The Houston Texans are sitting at a brutal 0-4, and head coach DeMeco Ryans just made a massive move Wednesday, announcing he’s taking back defensive play-calling duties. This isn’t the kind of call a team makes when they’re 2-2; this is a desperate play by a team on the brink, and it tells you everything about the hole they’re in.
Ryans Takes Control: A Desperate Move with High Stakes
You know an 0-4 start usually means the season is toast. Seriously, only one team in NFL history, the 1992 Chargers, has ever clawed their way into the playoffs after an 0-4 start. So yeah, it’s hard to blame Ryans for pulling the trigger on this now. This team had an elite defense last season and kept most of their talent, but the results this year? Highly uneven, to say the least. Ryans said the scheme isn’t changing, just the guy calling the plays, and he even praised defensive coordinator Matt Burke. But let’s be real, it’s a huge shift.
Here’s the wild part, though: there’s a real cyclical vibe to this whole situation. Just last year, when the Texans were 0-3, Ryans actually *handed off* the defensive play-calling to Burke for the fourth game. Burke had called plays in preseason, and Ryans said he wanted to oversee the operation. The outcome of that move? A shutout over the Titans. The defense was pretty much excellent after that. Now, Ryans is reversing course, re-seizing control of the defense he helped build. What changed? And can he make lightning strike twice?
The Real Problem: Blown Coverages and Fourth-Quarter Chokes
So, what’s actually going wrong on the field? It’s not Will Anderson Jr. He’s had a terrific start to the season, and honestly, the pass rush isn’t the biggest headache. The run defense is holding up its end, too, allowing just 3.4 yards per carry. No, the biggest statistical meltdown for the Texans has been in pass coverage. When the pass rush isn’t getting home to impact quarterbacks, Houston’s secondary has been giving up way too many open receivers making big plays downfield. They just aren’t making enough plays on the ball.
The numbers are screaming. The Texans have allowed 17 plays of 20-plus yards, which is an average of more than four per game. That’s tied for second-worst in the entire NFL, with only the Lions being worse. Of those 17 plays, a staggering 16 were passes; the other one was a Josh Allen scramble. And the timing? Brutal. Houston actually held a fourth-quarter lead in three of their four losses, only to have the defense give up the go-ahead scoring drives in *all of them*. A few more stops, and their record looks a heck of a lot better. Ryans and the players have pinpointed communication issues on the back end as a huge reason for this. It’s not the scheme; it’s the execution, getting all 11 guys on the same page. Ryans was smart to take the blame himself instead of throwing Burke under the bus, even if it’s tough to see it any other way. This is Ryans’ team, defense is his bread and butter, and he knows how late it’s getting even this early in the season.
Next Up: An 0-4 Showdown in Nashville
The timing for this move makes sense given how desperate the Texans are, but there’s also a forward-looking element to it. Next up, the Texans are heading to Nashville this Sunday to face the Titans, who are also sitting at a painful 0-4. This isn’t just a game; it’s an absolutely must-win if the Texans have any hope of turning this thing around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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