'It's Not Different' Houston Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans Says of Playoff Football
The NFL Playoffs are here and after picking No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft this offseason the Houston Texans are AFC South Division Champions and in the playoffs.
This is the time of year games mean more because if the Texans lose now, their season is done, and the tension is palpable to fans and media all around.
To the team, however, and Houston coach DeMeco Ryans, nothing has changed.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans on the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium.
Mandatory Credit Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s not different. It’s not," coach Ryans said when asked about the differences between playoff football and regular season games. "Everybody wants to make it different. It’s not different... Each and every week, we’ve gotten better, we just have to stay on that track...keep playing relentless, keep playing clean football. If we do that, that’s all that matters. We focus on playing good football. It doesn’t matter that it’s the playoffs – the game doesn’t change. We’ve got to go execute. We’ve got to go play fast.”
This is a good thought to share with the team, and a positive mindset for the Texans to have coming into the Wild Card game against the Cleveland Browns this weekend, but it certainly flies in the face of what most say about the postseason.
Whether it's everyone else wanting to make playoff football bigger than it really is or not, teams routinely seek out players with postseason and championship experience, because that seems to matter at least.
Although, you never really hear anyone valuing regular season experience as highly. Hinting that there may actually be a difference.
Not to Ryans, though, who also said, "It’s just a matter of us playing good football. You’ve got to go execute...It doesn’t matter for young guys, old guys, it really doesn’t matter how many times you’ve played in the playoffs or you’ve never been to the playoffs, it’s football.”
While the game may not be different, and the experience is the same in Ryans' eyes, he and his roster are looking to make sure the results differ from the 36-22 loss Houston took against the Browns in Week 16.
In that game Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco threw for more than 350 yards and had three touchdown passes to go with them. The Texans had to roll with backup quarterback Davis Mills, meanwhile, but will have C.J. Stroud back under center this time around.
At least that much is different, and should matter this weekend.
