The Houston Texans begin the regular season in the same place where last year’s ended: Lucas Oil Stadium, where they will take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Both teams selected quarterbacks in the top five of the 2023 NFL Draft. Both saw surprising turnarounds under first-year head coaches that culminated in a winner-take-all AFC South title Week 18 matchup.
Houston won the contest, 23-19, sending itself to the postseason and Indianapolis into the offseason.
This is one of my favorite Post game speeches given by our HC Demeco Ryans….
“We came on the road and beat a really good team but guess what…We’re a really good team too” 😎😎😎 pic.twitter.com/qWiHFwt9XA
— CRoyal (@RoyalTexanFan) May 24, 2024
“New year, not worried about last year. Last year was last year. We’re fully focused on 2024 we’re a completely different team,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Money. “They’re a different team as well. So for me, last year has nothing to do with this year going into their place.”
Ryans and Colts head coach Shane Steichen each received votes to be the NFL’s Coach of the Year, albeit Ryans’ with significantly more, 165 votes, than Steichen’s four.
The two coaches’ successful debut campaigns lead to heightened expectations in year two and perhaps the birth or continuation of the best young coaching rivalry in the sport.
https://x.com/LandryLocker/status/1830675177572856216
“Really respect him as a coach,” Ryans said. “For me, it’s we got to do the same. Just have our guys prepared, ready to go, ready for anything that they may throw at us.”
While the second-year coach prefers the attention stay on the players, Sunday’s matchup between Ryans and Steichen has been a frequent battle over the past three seasons.
Before arriving in Indianapolis, Steichen was the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator. In both years, the Eagles ranked among the top 13 in points per game and the top eight in yards.
The Eagles reached the Super Bowl after beating the 49ers in the NFC Conference Championship. Ryans. who called plays for San Francisco’s defense, allowed Steichen’s offense to score the most points in regulation against his unit with 31.
During the regular season, the 49ers led the league in the fewest points per game at 16.3.
The year prior, Ryans won the matchup as the Eagles scored 11 points in a 17-11 Week 2 loss. Philadelphia’s 11 points were the second-fewest scored in a game that season.
“I don’t look at it as a history between me and Steichen. It’s about the players playing the game. Our players – Shane is a really good coach. He always has his guys prepared, ready to go,” Ryans said.
The two coaches, separated in age by 287 days, both entered the 2023 coaching cycle as two of the top options, ultimately ending in the same division.
DeMeco Ryans to the Houston Texans. The leader they need. It’s happening. This is NOT a drill! #WeAreTexans https://t.co/UVEBpPOIyn pic.twitter.com/VJ5NKBxwYV
— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) January 30, 2023
Ryans and Steichen met for the first time as head coaches in Week 2, with the Colts racing out to a 14-0 lead behind a pair of Anthony Richardson rushing touchdowns.
The 2023 fourth overall pick sustained a concussion on the second score and left the game, but even as the Colts transitioned to backup Gardner Minshew, they continued to move the ball efficiently, leading to a 31-20 victory.
Steichen proved to be one of the best young offensive minds. Despite Richardson’s season ending in the coming weeks, Indianapolis scored the 10th-most points (396) and pushed the Texans for the division crown.
Not to be outdone, Ryans’ unit ranked in the top half of the league in most defensive categories.
“It’s not about me or Shane, it’s about the players who strap it up on the field,” Ryans said.