Texans' DeMeco Ryans Urges Special Teams to Keep Setting the Tone

If the Houston Texans want to become an even greater force, it stands to reason that their head coach DeMeco Ryans is going to demand finishing in all three phases.

The truth is, excelling on special teams often provides a nice boost in the bigger games and playoffs beyond that. So, Ryans was understandably very pleased that his kick coverage unit showed up early on Sunday when Jamal Hill laid the lumber.

"It was one of the most important plays of the game," Ryans noted about Hill's forced fumble. In our keys to victory for our special teams was to take the ball. We saw a couple of times where their returners were loose with the football. We saw an opportunity there for us to take it away."

SPECIAL THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN NRG STADIUM!

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Ryans' ability to diagnose his opponent's weakness had to be matched by Hill's expert execution when the game was going at full speed, and the stars aligned just perfectly.

DeMeco Ryans Emphasizes Texans' Prowess on Special Teams

Of course, the attitude of laying big hits on the special teams is getting directly from a stellar defensive unit that specializes in doing just that. Smacking the Arizona Cardinals straight in the chops served the greater purpose of setting a super physical – even if Ryans was left to lament his defense having a slightly off day.

While special teams made up for a dip in defensive standards, it still remains crystal clear that Ryans wants his guys to keep bringing the thunder every time they trot out there on the kicking units.

"We had a couple of big hits there from Jamal [Hill] and Christian [Harris] had a big hit. [Damone] Clark came in and made a few tackles. All the guys, it's really taking what we're emphasizing," Ryans said.

"It doesn't change what we coach. It hasn't changed. It's just guys taking it to heart and doing what they need to do to put ourselves in a position to make big plays on special teams."

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans coaches against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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Successfully spinning the plates all at the same time might just strengthen Ryans' hand when it comes to potentially winning the NFLs' Coach of the Year award. Undoubtedly, the six-game winning streak Ryans has helped orchestrate is building him a case to get huge national recognition.

But, Ryans knows the rubber is just hitting the road.

"In December, you want to play team football," Ryans said. "Whatever it takes to get the win, that's really all that matters. Yesterday, we played really good team football. Our offense did a great job of getting out early and getting some scores to get us up in the game."

"Our special teams played outstanding yesterday. Defense, they made stops when we needed to get stops. Going into December, whatever it takes."

Whereas, before, it definitely was the case that both the offense and the special teams were guilty of lagging behind the imperious Texans' defense, the narrative is now shifting as they move forward.

Taking the ball away from their opponents really puts them behind the eight-ball, all because this Texans defense doesn't really require that much of a lead to defend it with vigor. Even so, Ryans is smart enough to know that their special teams can provide yet another advantage for a team that's beginning to make real waves right across the league.

All told, giving quarterback C.J. Stroud a nice short field is heaven-sent for Ryans and Co, so it's simply a case of maintaining the high standards.

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