Texans' Defense Could Solve Its Problems With This One Change

The Houston Texans' defense––through the first four games of the 2026 season––has been a massive step below where they stood when wrapping up their previous campaign; a year in which many considered this group as the best defense in the NFL next to the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

And now in part because of those defensive woes, which were most recently displayed in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, the Texans now sit at a brutal 0-4 record.

So moving forward, seeing some type of change for this side of the ball could be recommended. Not a massive panic move, but something to flip the script defensively from what this team has seen through the last four weeks.

The easiest way for the Texans to try and flip the switch in a short amount of time? That might just be by giving head coach DeMeco Ryans primary defensive play-calling duties; a role he hasn't had since the start of the 2025 season when he handed that spot to defensive coordinator Matt Burke.

Could DeMeco Ryans Be Texans' Defensive Play-Caller Again?

This isn't a spot that Ryans hasn't been in before. The Texans' fourth-year head coach, with a defensive-minded background, started his tenure in Houston controlling the defensive operations, while handing the offensive duties to then-Bobby Slowik, and now, Nick Caley.

But the Texans' coaching setup changed last year after Houston sunk to 0-3. Ryans handed over his defensive role to Burke, who would instead take more of a CEO role, and that led to the team finishing with a 12-5 record.

Naturally, the Texans entered this season with the same plan. Burke runs the defense, while Ryans oversees the whole project. But that's only led to Houston falling to an even deeper hole than they were in this time last year.

So at this point, why not make a similar change this time around, only to put Ryans in charge of the defense?

Oct 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans runs onto the field prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is some good reason for the Texans to consider this, rather than simply making changes for the sake of doing so, because Ryans knows how to coach a defense.

Ryans led the Texans to a pair of top-half finishes through both 2023 and 2024 and a couple of playoff appearances when he was running the ship defensively.

He's also unlocked some of Houston's top talents on that side of the ball into what we know them as today, whether that be Kamari Lassiter and Jalen Pitre in their rookie seasons, coaching up Azeez Al-Shaair in his first season with the Texans, or helping Will Anderson Jr. en route to a Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023.

The numbers will tell you that Burke's defense from last season certainly produced better than Ryans' over his first two years in Houston. But over that stretch, this defensive unit has gotten better individually, built more chemistry collectively, and might set up for an easier task for Ryans to take on.

When Ryans was asked about the possibility of taking those duties after the Texans' Week 4 loss, he didn't exactly shoot the idea down. So perhaps it's something that's already being considered behind closed doors heading into this weekend against the Tennessee Titans.

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans was asked about the possibility of taking over defensive play calling duties from Matt Burke. #Texans #Sarge pic.twitter.com/LyJL5Ee4rP
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) October 5, 2026

The two key aspects that Ryans needs to get right? Limiting explosives and tuning up Houston's pass coverage. Houston's run defense has remained stout, pressure on opposing quarterbacks has remained mostly consistent, yet it's those two glaring holes in defending the pass that have left Houston's defense back at the drawing board like they are now.

This team certainly has the talent on that side of the ball to get it right, but might need a new mind leading the way for this group to really key in on their same successes seen from 2025. Maybe Ryans can be just that.

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