DeMeco Ryans Continues Positivity Amid Struggles

Ryans has never shied away from defending his team

The Houston Texans are a bad football team. The Houston Texans are a good football team. Both can be true. Neither can be true.

There’s plenty to like about this season. Houston boasts a near-elite defense that has helped them confound and dismember opposing offenses on their way to six victories. They’re well-positioned to capture back-to-back AFC South Championships. There have been glimpses of offensive success led mostly by Joe Mixon.

There’s plenty to dislike about this season. Houston might have the worst offensive line in football. The poor blocking performance has shaken C.J. Stroud’s confidence and poise. They can’t score in the second half. Mixon’s greatness has rarely been allowed to flourish throughout whole games. Their best wide receiver has been hurt and their second best is done for the season.

It’s a dichotomy.

The Texans have one of the best records but it hasn’t been as easy as some other teams. Houston’s point differential is a measly plus one. The only division leader worse is the Arizona Cardinals. In the AFC, the Bills (+87), Steelers (+68), Ravens (+64), Chargers (+58), and Chiefs (+56) all dwarf Houston’s.

DeMeco Ryans, his usual positive self, is puzzled as to why their success has been ignored.

“I guess it’s this narrative like we’re just not a good team, but we’ve been in games,” he said Wednesday. “We just haven’t made the plays that – it’s not from a matter of effort and those things, it’s a matter of being on the details and that’s what the League is about. The team who is on the details, especially in those critical moments”

The details, especially on offense have been lacking. Ryans used the red zone and