DeMeco Ryans Reveals Keys to Texans’ Playoff Success

While the AFC playoff field remains extremely wide open, you would find it hard to place a team that's more in a championship window than DeMeco Ryans' extremely talented Houston Texans.

Of course, lofty expectations have weighed the Texans down before as divisional champions, so maybe coming in as a Wild Card team is helping Ryans create some playoff amnesia in order to turn the page.

“For this week, it's very easy for the messaging this week. It's not a ton of changing up the message or switching what we have to do or making it bigger than what it is," Ryans said.

"Everybody in our locker room understands what's at stake, what's on the line. We've been here before. We understand that. At the end of the day, as I always talk about with our guys, it's going to be about your focus, your preparation, and how you go out and execute."

"If you do that the right way, then everything else will take care of itself, but we don't need to make the game bigger than what it is. It's still football. They snap it. We've still got to go play fast and physical and make plays.”

Texans Seeking Third Consecutive Wild Card Win Under Ryans

Skirting around the narrative that the Texans are prone to freezing in the playoffs has been done with stealth by Ryans, and it's equally as shrewd.

After all, third-year starting quarterback C.J. Stroud is far too young to carry the label of being some kind of a postseason bust this early in his burgeoning career.

“I know a lot gets made about playoff experience. For what it's worth, it's about going and winning a game. It's about going out and playing good football. That's what it's about," Ryans said. ""The game doesn't change. It's the playoffs."

"We know what's at stake here, win or go home, but we just have to go out and play the game that we've been playing. C.J. continues to play well, protect the football, do a great job of distributing. The ball is set to go to different people at different times. If he does a great job of distributing and doing what he needs to do, playing the quarterback position at an elite level, what he's done his entire career, he does that, plays well for us, we'll be in a good spot.”

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans stands on the sidelines against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If Ryans has indeed got Stroud and Co. to put their past playoff setbacks behind them, the sky could be the limit, especially coming off a regular season that proved them to be dogged winners.

“As our season has gone on, you win games in a multitude of different fashions. I think our guys found that. I think early in the season we didn’t protect the ball well. We didn’t get off the field in critical situations defensively," Ryans said.

"As the season has gone on I've seen our offense grow where we're able to close games out in the fourth quarter. I've seen our defense grow where it's fourth quarter, game is on the line, we've stepped up, those guys have made plays in those critical moments. The playoffs won't be any different.”

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Doing the very same things that got them here makes perfect football sense, but putting Stroud in the best possible position to succeed isn't only about building his self-confidence up.

In equal measure, Ryans was aware that the offensive line had to be reshaped and perform much better if Stroud was going to do his job, so now comes a real test on the road vs T.J. Watt and Co.

“Our offensive line has done a good job. I feel like our group has improved throughout the year. The main thing when you look at it, we've done a really great job of protecting our quarterback," Ryans said.

"That was the main emphasis coming into this year: can we upgrade in that area of protecting our quarterback better, keeping him off the ground? We've done that.”

Ultimately, the time for talking is almost over, but there's just enough time left for Ryans to fire a shot across the bows of his playoff opponents.

“Our team is ready to go anywhere, anytime, anyplace," Ryans said. "We're ready to go.”

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