Houston is staring down an 0-4 start to the season, and head coach DeMeco Ryans is taking the defensive play-calling duties back into his own hands. He dropped this bombshell on reporters during his Wednesday press conference, a clear sign that things are not going how anyone expected down in Texas.
What’s Gone Wrong For The Defense?
Look, the numbers don’t lie, and they are brutal. Last season, when Matt Burke took over play-calling in September, the Texans defense was legit, finishing No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 2 in yards allowed. That’s elite, plain and simple. Fast forward to the first four weeks of this season, and it’s a completely different story. This defense is sitting at No. 20 in yards allowed and a shocking No. 26 in points allowed. That’s a massive drop, and it shows you how much this unit has struggled to find its footing. You can’t start a season 0-4 with those kinds of defensive struggles, especially not after the success they had just last year.
Ryans Taking Control To Fix Communication
Ryans had run the defense himself for the first two-plus years of his head coaching tenure before Burke took the reins last September. Now, the coach is stepping back in because communication issues have been cited as a major problem. He’s not shying away from it either. Ryans told the press, “It all starts with me. If there’s a lack in communication, I look at myself first. It starts with me and making sure I’m a better communicator. So just to help spark things more, I’m going to take over the play-calling for the defense and I’m going to make sure that communication is right. If our guys are saying communication is not right, then, ultimately, it falls on me. So, it’s on me to get it fixed. No slight against coach Burke, he’s done an o”
That’s a head coach taking responsibility, right there. He sees the problem, he’s acknowledging that it starts at the top, and he’s making a dramatic change to fix it. This isn’t just a tweak, this is Ryans saying “enough is enough, I’m taking the wheel.”
This move by Ryans is huge. It shows the urgency of an 0-4 start and the belief that the defense can still get things turned around. He’s putting himself directly on the hot seat to prove he can fix these communication breakdowns and get this unit back to being a dominant force. The pressure is on, and everyone’s watching to see if this change sparks the turnaround they desperately need.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
Leave a Reply