Texans' DeMeco Ryans Sends Strong Message After Win vs. Titans

After shutting out the Tennessee Titans 26-0, it's somewhat ironic that the 1-3 Houston Texans are still going to be overshadowed by the opposing quarterback.

While Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward dropping his "we ass" comment provides the most viral soundbite from Sunday's beatdown, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans preferred to revel in finally playing complementary winning football.

"Kind of felt that throughout the week, the preparation was right. The attention to detail was right," Ryans insisted after the Texans’ first win. "And the guys showed up and played well today. All three phases: we played complementary football."

Getting back to their core identity meant running the ball, rushing the opposing quarterback, and also making sure that their own previously struggling signal caller, C.J. Stroud, made far better decisions.

"C.J. made some great decisions with the football as well that allowed us to just stay on the field and stay after it," Ryans declared."Right, it's the most plays we've ran in a game offensively this year. Right, that just shows if we stay on track, we stay on schedule, you know, we can be a productive offense."

Sep 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Demanding that his team get back to playing their own brand of mistake-free football without distractions meant Ryans sent a message during the week when he released veteran defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Ryans’ memo that everyone must pull their weight was undoubtedly received loud and clear. That was perfectly exemplified by star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who gutted things out to even be able to suit up and also made a big play.

"Stingley comes back, he was battling all week just to be able to be out there," Ryans said post-game. "He toughed through it, he was able to be out there. And not just be there, but be productive. He was able to intercept the football for us to change the game."

While it's not exactly sexy to get back to core basics, Ryans and the Texans are more than willing to leave the majority of the clickbait to the rookie signal caller they brutally harassed and hurried all day long.

In truth, the Texans are never going to creep up on their opponents, but the recipe Ryans has cooked up since he arrived in H-Town really didn't need to be overly tinkered with in the first place.

So finally, the Houston offense perhaps simplified things just enough for Stroud against Tennessee, but who's going to argue or split hairs over the results it ultimately delivered for embattled offensive coordinator Nick Caley?

Of course, the timely appearance of the listing Titans on their schedule will inevitably give way to much more stern challenges moving forward, but you simply have to start somewhere.

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