What Texans' DeMeco Ryans Said After Another 0-2 Season Start

The Houston Texans have fallen into a familiar 0-2 hole to start their 2026 season.

It's a spot that, since DeMeco Ryans has been in the building as head coach, this Texans team has been in three different times.

In Ryans' first year on the job in 2023, Houston started off 0-2 before he was able to get his first career victory in Week 3. In 2025, it took until Week 4 to stop an even worse 0-3 skid to open the year.

But it was in both of those seasons where, despite the Texans falling into that initial hole to start the year, they were able to make the playoffs. So it's far from an ideal start, but also a situation Ryans and this team know how to get themselves out of.

What DeMeco Ryans Said About Texans' 0-2 Start

Ryans' spoke about the Texans' sluggish start to the 2026 season following Wednesday's team practice, where he remained pretty calm about how he feels about his team in the weeks ahead.

"To start 0-2 is somewhere we don't want to be, right?" Ryans said. "Unfortunately, we've been here before. But to me, the past years of where we've been doesn't really have any impact on where we are now. It's about this team, 2026, and how our guys, this locker room comes together. How we go out, execute, play good football, that'll be the deciding factor on if we'll get our first win or not."

"I know our guys are eager to get that win. They're putting in the work to get that win. Our coaches, players, everybody's working really hard. Our guys care, we've just got to go out and play well on Sunday."

DeMeco Ryans shares his thoughts on the #Texans' 0-2 start to the season:

🗣️ "To start 0-2 is somewhere we don't want to be, right?"

"Unfortunately, we've been here before. But to me, the past years of where we've been doesn't really have any impact on where we are now." pic.twitter.com/VAflM7AGip
— Houston Texans On SI (@TexansOnSI) September 23, 2026

It's undoubtedly a big week on the horizon for the Texans, where they'll be tasked with their first divisional matchup of the season and first road trip against the Indianapolis Colts; a game where both teams will be trying to avoid dropping to 0-3 on the season, and thus sink them into a further hole.

Houston showed last week vs. the Cincinnati Bengals that their defense is capable of answering the bell compared to their disappointing Week 1 debut. The Texans held Joe Burrow and their passing attack to just over 200 yards and 20 points scored, yet it was their own offense that held them back with just six points on their end.

Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes the ball during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans will have to shore up some of their offensive inconsistencies this weekend against the Colts to pull out their long-awaited win, and perhaps even deal with some significant injuries on their side, knowing that six players didn't participate in Wednesday’s practice session.

Nico Collins (hamstring) was among those absences for his third-straight missed practice, and if he's ruled out to leave this group of receivers depleted for a second game, it might be tough for this offense to consistently put points on the board once again.

However, even if the Texans fall into an 0-3 hole after this weekend, it's nothing Ryans and this team haven't been able to climb out of before. Just this time last year, Houston found themselves in a similar predicament at 0-3, and inevitably went on a nine-game win streak to end the regular season and fall into the playoffs as the fifth seed.

Time will tell if the Texans will be forced into that same situation again this season. The only thing that can change that fate is a win this weekend against the Colts while their backs are against the wall.

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