Texans Still View Themselves as Hunters Among 2023 Success

Expectations have changed outside but not inside

DeMeco Ryans doesn’t care. It does not matter to him. And the head coach's lack of focus doesn’t affect the football the team will play in 2024.

Expectations might as well be a curse word around the Texans.

Houston spent the leadup to the 2023 season expected to be one of the also-rans of the NFL. The trade for Will Anderson in the 2023 draft was panned due to the expectation the selection sent to Arizona would be a pick somewhere in the top five and maybe even again in the top three as the previous three selections were for the Texans.

There was a time this past season when the Texans didn’t know how to win. Early in the season handling success was something the Texans didn’t do. A dominant defeat of the Steelers was followed by the Falcons walking the Texans off. Holding on for a win against the Saints preceded one of the worst offensive games of the season against the Panthers.

Ryans spoke multiple times about how the team had to focus to accomplish something great in 2023. The players heard him.

Then they won the AFC South, a playoff game, and took home awards for their performances throughout the season. The league took notice. Fueled by success in 2023 and a busy offseason to start 2024 the expectations for the Texans are as high as they have ever been.

But that doesn’t matter in the building.