Tag: Texans coach

WATCH: Texans coach DeMeco Ryans brings enthusiasm to OTAs

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was full of energy during the team’s OTAs in video published on the team’s Twitter.

One of the more compelling reasons why Clutch City sports fans were welcoming of DeMeco Ryans as coach of the Houston Texans is his enthusiasm.

There was no better display of the former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker’s spirit for the game than during organized team activities on May 31.

The Texans’ media department embedded a microphone on Ryans during practice and filmed his reactions throughout the session.

Naturally for a 38-year-old who has kept himself in great shape since his last game in 2015, Ryans was jumping around and shouting as though he were going to participate in the reps.

“Just for me in this position, it’s a role of service, and I’m just in position to help out either side of the ball as much as I can,” Ryans said.

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Defensive-minded DeMeco Ryans adjusting to being Texans’ walk-around coach

DeMeco Ryans may have a defensive background, but he is adjusting to being a coach involved in both sides of the ball for the Houston Texans.

DeMeco Ryans is known for his defense.

The former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker joined the San Francisco 49ers as a defensive quality control coach under Kyle Shanahan in 2017. Ryans was later inside linebackers coach for the next three seasons before taking over as defensive coordinator in 2021-22 with San Francisco qualifying for the NFC Championship Game in both seasons.

With the Houston Texans, Ryans has broadened his influence to more than just the defense.

“It’s a little different, but it’s funny, having a conversation before practice with some of the quarterbacks, and [quarterback] C.J (Stroud) is like, ‘Is it only a good day if the defense does well?’

And I said, ‘No, man, it’s a great day when the offense is doing well and we’re putting up points.’”

In a zero-sum game where there is a winner and loser at the end of each contest, the perception of one side of the ball getting the better of the other is only natural, even during organized team activities. However, Ryans understands that the victories in the spring are in the comprehension of the playbook.

“We’re all in this thing together,” Ryans said. “It’s fun being able to work both sides, being able to coach up and help the quarterbacks, help the offense, and also help the defenses just seeing it all come together. Just for me in this position, it’s a role of service, and I’m just in position to help out either side of the ball as much as I can.”

In the history of the Texans, there have been three full-time coaches who came from a defensive background: Dom Capers and Lovie Smith. Neither posted a winning record. Ryans hopes to be the first to do so, and no doubt it will take an overall commitment to both sides of the ball.

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NFL.com lists Texans coach DeMeco Ryans as a bandwagon to join in 2023

If bandwagon passengers are looking for a new ride in 2023, NFL.com believes Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is worthy transportation.

December is generally a bad time to pick a new favorite team or favorite player. The accusations of being a frontrunner would stick like lint on velcro.

May is the best time to make the switch for those with fair weather loyalty. The ongoing voluntary workouts across the NFL provide glimpses into some teams’ fortunes as they go through their installation periods to ensure a smooth training camp.

According to Adam Schein from NFL.com, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made his list of bandwagons to join in the 2023 season.

I really think the world of Ryans. That’s well-documented. From his playing days as a Pro Bowl linebacker to his coaching days as defensive coordinator of San Francisco’s top-ranked unit, Ryans is impressive at every turn. Thus, I have no worries about him adjusting to life as a head man. He’s brilliant. He’s a great leader of men. His team will be buttoned up and fundamentally sound.

All that said, this is far from a complete roster. Houston is absolutely going to suffer some growing pains with rookie C.J. Stroud under center. But I also think these [Texans] are going to catch some opponents by surprise, winning games they aren’t supposed to. In DeMeco I trust.

The makings are there for the Texans to at least shrug off the rebuilding label, even if they don’t make the playoffs or even avoid another double-digit loss season. The Texans have the third-easiest schedule in the league according to conventional metrics, and similarly easy using more advanced metrics. All it would take is a winning streak starting out, or a .500 record by their Week 7 bye to at least put forward the narrative the Texans were “fixed.” Houston could alternate wins and losses the rest of the schedule and still have the perception of being turned around under Ryans.

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Texans QB Davis Mills says coach DeMeco Ryans ‘knows how to take care of his guys’

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills says that rookie coach DeMeco Ryans has shown quickly the ability to take care of his players.

To understand an individual, it is said to walk a mile in their shoes.

For DeMeco Ryans, his time as a player can’t be measured in miles, but games played. With a 140 career games in the NFL, the former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker has a bevy of experience, which has helped him relate to players since entering coaching as a defensive quality control coach in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills is not alone in his respect for new coach DeMeco Ryans, and the prominent factor is his past life as a player from 2006-15.

“I think it goes for me and other guys in the locker room, everybody has a ton of respect for him because he’s been in our shoes especially, played for Houston,” Mills told reporters after organized team activities on May 23. “He knows what it’s like to go through a training camp practice in this heat.”

What has endeared Ryans to the Texans is also his understanding of how to manage the players.

“He knows how to take care of his guys,” said Mills. “He knows what needs to be done to put in the work and win games and that’s kind of spread around the locker room.”

Ryans’ enthusiasm has also spread around Houston as fans are excited to see the Texans complete the rebuild and win more than four games for the first time since 2019. Even though the Texans are dealing with a first-year coach, the expectation is fortunes are only going to improve.

“We feel the fire that comes from him and it’s been good,” said Mills. “Guys have a lot of respect and we’re excited to play for him.”

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans impressed with level of participation at OTAs

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is impressed with the level of participation at OTAs despite the voluntary nature of the practices.

HOUSTON — This time around, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans stood on the sidelines with a different lens as he watched organized team activities.

Last week he was viewing his 2023 rookie class as they were getting an introductory tutorial on properly conducting day-to-day activities once the season begins, which includes studying film, learning the playbook, practice segments, lifting weights, etc.

On Tuesday, he got his first glance at how the rookies and returning veterans interacted with each other.

“For it to be voluntary, we have a really good group participating,” said Ryans. “The guys that are here, they are honing their craft. They are getting better. And it’s all about setting yourself up to be able to compete to make the team in training camp. I feel like the guys that are here are going to be in great shape to help us out in the fall.”

Ryans, who also played in the NFL before becoming a coach, knows that it will take more than a couple of practices to get everyone on the same page but likes that the players have shown up and want to get better. It is the mindset that he has instilled early on since the Texans hired him.

“It’s very refreshing,” Ryans said in his press conference after practice about seeing guys who will contribute this season. “It’s exciting just to be able to get out on the field. We spend a lot of time in the classroom with these guys to make sure they understand it, make sure they have it. Some guys do well in the classroom, some guys not so well, but it’s all about how you perform when you’re out on the field. To see guys in the element, to see that they made a misstep, or they made this mistake, and they instantly are able to correct it.

“When you see guys improve, that’s what fires me up. I’m excited to get out on the field because now we’re getting closer to real football, seeing guys in the true element, being able to compete out there in the field. It’s been exciting. It’s fun for me. I’m trying to put our team in as many competitive situations as possible, offense against defense, just to see how our guys respond to competitive football. That’s what it’s going to be. In the fall, you’ve got to line up, you’ve got to compete, and who’s going to step up and win. It’s been fun, a lot of fun for me to get out on the field.”

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Why 7-10 would be acceptable in Texans’ DeMeco Ryans’ first season

The Houston Texans may still be in the territory to have another double-digit loss season. However, even a 7-10 finish would be permissible.

Even though full contact practices aren’t even on the horizon until training camp in late July, there is still an anticipation to unpack the entire 2023 NFL season. Predictions and win total projections are a staple of May.

According to Will Brinson from CBS Sports, the Texans are slated to finish 7-10 in his recent predictions for the season.

I may not love C.J. Stroud as a long-term prospect, but since I love the 2023 Texans and think he has a nice floor for this particular roster, I’ll happily change my mind! The Texans can easily hold serve at home before their Week 7 bye which would really set them up well to surprise this season.

Finishing 7-10 would mark four consecutive years the Texans post a double-digit losing season, which is starting to venture in 2010s Jacksonville Jaguars territory for atrocious. However, the nature of more games means a greater likelihood of double-digit loss seasons. Expanding to 18 games could risk having a double-digit loss team make the playoffs eventually.

While Clutch City sports fans would not want to see the Texans go 7-10, the composition of such losses would at least take the sting out of the defeats.

With the third-easiest schedule in the league, the Texans are setup to have a bounce back year. Additionally the lack of prime time games and all but one of their games being played in the early afternoon window gives Houston stability throughout the year. There won’t be adjusting travel schedules due to short weeks or having long layoffs. Houston’s schedule is as straightforward as it gets.

If Houston is taking teams like the Cincinnati Bengals down to the wire, or splitting the season series with the Jacksonville Jaguars, fans might feel differently about the outcomes.

Last season, the Texans would get brutalized throughout the second and third quarters and then have a late rally to make things appear better than they were. The most glaring example was Week 12 at Miami. The Dolphins posted a 30-0 halftime lead and let Kyle Allen and the offense chip away over the next 30 minutes as Miami ran out the clock.

So long as the Texans aren’t giving up those types of losses, C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson are flashing their vast potential, and the Texans continue to battle, the fans may be more accepting in 2023.

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LOOK: 10 best photos from Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans throwing out Astros’ first pitch

Here are the best images from Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans throwing out the first pitch for the Astros against the Chicago Cubs.

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is still enjoying the honeymoon period.

The Texans don’t have anyone on their schedule — just the offseason workouts. Coming off the 2023 NFL draft wherein the Texans grabbed C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson has only intensified Space City’s desire to see the new look Texans.

The defending World Series champion Houston Astros capitalized on the interest on May 15 at Minute Maid Park. The rookie coach may not have thrown his first challenge flag, but he did throw his first pitch ahead of the Chicago Cubs series.

Here is a look at the 10 best photos from Ryans throwing out the first pitch.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans seeks to add to Astros’ ‘championship atmosphere’

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans threw out the first pitch for the Astros May 14, and wants his team to add to the Stros’ “championship atmosphere.”

Houston Texans first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans was at Minute Maid Park on Monday, and it was not to recruit Houston Astros left fielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez to play on defense, even though Alvarez is a prototypical edge rusher with a muscular 6-foot-5-inch frame.

Ryans was in attendance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Astros was set to take on the Chicago Cubs in the first game of the three-game series.

“I grew up a big baseball fan, so to have an opportunity to do this, throw out the first pitch, is a huge honor,” said Ryans to the media before his pitch. “Hopefully, they will give me an opportunity to warm up.”

It was a break in the action from his normal day-to-day activities of preparing the Texans for the upcoming 2023 NFL season that will begin against the Baltimore Ravens in September. Ryans completed overseeing his first rookie minicamp as he finally got an opportunity to get an up close and personal look at quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. who were taken No. 2 and No. 3 overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

Ryans spent the first five years of his NFL career in Houston after being selected in the second round in 2006, so being hired as the head coach of the franchise that allowed him to play football on the highest level is a blessing for him, and the fans show their appreciation every time, they interact with him.

“It’s like coming home,” Ryans said about returning to Houston. “It has been fun. It has been a warm welcome from the city. It has been a lot of energy. The fans are fired up, I am fired up, and our team is fired up. We are excited to get started, and we are very thankful for all the support we get throughout the city.”

If football would not have worked for Ryans, baseball was his backup option, having played catcher growing up and watching Bo Jackson, who is from his hometown of Bessemer, Alabama. Jackson was a two-star professional athlete who played running back for the Oakland Raiders and center field for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Although Ryans finished his playing career in Philadelphia in 2015 and spent five years with the San Francisco 49ers, he always kept up with the Astros’ progress and watched them become two-time World Series Champions.

“I kept up with it for a while, and this Astros run has been amazing,” said Ryans. “They’re always there in the end; they’re champions. They have a championship atmosphere, and it’s what we want to bring from the football side. For the Texans, that is the type of atmosphere we want to bring.”

Astros manager Dusty Baker offered some advice to the first-year head coach during his pregame press conference.

“Just be yourself and don’t try to be somebody else, but take from what you have learned from others, and after you do that, do things your way and keep in mind the advice you got along the way,” Baker said.

Ryans smiled when he was told the advice offered by a future Hall of Fame manager in Baker.

“It is everything to have that support from Dusty; it means a lot,” Ryans said as he embraced the words from Baker. “I will make sure I definitely follow that advice because he has done it at a very high level for a very long time. I have looked up to him his entire career for as long as I have been watching baseball. I am proud of what he has done.”

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says speed of the game is biggest learning curve for rookies

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says the biggest adjustment rookies must make in the pros is to the speed of the game.

DeMeco Ryans has a total of 16 seasons as a player and coach in the NFL. The former linebacker knows plenty about the adjustments rookies need to make to adapt to the pro game.

Ryans met with reporters May 12 during rookie minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center and spoke of the adjustment that rookies endure throughout their acclimation to the pros.

“It’s the speed of the game,” Ryans said. “Everything speeds up. Everyone is fast. That’s one thing, guys.”

Speed of the game is not just an element that No. 2 overall quarterback C.J. Stroud would have to deal with. The rest of the 2023 class, and even the undrafted free agents, are operating in a quicker reality.

“For me, I know it was speed of the game,” said Ryans. “It changes. Offensive linemen are much faster. Defensive line, they’re faster than you face in the college. And just how things happen, like the process and everything. Everything has to speed up a tick, so that’s one hurdle that the guys have to overcome.”

Ryans learned quickly in his first year as he was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with 156 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, seven pass breakups, an interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery through all 16 starts.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans appreciates LB Henry To’oTo’o’s on-field communication

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans appreciates the amount of on-field communication that was part of LB Henry To’oTo’o’s college career.

The Houston Texans added to their linebacking corps on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft with Alabama’s Henry To’oTo’o.

Houston already had an Alabama linebacker on the team in former 2022 third-rounder Christian Harris. However, the Texans grabbed To’oTo’o in the fifth round to bolster their group.

According to coach DeMeco Ryans — incidentally a former Alabama linebacker himself — the Texans admired To’oTo’o for his consistency on the field as well as his ability to relay defensive calls.

“Henry has been a very consistent player,” Ryans told reporters May 12 at Texans rookie minicamp. “Watching him in Alabama over the years, he’s been very consistent and a part of a really good defense there.”

In two seasons with the Crimson Tide, the 22-year-old collected 205 combined tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble through 28 career games.

“He’s a very good communicator, running the show there,” said Ryans. “They have a lot of calls, checks with that defense. So just being familiar with it, I have high respect for guys who have to communicate in college because it’s an easier transition when they come to our level.”

The Texans also have linebackers Christian Kirksey, Denzel Perryman, Garret Wallow, Jermaine Carter, Blake Cashman, Jake Hansen, and Cory Littleton on the roster.

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