The Houston Texans are just two weeks into the regular season, and already coach DeMeco Ryans is on the defensive. After a tough 20-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Ryans had to answer for some critical fourth-down decisions that went sideways. One early play, in particular, seemed to derail the entire game plan.
“Our Center Has to Stay on Dexter Lawrence”
The biggest head-scratcher came in the second quarter. The Texans were sitting on fourth-and-inches from the Bengals’ 18-yard line, a perfect chance to put the first points on the board. Ryans went for it, and offensive coordinator Nick Caley called a run straight up the middle for David Montgomery. It was doomed. Even knowing the Bengals’ interior defensive line was dominant, Dexter Lawrence still exploded through rookie guard Keylan Rutledge and center Evan Brown instantly, stuffing Montgomery for a one-yard loss. Ryans didn’t mince words when asked what happened, putting the blame squarely on the execution. Rutledge and Brown were supposed to double-team Lawrence, but Brown disengaged too early, leaving him free. Ryans himself said it plain: “Our center has to stay on Dexter Lawrence. That block is not just on Rutledge himself. That is not a single block. We know we’re playing one of the best defensive tackles in the league. We have to stay on him, four hands on him, like I mentioned earlier in the week. That didn’t change. We have to double team that guy if you expect to get a yard. We did not do that, therefore we did not convert the fourth-and-1.” Lawrence’s impact was undeniable: The Texans averaged a paltry 1 yard per carry with him on the field, but 8 yards per carry when he was off. That failed fourth-and-inches play in the second quarter set a nasty tone for the game.
From Going For It to Kicking It Short
That execution issue seemed to linger. Just one quarter later, facing another fourth-and-short situation, Ryans made a different call. Instead of going for it again, he opted for a 58-yard field goal attempt from Ka’imi Fairbairn. Fairbairn, normally reliable and hitting from that same distance last week, missed it short. Another opportunity gone. Ryans played it cool when asked if the earlier failed fourth down affected his decision, defending both calls. “I made a decision on both of those,” he said. “I make the decision to go for it or to not go for it. I decided to kick the field goal, 58-yarder. I have all the confidence in the world in Ka’imi, he made it last week from the same spot. Everybody gave him praise. It’s a tough kick. He didn’t make it, we move on. We live with the decisions we make.” It was a bit of a surprise. Ryans has been known to go for it on fourth downs, converting 57.1% in 2025. This season, they were 2-for-2 against the Bills, but a brutal 0-for-4 against the Bengals, dropping their conversion rate to 33.3% through two games. Ryans maintains it’s less about the calls and more about the execution, and that key fourth-down failure proves his point.
This early in the season, execution like that can really sting. The Texans gotta clean that up if they want to get things rolling, because two games in, these kinds of mistakes are already proving costly.
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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