outside. Whether it was Nico Collins, Jaylen Waddle or Jameson Williams, Henderson showed an ability to react quickly and kill screen plays. That desire and overall willingness to contribute in tackling and run support matters. There’s a similar willingness shown in Okudah who, despite being billed as a premier athlete to cover receivers, is also willing to come downhill and crash on opposing running backs.

Once you consider these thoughts, the Texans’ moves that appear to be a gamble on the surface appear far more calculated.

Coach Ryans will task two demonstrably talented and athletic corners in Okudah (6’1″, 205lb) and Henderson (6’1″, 204lb) to battle for the starting cornerback job opposite of one of the league’s premier corners. The scheme will encourage both to play fluid, fast, and take advantage of the talents that had them drafted so highly in the first place. While Stingley travels with the top receiver and the pass rush generates favorable looks, either player will be incredibly well positioned to have the best season of their career in 2024, if they can stay healthy.

Essentially, a very similar premise to the eco-system that saw great athletes like Greenard and Cashman earn huge paydays this past season. Great athletes, in good environments, are empowered to do what they do best.

While the Texans look to leap towards Super Bowl contention, these types of moves are necessary. They can’t field a team of All-Stars at every position and betting on surroundings and development will be required to maximize the roster. Surplus value has to be found and it appears the place they’ll expect it is cornerback.

Betting on DeMeco Ryans and his star-studded surrounding roster on defense, and once considered top-tier talent at the position is an avenue for general manager Nick Caserio to find just that. Fans will have to wait for training camp to see how the moves pay off.

4 lessons for the Texans from Super Bowl 58

If the Houston Texans want a shot at a Lombardi Trophy, they should follow these lessons from Super Bowl 58.

Another NFL season has come and gone and the Kansas City Chiefs are once again Super Bowl champions.

The Chiefs are the first team to win repeat Super Bowl titles since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots and with their win, Kansas City’s duo of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes enters a similar “dynasty” territory the Patriots had with head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

Unfortunately for the Houston Texans, this is a team they’ll have to deal with if they ever want to compete for a Super Bowl title or even just advance to their first AFC championship game in franchise history. Mahomes will be there at the end of the tunnel for years to come.

As Houston enters a pivotal offseason where they will need to make dramatic improvements if they want to compete with Kansas City, here are four lessons from Super Bowl LVIII they should remember.

4 offseason takeaways after the Texans’ divisional round loss

Before transitioning to the offseason, here are some takeaways from the AFC divisional round that the Texans should remember:

The Houston Texans season is over.

After a storybook run over former player and rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans, including likely Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year performances from first round picks C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson, their momentum came to a screeching halt on Saturday night in a 34-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Texans not only looked schematically outclassed but the talent differential between their own roster and the top of the AFC had never been more apparent all season. The few bright spots that Houston had ridden to 10-7 and an AFC South victory were totally focused on and exploited by John Harbaugh and the Ravens veteran staff.

Houston now transitions to a pivotal offseason. They’ll be considered legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2024 and general manager Nick Caserio will be tasked with surrounding Stroud with talent that can compete with teams like Baltimore and Kansas City.

Before transitioning to the offseason, there are four upper-level takeaways from the AFC divisional round that the Texans should remember:

Texans crushed by Baltimore 34-10 in divisional round

The Houston Texans had no answers for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

The magic had to end eventually.

In a season where they were predicted to win six games, the Houston Texans under head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud massively outperformed expectations. The team finished 10-7 and captured their first AFC South title since 2019 to make the playoffs. They then took down the Cleveland Browns, 45-14, in the wild-card round to advance to the divisional round – which the franchise had never gotten past.

And then they ran into a brick wall on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens easily handled Houston 34-10 at home. It was a contest where the offense seemingly had no answers and the defense wasn’t able to hold up in the second half against likely 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson.

Stroud finished 19-of-33 for 175 yards passing. Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald was able to commit major resources to the pass and shut down what had been a dynamic element of Houston’s offense through the air under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Running back Devin Singletary finished with a mere 22 yards on nine carries. Wide receiver Nico Collins had 68 yards on five receptions, and tight end Dalton Schultz had 43 yards on five receptions. Houston could never get the ball moving under constant pressure from the Ravens front and creative coverage schemes on the back end.

Defensively, it was one of DeMeco Ryans’ more impressive schematic showings while it lasted. The Texans defense held the Baltimore offense to just 10 points in the first half and frustrated Jackson with constant blitzing.

However, with the consistent offensive failures, it wasn’t enough in the second half. Baltimore finished with 352 total yards, and Jackson passed for 152 passing yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing for 100 yards and two scores. It was a true MVP performance.

The game was a tough reminder for Houston fans that the team wasn’t anticipated to be here with their current talent level and will need additional help moving forward. How they learn to run the ball and better support Stroud against prepared, elite defenses will be a question for the offseason.

There will be plenty of spending for the Texans this year with $72 million in salary cap space and a full cast of draft picks. It’s likely they’ll be favored in the AFC South entering 2024.

Stroud, a true franchise quarterback, and Ryans, a phenomenal leader, will have to wait till next year for another shot.

How the Texans can attack projected MVP Lamar Jackson

The Texans will face the difficult task of defending MVP candidate Lamar Jackson. Here’s how they can limit him.

There’s no such thing as an easy NFL divisional playoff game.

Anytime a team makes it to this point in the season, with the best remaining eight squads, everyone is solid. The Houston Texans have known this all too well. This is just the fifth time in franchise history they’ve advanced to the AFC divisional round, and they’ve never made it to the conference championship game, suffering losses to the New England Patriots (2012 and 2016 seasons), Kansas City Chiefs (2019) and Baltimore Ravens (2011).

This one shapes up to be particularly challenging as, for all the greatness of their own quarterback in rookie C.J. Stroud, they’ll face projected league MVP Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, the winner of the 2019 NFL MVP award and this year’s anticipated winner, has surged under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken. He threw for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the regular season while rushing for 821 yards and five touchdowns. His revamped offense, with receivers Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman, was one of the most dynamic in the league. With a top-tier defense as well, the Ravens cruised to a 13-4 record.

That included a decisive 25-9 victory over the Texans in Week 1. Houston’s defense did their job, allowing Jackson only 169 passing yards and forcing an interception, but their offensive deficiencies couldn’t be overcome. Since then, Baltimore’s offense certainly has improved, and so has Houston’s defense, which has jelled under head coach DeMeco Ryans.

How can the Texans repeat their Week 1 performance against Jackson? It likely starts up front.

Houston had 16 quarterback pressures and four sacks in Week 1. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke spoke on Wednesday about how everything starts with the discipline and effectiveness of the defensive line.

“It’s going to be sort of like we’ve preached all year, but even at a heightened level of rushing as a unit. We can’t have independent contractors out there. It’s definitely going to be about guys staying in their rush areas,” Burke said of his unit needing to work cohesively. “If you get out of your area and out of your lane, and kind of where we’re trying to put it all together, if you get out, then he’s going to make you pay. So, I would probably say just from a discipline – a rush-discipline level – this is the ultimate [challenge] this week, for sure.”

Will Anderson and Jonathan Greenard, despite fighting injuries this week, will need to be at their best in this game. Their ability to generate pressure one-on-one and be used creatively on stunts generates an enormous amount of stress on the offensive line when paired with defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins. Jackson can fry any defense if he’s given too much time, whether with his legs or his arm.

Another way to generate pressure is to give the defensive line more time, or simply cover up passing outlets. Houston’s defensive back group is coming off one of their best performances of the season against Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.

Burke had more to say on the coverage component of covering Baltimore.

“Part of that preaching, even in coverage, there’s no clock on the coverage,” he said. “It’s – you have to defend the second play. We had him a couple of times where we kind of felt like we had him in the grass, and then he breaks out, and then he makes a play downfield. Hopefully not for that many yards, but it is a mental battle too, of like, we’ve got to keep coming, we’ve got to keep coming.”

Burke further discussed the tough task of stopping Jackson.

“You’ve got to throw waves at them,” he said. “He’s going to make some plays, right? There’s a reason he’s in the MVP conversation. He’s had a great season and he’s a great player, so we understand that there’s going to be plays that are made out there. It’s definitely going to be part of our mindset of, ‘Hey, next play – back up.’ We have a plan of how we want to approach it and we’ve got to stick with it.”

Don’t be surprised to see more varied coverage looks against the Ravens and further utilization of the special, emerging talent that is second-year cornerback Derek Stingley. Stingley shut down Amari Cooper last week and will likely see a heavy load of Baltimore leading receiver Zay Flowers, the only player to gather over 100 targets from Jackson this season. It could be difficult with Flowers’ usage in the slot, but nevertheless it won’t be a surprise if the Texans try to get Stingley on him.

Like last week, cornerbacks Steven Nelson and Desmond King will be tasked to cover secondary playmakers. Beckham is one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league but won’t represent an overwhelming physical matchup for Nelson, whose outstanding year culminated in a pick-six last week.

Linebackers Christian Harris and Blake Cashman will have to work in tandem with the safety group to stall former All-Pro Mark Andrews, if he’s able to suit up for the game. As with the Browns’ David Njoku last week, this may be an area of the field they’re happy to force Jackson to work toward.

All together, stout coverage on the back end with a good performance from the pass rushers should be enough to get consistent pressure on Jackson and hopefully sacks. However, pressure isn’t enough. Jackson was the league’s best passer against pressure this season.

How do you bring down a quarterback so elusive? Additional help never hurts.

Ryans has rarely blitzed six or more this season, but when he has, it’s been effective. The Texans have the second-highest pressure rate on opposing quarterbacks and have the fifth-best passer rating allowed in the NFL at 69.7. It’s resulted in two interceptions and just two touchdowns allowed despite a relatively low success rate (21st).

The last time they played against Baltimore, Houston wasn’t afraid to send the house at Jackson. They blitzed him five times, one of just four games this season at that volume, and forced a turnover.

Jackson goes from the league’s best passer, or at least a top passer, to extremely average against heavy blitz looks. He ranked 29th of 42 eligible passers in EPA/db and 36th in passer rating against such blitzes this year. The man coverages looks that they come with, and relative overloading of defensive bodies, also mean that it’s difficult for Jackson to use his legs.

Jackson’s EPA/db significantly decreases when forced to play against man coverage, likely for this very reason. He’s scrambled on only 10.5% of man dropbacks compared to 14.5% when facing zone. In this way, Ryans could gamble against Jackson as a pure drop-back passer in the right situations and eliminate the chaotic element of his running.

It won’t be an every-down flavor for Houston. The Texans like to rush four, and that’s their philosophy. However, expect them to dial up five to 10 plays where they work to heat up Jackson and force the kind of high-variance decision-making that can swing plays.

If everyone can play their assignments on downs and Ryans dials up his magic at just the right time, Houston may be able to slow Jackson.

DeMeco Ryans showcases defensive evolution with Derek Stingley

DeMeco Ryans and his Texans defense took a decisive step forward in a dominant wild-card win vs. Browns.

The Houston Texans put the league on notice Saturday.

They blew out the red-hot Cleveland Browns, 45-14, in the AFC wild card round in a performance where they dominated in every phase of the game. Against an opponent that had beat them by multiple touchdowns on Christmas Eve, Houston seemingly had all the answers and adjustments needed on Saturday.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud dazzled with 274 passing yards and three touchdowns. The youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game will certainly carry most of the attention moving forward in Texans coverage. However, he wasn’t the biggest takeaway from the contest.

It was head coach DeMeco Ryans and his defense taking a decisive step forward.

Ryans came to Houston after winning the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award with the San Francisco 49ers. A fantastic former player, he was considered one of the best defensive minds in the sport and someone who could relate well to players. It wasn’t just that San Francisco had talented defenders, they had all somehow taken a leap forward playing under Ryans after the departure of Robert Saleh to be the head coach of the New York Jets.

One of the biggest transformations under Ryans in San Francisco was the emergence of Fred Warner as the league’s most valuable middle linebacker. He not only was a suffocating force in run support, but his versatility in coverage allowed the 49ers to scheme up impossible blitzes and bizarre coverage combinations to confuse quarterbacks.

Ryans recognized where on his roster he had 0.1% percentile talent and capitalized on that portion of the equation. Against the Browns, he took his first step towards deploying cornerback Derek Stingley with the same emphasis.

Stingley has had a breakout season in 2023. He had 39 total tackles, 13 passes defended and five interceptions across 11 games and ended the season on a strong note, where he was awarded AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December/January. To this point, Ryans had not necessarily highlighted his talent in the same way he praised him at the podium.

Houston’s defensive scheme had largely relied on cornerbacks playing “sides,” where one player is predominantly the right corner and the other plays the left. This allows players, especially the less talented corners he’d worked with San Francisco, to better practice using the sideline as an additional defender to assist. Arriving in Houston, this had stayed consistent with Steven Nelson playing 98% of his snaps at the right cornerback and Derek Stingley playing 98% of his snaps at the left cornerback.

It’s possible that Ryans recognized they needed to change after wide receiver Amari Cooper torched them for multiple touchdowns and over 200 yards during the first contest. It’s also possible they’d been waiting for a playoff situation to unveil their new wrinkle. Regardless, it finally happened on Saturday.

Stingley traveled with Amari Cooper all night — and it wasn’t a pleasant experience for the Browns’ offense.

Stingley traveled with Cooper on 83.3% of his snaps for the entire contest. Cooper was targeted just once and had no catches on all of those attempts. He averaged a mere 0.7 yards of separation against Stingley on those routes. The downstream effects were extremely disruptive.

Other receivers truly struggled to separate, especially into the second half. Joe Flacco was forced to progress from his first read to second and checkdown options. It got the defense off the field when they threw short and, most importantly, allowed the defensive line to be disruptive when he held on too long.

Houston’s defensive line group had 25 total pressures, including seven from Will Anderson Jr. and six from Derek Barnett. It led to 4.0 sacks and one directly led to a pick-six when Flacco was hit late as he launched a ball right into the hands of a waiting Steven Nelson.

Forced to work to more secondary options, another pick-six came on the next drive as he fired to the tight end without processing a waiting linebacker in Christian Harris. Cleveland’s entire offensive rhythm was disrupted without Cooper as the focal point of the offense and ample bodies to work on David Njoku.

It’s a terrifying development for the remaining AFC playoff field. Houston’s defense has a new trick to both enhance the quality of their pass coverage and also to make their defensive line more effective. This comes at a time when both Anderson and Jonathan Greenard are getting healthier and healthier.

Kansas City and Baltimore will both have more dynamic pass catching options. However, their confidence will certainly be decreased from how they may have felt a week ago.

The path of Ryans’ defense and how he continues to use his elite players like Stingley and Anderson is transforming. It will certainly yield a monster in the future, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be terrifying now in the present.

Texans stomp Browns 45-14, advance to divisional round

The Houston Texans pulled way ahead in the second half to beat the Cleveland Browns.

The magic continues for first year head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans after the 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in the wild card round.

As recently as Christmas Eve, the Houston Texans were embarrassed by Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and receiver Amari Cooper in a 36-22 loss during Week 16. After winning the AFC South the last week of the season, they had the opportunity to take advantage.

The Texans certainly capitalized.

Houston beat Cleveland 45-14 in a dominant victory that saw the Texans put together their most complete game of the season on both sides of the ball. They led throughout most of the first half, going to the locker room up, 24-14, and never looked back.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud fueled the early lead and he finished with 274 yards and 3 touchdowns against the NFL’s best defense of the 2023 season. His season long connection with receiver Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz was once again on display.

Collins had 6 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Schultz overcame an early drop with a 37-yard touchdown catch before the end of the first half. Joining in the offensive explosion, third-year tight end Brevin Jordan had Houston’s longest offensive play of the season with a 76-yard receiving touchdown on a tight end screen.

It was the best game of the season from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and the team could seemingly do no wrong. Running back Devin Singletary took 13 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown while pacing the offense before Davis Mills and the backups were able to take over with around 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Of course, there’s no blowout with DeMeco Ryans and his defense playing ravenous football.

If Joe Flacco had been on a Cinderella run, it came crashing back down to earth on Saturday. The third quarter saw Flacco throw consecutive pick-sixes, one to Steven Nelson and the other to linebacker Christian Harris, while facing constant pressure. Flacco finished with 307 yards and a touchdown but couldn’t overcome the two turnovers for scores.

Flacco was pressured on 15 of his drop backs, Will Anderson Jr. had 7 while Derek Barnett had 6. Anderson and Barnett both had sacks while Harris and defensive tackle Kurt Hinish chipped in their own for a total of 4 on the day.

No Browns running back went for more than 30 yards as the defense suffocated Cleveland on the ground and forced them to become one dimensional. Amari Cooper, who had over 200 receptions on the first contest, had just 4 receptions for 59 yards in the rematch as Houston found answers.

It was a dominant victory in what has been an incredible debut season for Ryans and Stroud in turning around the Houston Texans. It’s the kind of win that will inspire major confidence in the divisional round, potentially see coaches like Bobby Slowik have opportunities to become a head coach, and ultimately one that signals the team will a force to consider in Super Bowl conversations for years to come.

The Texans will now await the results of the next 2 AFC playoffs games to see where the playoff road will take them.