DeMeco Ryans Isn't Here to Run Into Divisional Round Wall But It's Up to Him to Fix It
Staff changes and a Joe Mixon promise provide offseason intrigue
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon stressed last week it isn’t easy or guaranteed to get to where the Texans are in the playoffs. It is far from guaranteed.
The hump remained in place and the Texans lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Monday the team insisted they are close to getting over the divisional round block.
Will Anderson said the team had to keep pressing and stacking to get over the hump. He said he believes in the locker room and the coaching staff.
“How can we do more,” Anderson asked. “How can we give more? What are we doing? Are we just going home and leaving? Are we staying extra? How are we watching film together? Stuff like that.”
Anderson mentioned the team wants to play more home playoff games and they can’t have unfortunate losses. He specifically called out the losses to the New York Jets and Tennesee Titans as well as the blown lead against the Detroit Lions.
C.J. Stroud said tough and productive communications are on the horizon to get the Texans headed where they want to go.
“There has to be things fixed and worked out, and really just honest conversation,” he said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that I’ve learned is like this team won’t look the same next year from top to bottom and you have to be okay with that and learn that from day one of offseason program there has to be a standard set and that standard has to be – where I come from at Ohio State, was I’m not going to be the one to mess this thing up.”
Stroud and the offense were the story this season. A productive and efficient facet of the Texans took a step back often relying on the defense to save them.
“Overall, offensively, we have to improve,” DeMeco Ryans said. “It wasn’t where we wanted to be. There were challenges throughout the year, that is every year. You have challenges, you have ups and downs where you try to figure out the course, who we have and how to make it work. We have to improve.”
Mixon, one of the only players to know what it takes to get to the Super Bowl, said he felt like the offense had moments where stats were the focus over team success but came together at the end of the year. Mixon said it was a little late and they might have been better if they had gelled early but he believes they will take a step next year.
The initial point from Mixon is the most keen one. It isn’t easy to get where the Texans were. Improvement is necessary. There will be player movement and development that will help decide the fate of next season. It’s 18 weeks, 17 games, and three divisional opponents who will try to get better among many other things.
Ryans knows where they have been isn’t where they want to go.
“For me, as a coach, as a competitor, that's not what I put all the work in for just to get to the Divisional Round and just be excited about that just because of where the Texans were before. I'm just supposed to be pleased with getting into the Divisional Round. That's not why I work. I work to win, and we didn't get the job done and we didn’t make enough plays to win the game to get over the hump.
“For me, it was a good year, but not good enough, in my mind. For me, it is how do we take the organization to new heights. So I am looking at all areas to improve our football teams.”
Ryans heads into a pivotal year for a franchise where he calls the shots. It will be up to him to make sure the Texans are in the best place to succeed in 2025 and give himself and his team the best chance to do what he was brought here to do.
Staffing Changes
DeMeco Ryans mentioned looking at all areas to improve the Texans and his offensive staff is certainly where he should start. He said he would take the week to assess his staff.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is the first person who needs to pass the test. If Ryans decides to keep Slowik then a massive overhaul around him is necessary. Slowik should also have someone who forces him to look over his shoulder should he fail to get things done in 2025.
If job security was determined by how long your boss talked about you Slowik shouldn’t be making any long-term plans.
“I think overall with Bobby [Slowik], I saw some growth, saw some improvement throughout the year.”
That was all Ryans offered on his offensive coordinator. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Regardless of Slowik’s status, changes need to be made.
Offensive line coach Chris Strausser can’t return. The unit played so poorly under his tutelage. Strausser had been a part of some solid offensive lines in Indianapolis and there was hope when he was hired. He had never coached this style of offense before and the results got worse and worse.
Strausser, according to KPRC, contemplated retirement last offseason. The Texans shouldn’t have kept him if he was that close to being done. That’s an organizational misstep. The assistant offensive line coach, Cole Popovich, is guilty by association and shouldn’t be an option either.
The players are a problem but they weren’t pushed and coached up to the necessary standard.
A new voice is needed in the room.