Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans had a clear message for his team after they locked up a playoff spot with their ninth straight win. While proud of the accomplishment, he warned that small mistakes could quickly end Houston’s postseason run if they are not cleaned up.
The Texans ended the regular season with a 38-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The victory brought confidence, but Ryan stressed that playoff football allows no room for mistakes.
He said every game will be close and every play will count, making focus and communication essential. Houston has shown it can win in different ways, but Ryans stressed that mental errors and execution mistakes cannot continue into the playoffs.
“Too many busts. When you bust in coverage, you give up big plays,” the 41-year-old said, per KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson.
Ryans pointed to the defense, noting breakdowns that led to big plays. He said these issues must be fixed if the Texans want a deep playoff run.
“Our defense did a really nice job throughout the entire year. Limiting points, specifically, that's what makes you a good defense. Also, playing well in the passing game. We didn't end the year well defensively. When it comes to giving up explosive plays, it really wasn’t good enough defensively. So, we got to do a much better job if we want to advance and play longer in the playoffs got to play much better defense. So, it didn't end how it should have,” the Texans coach said, via TexansWire writer Cole Thompson.
Ryans said big plays often come from communication breakdowns in coverage, like missed calls or players out of position. He noted this caused Houston's defensive struggles against the Colts in the Week 18 clash.
“From our last game, it was too many busts, guys not being where they're supposed to be, doing what they're supposed to do and when you bust plays and coverages, you give up big plays.”
Houston’s turnaround has been impressive. After starting 0-3, the Texans regrouped and worked their way into the playoff picture with steady improvement on both sides of the ball.
Now the challenge is maintaining momentum. Houston has the talent and toughness for the playoffs, but they must fix breakdowns as the margin for error shrinks. The Texans will begin their playoff run against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday.
