What DeMeco Ryans Said Ahead of Texans’ Week 2 Clash vs. Buccaneers

The Houston Texans are putting their Week 1 loss to the LA Rams in the rear-view mirror, as the page turns to Week 2 of the NFL season, where the Texans have a primetime bout and an official home opener looming ahead on Monday night vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It's another talented roster to go up against early in the year for Houston. The Bucs are a 10-win team from last season, fresh off winning a playoff game, started their year 1-0 with a road victory against the Atlanta Falcons, and look just as good this season to make another run to the postseason.

Thus, Tampa poses another big test for the Texans and this new-look roster, and for head coach DeMeco Ryans, when looking over the film ahead of Monday, Houston's success all starts with limiting Baker Mayfield and the Bucs' potent passing attack.

"One thing I would say about the Bucs... Baker Mayfield; he's playing the best he's played in his career," Ryans said during Tuesday's press avail. "Todd [Bowles] has done a really nice job of working with Baker. The passing game; they were first in the league in passing last year. They were top five in pretty much all the major offensive categories last year, and it shows."

Without Chris Godwin in the mix, it's a two-headed dragon for the Bucs: veteran Mike Evans, and rookie Emeka Egbuka, the latter have which already catching the attention of Ryans after a big Week 1 performance in Atlanta.

"They have weapons at receiver. Mike Evans has done it for a long time, continues to shine. The young kid, [Emeka] Egbuka, has done a really nice job making some explosive plays. He showed up big time for them in their game versus Atlanta. And Baker, he does a really nice job of just moving around, scrambling in the pocket, keeping plays alive. You see toughness, you see grittiness from Baker, which allows their passing game to thrive."

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans watches a play against Detroit Lions during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 23, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryans also had praise to hand out on the defensive side of the ball for the Bucs as well, specifically highlighting two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea and exotic coverage led by the mind of Todd Bowles.

"Another great defensive line, starting with Vita Vea," Ryans continued. "He's a force in the middle. Does a really nice job run stopping. They drop him back in coverage a little bit, too, so he's a very versatile player. But their front comes from Todd's philosophy. He's going to bring a lot of exotic pressures. There's pressures from safeties, nickels, like, everybody is coming, and they do a really good job of disguising it."

4th & 1 is Vita Vea time pic.twitter.com/yBB5iuhrIg
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 10, 2025

"So, we just really have to do a great job as an offense when the picture changes. Like, how are we reacting and responding the proper way, communicating the proper way when the picture changes. That'll be the challenge for us this week."

Ryans will also be tasked with making some adjustments on his end before Monday as well. Starting center Jake Andrews likely remains out for Houston in Week 2 due to a high ankle sprain, leaving the Texans to fill in backup Jarrett Patterson as the starter for the foreseeable future, and marking another change on the line in front of C.J. Stroud.

But as revealed on Tuesday, Ryans is confident in what Patterson brings to the table if his name is called to start.

"Yeah, Patterson's done a nice job. Patterson's played a lot of ball for us. He filled in last year. He stepped in wherever; guard, center, Patterson's going to give you everything he has, and that's all we expect from him. I'm encouraged how he plays."

For the Texans, it'll be about keeping the operation more organized and tuned up, limiting mistakes to keep this offense in favorable positions, and continuing the defensive dominance, especially up front, to even up their record to 1-1 on the year.

It's easy to overreact to the motions of Week 1 and the ups and downs that come with it, but for Ryans and Co., by controlling the controllables and making the necessary adjustments for Monday's action, the script can flip quickly for Houston.

"It's one game. It's week one. The building isn't burning down. It's week one," said Ryans. "We go back and we fix what we need to fix. Come out and do the things that we can control. That's the main emphasis for this week. How can we just control the controllables and press forward? And now, when you have a chance to truly compete, now let's see what happens."

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