October 22, 2025 • 46 mins
Marc Vandermeer and John Harris discuss the Texans' defensive improvements, his partnership with Danielle Hunter, and preparing for Sunday's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Plus, injury updates and practice squad moves.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, Texans, Welcome to the show. Great to have you
a board tonight. And because it's a short week, we're
gonna get right to a modified version sort of of
the Demico Ryan Show. We caught up with the head
coach today, so that's awesome. We'll have Nick Cassio on
Tomorrow night at six, following the Texans lost at Seattle
and a very little amount of time to get ready
(00:21):
for the next outing against San Francisco Sunday at noon
at NRG Stadium. So presented by AMIG Bank, the official
business bank of the Houston Texans. Here's Demiko Ryans in studio.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Coach. Great to see it, Great to see you guys.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
All right, everybody's real fresh after that trip. Short week
to play the forty nine ers at home. But take
us through some of the elements of the game, coach,
because I know it was a rough one in Seattle
and you don't have much time to get ready for
the next one.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, man, that was a tough one, horror fall battle.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
I thought our guys, you know, we had had some
plays that we made to keep us in the game right,
multiple times, we had opportunities.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Is phil short there?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
We got to be able to move the ball better
and score points in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
A couple of things on our.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Keys to victory were really finishing in the red zone
with points. I knew we had to score to win
that game. And also just controlling the line of scrimmage.
When you look at it, we didn't control the line
of scrimmage in a case where the past two weeks
were able to displace the D line, we were able
to run the ball a little bit and we got
you know, we got knocked back. We could have run
(01:28):
the ball as well, so we lean more heavy on
passing the football and you know, they made some plays
there and we just gotta be better from a standpoint
also of just everybody just doing their job, doing where
we were coached to do, doing it on a consistent basis,
Like we got to do better in that in that end,
(01:48):
and that starts with me, Couch.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
One of the things you did do much better last night.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
She got the turnovers and they came in a big time,
and including Wills where it actually turned into a touchdown,
which I thought, once he makes that touchdown, we're seventeen twelve, Like, okay,
now we got the momentum. Here we go what are
your thoughts about just the turnover machine kind of getting going.
Kaylan's starting it with that interception. That was just a
great one at that moment what we needed badly he
(02:13):
came up with it. But getting the four turnovers last
night that was big for the defense.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Now, that was huge, right is getting turnovers? And mentioned
this too, You have to like getting the turnovers are
a great thing, but is now what do you do
after the turnover and to really swing the game in
your favor, It's all about getting points after the takeaway
and that's where we fail.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Sure, Wheel did our standing job.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Of getting a sack strip recovering it for a touchdown
is an outstand to play to spark our entire sideline,
entire team, but we just needed more off of the
other takeaways.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Coach, you mentioned in your press conference something about practicing
things well and sometimes that is.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Not always taken to the field.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
What does it take to make practice habits be game
habits for you?
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, you just have to be locked in and that's
that's the main thing. Each and every snap. It's one
snap at a time. And I say that not just
a cliche, but it's truly like it's this one snap,
Can I focus in, Can I do the things, remember
the things that we've studied all week, and can I
go out and execute that on that one given snap
(03:17):
and you put that away and then you reset for
the next snap. And so it just takes a lot
of mental focus, right. It takes mental clarity to be
locked in to be in the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Right. You can't think.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
About the last play or the net. You gotta think
about this one play. This is all I have. You
got to be locked in in the moment.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Coach, when you were talking kind of about the game,
some of the things that kind of I'm sure you're
ruminating on our eight thousand hour flight last night, the
offensive line or just the offense in general not being
able to get movement? Is that probably the biggest one?
The physicality of that against a team that was we know,
very very physical. Was that probably the biggest one offensively
that you look at and say, yeah, I really would
(03:55):
have liked our physicality be the better at the point
of Attech.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, that's the main thing we knew. All we talked
about their front and how they're strong. They're the strongest
part of their team was their front, And we had
to be able to control their front on our double
team blocks where we didn't. We got split on some
of the double team blocks where you're not expecting that
to happen.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
So we just got to be able to train better.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
We got to be able to play with better technique,
and if that's the key to winning the game, we
have to execute that and get it done.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
All right, So running game as a whole coach, because
we know you want to run the football and you
just haven't gotten the consistency you're looking for in a
short week.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
What can you do to improve that kind of thing?
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah, you just get back to the basics and the fundamentals, right,
You don't try to reinvent the wheel. You get back
to the things that we do we have done well,
and you try to lean in on those things. And
you just making sure that we're clean on our blocking
us some who we're going to, making sure we're id
and the proper people and going to them and actually
finishing on the correct people.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Coach Kaylen makes that interception.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
He also had a couple of plays down the field
where then that one over out where he looked him
it was going away from him, and yet he still
got over the top of the route and made a play.
It feels like he's getting more comfortable in that role
of being that rangey center fielder for you, no matter
what coverage you're in. What have you seen from Kayln lately?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Yeah, Kaylen was able to display his range in the
back end, you know, versus our last game because the
ball was up right. There's a lot of deep balls
that were thrown up, and he was able to show
his range and go make plays on the football. And
that's what he's capable of doing. He's that center fielder
who can make those plays for us, and it was
on display versus the Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
And I always say, if.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Teams want to try him there, he has to be
the guy to go erase it and go get the football.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Coach Jellen Knowle has this clutch ability about him. It
wasn't a ton of catches, but it was a pretty
big game relative to his rookie season. So what are
you seeing from him and what can you tell us
about using him more or how you want to use
him going down the line.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, he's definitely continued to, i mean, make more and
more plays for us. We needed a bit play in
a big moment there at the end of the half.
I mean, with an outstanding catch by him to catch
it over the defender to put us in field goal range.
Big play by him, fourth down, another huge moment in
the game.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We needed it.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
CJ found him on the sideline. So he's continued to
make big play after big play. We just got to
find a way to you know, keep leaning in on that,
all right, keep leaning in, find a way to get
him the ball even more.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
How tough was it because Kirk gets injured during practice
last week, you lose Nico through the course of the game,
a lot of shuffling you have to do. Burios is
up for the first time.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
That kind of Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Of shuffling that goes on. I tell guys, and my
theme kind of throughout the week was like, it don't matter,
like we're going across the country playing late. Whoever has
to be that guy to step up to make a play. Really,
it doesn't matter, Like no excuses, no explanations, Let's just
go get the job done. And he saw guys have
to step up, and know I would say, was the
(06:54):
main guy who stepped up and made plays for us.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Coach, you talked about your frustrations.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
How did you feel about the complimentary football aspects, because
there was a couple of really good moments, like you
mentioned in a half Deniko blocks the field goal, you
get to throw to Knowle, you get the field goal
right there, you have Tommy pinning him down inside the
five with his punt. That's when Will gets the strip side.
Complimentary football was there for you and you had some
good moments. How'd you feel about those moments? And how
(07:22):
do you feel about, Hey, we need a few more.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Of those now. I felt good about it.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
You see it right, and I can show the film
when it's when it's done right, And we got some
really great moments of win is doing right and we
execute the right way and it's beautiful football. But there
are some moments out there where we're not lacking. So
it's just a matter of finding that consistency, like who
are we truly? Like, let's be the same and each
(07:47):
and every time that we're out on the field, let's
have that consistency.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
That's what that's gonna put us in a win call.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
How do you handle the week's schedule wise, coach, because
you can't have a normal Wednesday practice. I would assume
because you just played less than two days and it's
not like a Sunday Thursday thing, but it is significant,
especially with the morning arrival following the game.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, it's a short week for sure, getting back at
seven am in the morning. That's that's a new one
for me. Well, we can't have a normal Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
What we'll do.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
We'll go out, move around a little bit, and we'll
kind of do a walk through and just to get guys,
you know, some reps, get a moving around, and then
we'll have our normal Thursday practice and get back to it.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Coach, traveling as we have. I went back and looked
the schedule, like we went play Tennessee, then we end
up going to Baltimore having a buy and then going
to Seattle.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
We finally get home, and we get home for three weeks.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
I know, we don't want to put the other two
weeks and you know, front of San Francisco, et cetera.
But just to be able to be home for a
significant stretch of time. How important is it at this
time of year to not have to travel, but to
play those three games at home.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
It's always great to be home, always great to be
you know, in your bed always great to be in
front of our fans. So we're excited to be home
on his three game stretch here and play some good,
good opponents coming up, and we got to go out
and just play better football.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
That's the main thing for me.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Just being home or wherever you are, the execution doesn't change.
Like you got to be able to go out and
play great football, play great football that our fans be
excited to see him.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
How is the Shanahan Kubiak offense different from the Kubiak
offense that you're just faced in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Oh, it's very similar, right, Just watching some of the
film is very similar, seeing some of the same concepts
that show up. So the difference is with Kyle, he's
just going to be able to get to it, get
to a lot of different formations, many many more motions
and formation variations.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
He just get to it a different way. And we
know Christian McCaffery is.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Going to be their go to guy, right, he's going
to be the guy to try to feed the ball too,
So we got to go out and stop him.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Could you had an up close personal look at Rock
Purdy may not play, it might be Mac Jones, And
I know there are different between the two. And I
know we've talked about prep before, and I would imagine
that you've seen the San Francisco offense.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
A few times in your day. You may have seen
it before.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
But either one of those two quarterbacks or just those
two quarterbacks, what have you seen from those two guys?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I know you've probably not too much time to prep.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
You've probably seem a little bit play maybe on Sunday
night against the Falcons.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What do you think about those two quarterbacks?
Speaker 4 (10:23):
I think Mac has stepped in and did doing an
outstanding job, right, And it all starts with just their.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Time and how they're moving.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
They're trying to create a lot of distractions, right, and
they have a lot of people open, right, So as
a defense, you have to be able to have your
eyes in the right place. You have to communicate well
with all the motions that they give you. But I
think Mac and Brock had done a good job.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Is just getting the ball.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Out very quickly to the open receivers and then they
have their designated shots when they want to go downfield,
but for the most part, they'll just methodically drive down
the field. So we got to find a way to
get stops on early downs and then went on third down.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
How often I would have this is much more of
an offseason thing. When you're talking with undrafted guys or
guys who were drafted Day three or whatever, do you
point out players like Brock Purdy or other guys you
have worked with who weren't drafted that high who turn
out to be really significant players in this league.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You always want to point out those guys to let
let everybody know, like, it really doesn't matter how you
get in, like whether you're a seventh round pick, whether
you're a free agent, like there have been many examples
of a lot of guys who not just first rounders, right,
who make it and succeed in this league. And you know,
and I love the stories of the undrafted free agents
(11:35):
or the late round picks because nobody's expecting anything out
of those guys. And it takes a lot of grit.
It takes a lot of toughness for a guy to
you know, work his way up. But it's just a
matter of it doesn't matter who you are, is just
how you go out and how you play, how you
show that character of yourself when you're playing, and that
it resonates with the underdog stories that everybody loves a
(11:58):
guy who's not supposed to make it by means of
being undrafted, but he comes out and he does well.
Brock Purty, mister irrelevant. He comes out nobody's expecting anything.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
But seeing the.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Way he operated and the way he worked in practice,
I could tell right away that he had a different
he had a different feel about him right he had.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
He moved with a lot of confidence.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
He played a lot of football at Iowa State, and
so he had a lot of reps on task and
so he he got out there and he was a
gunslinger making plays and he earned his keep.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And then now he's a starting quarterback for the forty Niners.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Sounds a lot like a defensive tackle we got right now,
then Tom Toky.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
He's done some good things.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
He had a nice night for you, coach, won't ask
you about a different defensive tackle. Defensive end came back
last night, had the big field goal, block, had a sack.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
What does it mean to afton e ka autry.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Back and it's everything for us what Deniko can do
in our and our pass for us having him, Will
and Daniel out there together like Deniko is a problem
especially as an end rusher, whether he's rushing over the
guard or center, like, he just presents a problem. He's big, strong,
he knows how to get to the quarterback. He's done
(13:08):
it a lot in his career. And then you know,
one of the best guys I seen at field goal block.
He finds a way to find a crease and get
through and lifts up, and he actually made the other
guys around him better. I saw more guys like knocking
back getting their hands up. So I'm happy to have
him lift our defense and be able to be an
(13:28):
impact player for us.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Another guy we wanted to highlight, Woody Marks, had that
ball poked out. When they recovered it was a fumble
and it's happening so fast You're thinking, wait, are they
blowing this thing dead or no, is this an incomplete pass?
It's a fumble and he gets it back for you.
Burios recovers in the end zone.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
What about past? Wow, man, he talk about a player like,
what's going on here?
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Right?
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Ball comes out?
Speaker 4 (13:52):
We don't want the ball to come out, of course,
but they recover the ball and to see wood he's reactioning.
He instantly takes off and he's going to attack the
ball right and he gets the ball out, thank god
he did. And then I think it was Jake Andrews
came through, he hit the ball and then ultimately Burios
was able to recover the ball in the end zone.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
It just goes back to it's all about the ball.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Every single every single snap is all about the football,
and whenever the ball is on the ground, we have
to go get it. It's our ball when it's on
the ground. And what he definitely showcase that and we
need it in such a huge moment for us to
make them have to just take the penalty and not
have the touch back.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
You've talked about your defense attacking the ball, and you've
also said in the past something like you want your
offense to attack the ball also, you want them to
have that nasty whatever it is mindset, my words, not yours.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
What does it take to get that done?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
You mentioned fundamentals, but what about the mental aspect of it, coach,
or is it something that will happen naturally as you continue.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
To do It's definitely a mental aspect. When you're on
the offensive side, when it comes to attacking the football,
it's like, how are you catching it with aggressive hands
going up, and you gotta have aggressive hands to go
get the ball. Defenders on you, how tough are you
like to finish through the cats and come down with
the football. Sometimes you just got to go attack it,
and you have to have that mindset that is my
(15:13):
ball and his mind only, and I'm coming away with
the football. So it all starts with the mindset. If
you have the right mindset, we can all attack the ball.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Coach, on that play, there are a lot of things
going on. First of all, was CJ's arm going forward
or not? Was it a pass or not? Did Drake
Thomas get in the end zone before the ball was
popped away?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Was the ball that recovery taxis?
Speaker 5 (15:35):
There's a lot of things happening on that particular play
we were talking about on the broadcast. How much are
the officials at that point communicating to you, Okay, here's
what happened.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
It was ruled this, it was ruled, this was ruled this.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
How much are they giving you of the situation at
that particular moment. How much are they keeping you informed
on that particular situation.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Well, when the stop it happens like that and they're
reviewing it. So a ref comes over next to me
and as he's getting the information, he kind of we're
kind of talking and he gives me the information that
he has. So it's kind of spotty because he gets
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
And he's trying to share.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
So you I really don't get the full story until
they're done with the review, but so I'm getting bits
and pieces of First thing, first, I'm at, was it
a fumble?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Right?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Right?
Speaker 3 (16:20):
And you try to start there.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
So the ref did a really good job of communicating
what was going on to me and what the other
side was doing. Right, they were gonna take the penalty,
So he did a really nice job of communicating that.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
What do you think it's gonna be like to see
the forty nine er uniforms over there? Because you know,
we always talk about you a Texans player and everything.
Here you are with the Houston Texans as the head coach,
and you had a lot of time spent with the
forty nine ers with a lot of former Texans employees
too over there, so that aspect plays as well, what's
it gonna be like for you, coach?
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Yeah, it's gonna be you know, it's gonna be a
great time to see some old friends. This guy's still
coaching over there some players I was able to work with,
and look, I'm thankful for the organization giving me at
art and coaching allow me to grow, develop and to
be where I am right now today.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
So thankful for them. But a game time, It's all Texas.
Let's go, babe. I'm ready to get after him.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Mark asked you the question about Kyle's offense versus you know,
maybe carriers or what Mike shan hand ran, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
What makes Kyle the play caller as good as he is.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Yeah, I think the one thing with Kyle is he
never stops thinking about a different way to do a
play right, and so he's always thinking, even though he
has his playbook of what he's done in the past,
Like he's always pushing the envelope of Now you see
the other running back starts to bump motion out of
the backfield, like Kyle kind of started that, and you
(17:48):
got the running back just in a weird spot on
the field. But he gets a free release and he's
able to catch a pass. So he's always thinking outside
of the box. He's always pushing the envelope, and he's
always game planning, even up.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Until up until kickoff, like he's changing things.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
He's on those last minute ass He's always adjusting things.
So that's what makes him good at what he does.
And he's you know, he'll take his time and drive
the field right. He doesn't always hunt up the big plays.
He'll stick with the run, take the short passes, and
methodically drive down the field.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Coach, how tough was communication offensively against Seattle? When you're
talking about quarterback and offensive line and change his adjustments.
You have to make it the line of scrimmage versus
how it's going to be at home when you have
some quiet to operating offensively.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah, it was loud in Seattle, but not as loud
as I've as I've heard it before, So we kind
of got a little break there in Seattle. It wasn't
as as loud as he's been before. I think a
lot of people were focused on the baseball game. But
I think here at home, our guys understand now is
going to be quiet. We can get in and out
(18:55):
of the huddle, we can make our checks that a
lot of scrimmage. Should be very easy to do that
at home, but it should be hard for us on defense.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So fans.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
We need you.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
We need the loud noise, especially when we're on defense.
We need to cranked up. We need that energy from
our fans for sure.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
Coach your thoughts on Dalton what he gave you? Not
last night, but this year, it feels like he has
been dialed in, He has been available. He has made
great Keademy. The first catcher is that one handed catches,
like right.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
In front of me, Like, whoa, that's a great catch.
What do you think about the way.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Dalton's Daughton's had a phenomenal year, Like he's showed up
in the passing game, which we all know that's Dalton's
pass and what he's what he's been great at is
in the passing game, right, and but well, I'm more
proud of him is into blocking, Like I think he's
done a better job at blocking at the line of scrimmage.
And then last night, just to see him get target
at the target and him making plays on the sideline,
(19:47):
you know, making guys man finishing inbounds, finishing through guys,
playing physical. I was I was very happy with the
way that he played. And right, he's definitely a warrior
and I'm excited to see him continue you to get
better and prove and make some more big plays for
us this week.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Coach, as I want to give full disclosure here as
we record this, we're all coming off the Red Eye
a few hours ago, and you're remarkably fresh. So sleep
on planes, I mean, how do you do it, coach?
How do you get the energy?
Speaker 4 (20:17):
I probably slept by maybe two hours on the plane
and I'm rolling. I tried to take me a little
twenty minute walk on the traadmill before I came in
here so my energy could be up and ready to go.
But hey, it's we can't control it, h my deal,
And you can control what you can't control. We can't
control the flight, what time we get back. Man, we
just rock with it. There's no excuses and pressing forward
(20:40):
on the San Francisco ready to put our best game
playing forward so we can get this bad taste out
of our mouth.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Coach.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
I don't know if it's a long trip, but I
mean we make long trips all the time, not one
of this length. But what's kind of your your methodology
after a game? Do you when we get on the plane,
you want to just kind of check out for a
little bit cannot maybe watch a movie or do you
want to just dive right into the film right there
on the set?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Think he's watching a movie.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I would love to watch a movie.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Trying to finish this last mission impossible, But I can't
finish it because.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
The film is just on my mind.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
So I have to once I get my computer, get
it all set up. Now I'm going through watching the
entire game, typing in my notes, coming back in the
next morning, watching it again.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
So I wish I could watch a movie.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
So how many times will you end up watching the
game before you end up meeting with your staff?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Before I meet with my staff, I'll watch it at
least at least two times, all right, sometimes three times.
Then I'll watch it again with the defense and offense
and special teams, each individual staff.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
All right.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
The Amagey Bank ask coach question of the week, Repid
Htown game coach, So another question about Houston for you?
Here you are in Htown and this is a big
age Town celebration on Sunday again. What makes h Town
so special to you? And has that changed evolved as
you've been here longer?
Speaker 4 (22:00):
I think for me, the one thing that always stand
out about stands out about Acetown. It's just it's the people,
all right, this huge melting pot, all different people coming
together and everybody can have an opportunity to succeed here
in Houston. And it doesn't matter your background, right, And
just think about my neighborhood where I live, a lot
of different nationalities, a lot of different people, but it's
(22:22):
all love. And that's the cool part about Houston. And
that's why I think a lot of people are moving here.
They're migrating to Houston because of it's such a warm
and loving place and you can be successful in whatever
you do when you're gonna find good people, also good food,
gonna find good people who truly respect, love and care
(22:44):
for each other.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Outstanding coach, thanks a lot for joining us.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Good looks, guys.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
There's a head coach, Tamiko Ryans now coming up, Johnny
and I will go over how tired we are just kidding?
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Oh maybe we'll do some of that, but we're.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Gonna talk about the game at Seattle and what's to
come this week, what's it gonna take to get off.
Then I'd finally get this thing moving in the right direction.
It's Texans Radio here in the Hyundai Texans Radio Studio.
Mark Vandermin and John Harris with you Fresh as Rose
is following last night's game at Seattle, where we're not
(23:14):
crying here, We're.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Not singing the blues.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
We're just pointing out that if we sound like we
don't make much sense, we have an alibi. We have
an alibi red eye, no sleep, that kind of thing.
That's our alibi for not making sensor, being incoherent, or
not putting together complete sentences as opposed to the way we.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Normally are, which you know we have no excuse for that. Yeah,
I think we're coherent most of the time. I think
we are.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
I mean a few questions with Demiko Ryans, I felt
like I was having an out of body experience and
I was looking down upon me asking the question hoping
everything's going well, Like I hope whatever's in my body
right now is asking the question. We can all relate
to that. We're just having fun with the long travel.
It was weird to finish a game so late, the
latest finish in franchise history, even a little bit later
(23:58):
than the Charger game in twenty thirteen, and just to
have the long flight back and everything and again no
singing the blues, just dealing with it because it's kind
of funny to me because we do these shows afterwards
and you never know what's gonna come out.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
So here we are, John, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
I couldn't remember ever landing and getting on the bus
and driving back to the stadium in any sort of sunlight.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
No, we've done this, We've done this. I want to
say twenty twelve for sure against the Patriots, that Monday
night er took forever back because I don't know why.
And I think maybe the Thursday night or one or
two of those Patriot primetime games that were during the
week because the Thursday night obviously you're coming back on Friday.
(24:45):
That was week three twenty sixteen, and you had the
twenty twelve game, which was Monday night, and I just
remember rolling back in with the rush hour traffic. Yeah,
so it's kind of interesting, like, hey, sorry we lost.
You know, you're waving everybody no less, I'm sorry about that.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
The beginning to past time, it was, you know, Monday
night was Monday football is such a special night. But
I think it's just been so frustrating when we just
are are out of sorts and yeah, sure. We were
so out of sorts last night for I don't know why.
(25:20):
I litany of reasons.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Titus after the game mentioned complacency, which.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
I which is weird, kind of raised eyebrows to like, ye,
what that is strange? And I think if that's you know,
if that's something that's happening on the offense, I'm like, Okay,
I don't think it's happening on defense. I don't think
it's happening on defense. I mean, those guys, they they
were putting some tough situations on Monday night and they
they battled and it wasn't perfect with jays n Is.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
By the way, Jay Sen is a bad mofo Oh.
He's really good.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
He smokes, he's and darnold, he's better than I think
people even expected. I thought coming out of college, I
thought he was going to be a really good NFL receiver.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
He is a great wide receiver. There are a lot
of great there're a lot of good ones.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
Now.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Yeah, they're making a lot of good receivers, especially at
that university.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
That university. Brian Hartline Holly smokes between Garrett Wilson, Chris Olav,
Marvin Harrison Junior JSN, I'll tell you right now, and
it's not recently biased. I think he's the best that
we've seen this year. No, Puka did it a different way,
(26:30):
and I feel like I don't want to take anything
away from Puka because Puoka is a badass. But Pouka,
I think gets helped out a little bit more than
mcveigh's scheme to get him open. I feel like JSN
is just so quick and so sudden that he makes
his own separation and the touchdown that he dunks on
(26:53):
the goalpost, I mean that ball is not thrown perfectly,
and because Sam is getting some pressure at that point
and Darnald just kind of puts it out there and
Jaysn kind of jumps, leaps, kind of pulls the ball
away during a game live. I really I don't know why.
Maybe because I just had a different angle on it.
(27:13):
I was like it was a good catch. When I
saw it on TV, I'm like, WHOA, that was actually
a more challenging catch that I thought, And it was a.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
You're right that Darnald had to hurry that ball, but
he flamed that one in there. He did, and even
under confidence in him that he's going to make the
reception and he does. It's funny with JSN, Johnny, because
you mentioned Puka. JSN. He's the kind of guy who
could and it was kind of like Andre Johnson used
(27:41):
to be. Sometimes you're like, he's not having a huge game,
is he? And then you look up and it's six
for one hundred touchdown or something, and you're thinking, oh,
he is Jason. I'm not saying it wasn't like that
last night or it was like that last night, because
you know, two catches less would have been six. But JSN,
you know, he exploded a couple of times, but he
could have had five or six and gotten close to
(28:02):
the century mark. And I'm not saying it would have
been quiet, but you know what I mean, it's kind
of like a basketball player. You look up all of
a sudden, he's got twenty five thirty You're like, oh,
I didn't realize he was getting that many.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
They put up they flashed up a stat in the
stadium up on their video board and said, and I
can't remember when it was the second half some time,
and they said, js N's the second seahawk I think
in history, three consecutive hundred yard games and he's had
eight catches in the last three games each and had.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Great receivers there. They had Locket and large March and DK.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
I think DK metcalf was the one that he had tied,
so he is he's on its way. I was very
glad that he ended up in Seattle. We see him
every four years. He's tremendous. But I got to give
a lot of credit to Mike McDonald a defense. That
defense was locked in. They had guys playing on a
defense like Tyokatta and Drake Thomas, and they don't have
(28:58):
like the special you know, TJ.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Watt, Miles Garrett, like pass.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
Rushers a line as special though, but they're together they
are really really good.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, and really good.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
And with the Marcus Lawrence healthy that that changes things.
And they did not have tank when they played the Buccaneers.
So you take to Marcus Lawrence off that defense, you're like,
WHOA okay, now, boy, imf is a good player. He
got a strip sack that eventually was overturned because of holding.
But they they're they're similar to our defense in that
(29:34):
they take no bs. They you know, like they're just
physically gonna they're gonna physically demand that.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
To beat them.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
You're gonna have to exceed their physicality by such a
high level that they're only gonna be a few offensive
lines and offenses that do that, and ours was not that.
On Monday night, we did not answer them physically. We
again didn't score from the sixth inch line on a
Monday night football game.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
We had third and one, fourth and one, So that
happened against the Bucks.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Happen against the Bucks. Yeah, uh? And then third and one,
fourth and one.
Speaker 5 (30:11):
It's twenty to twelve, and to me, this is the
key spot in the game because after you've gotten back,
there's kind.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Of a key sequence to me.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
After Will gets the fumble, which was a hell of
a play, he gets the phone, makes a touchdown, it's
seventeen twelve, and I'm like, man, if we get this
two point conversion, we're within three.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Ooh, now we're putting some pressure. You didn't get it.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
You don't get the two. And then on a kickoff,
I can't remember who ran it back. I think it
was Horton. Treymont Smith pops out of the kickoff coverage
at about the twenty yard line, but he slips, so
Horton is able to get another fifteen to seventeen.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yards up across the forty.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
So then they take that you let's score a touchdown.
We hold them, but they kick a field goal. So
now it's twenty to twelve, so it's still trudging uphill,
but we're one score a touchdown at two, like we're
in this thing. CJ hits Dalton on second down and
I look across the field and I see the ref
(31:12):
on the Seahawks sidelines. He does this over his head,
kind of way too over his head, because I remember
I said, yah, got it, and then you said, yeah,
he's got the first down, and so then I see no,
the sticks are moving back and they're making it third
and one. And as soon as I mark, I swear
to you, as soon as I saw that, I was like,
oh no, and.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Third and one and we're saying, oh no.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
It was just that I against that front. I just
felt like this, it's a man short yard is just
a bad matchup. And if you remember earlier in the
game thirty one, what do we do. We threw the
quick out the eco. Now Nico is still in the
game at that point, but third and one, fourth and one,
we don't get it. They get a short field. Now
they score a touchdown. Now they're up twenty seven to twelve.
(31:57):
And that to me, that that whole sequence was just
all about, you know, missed opportunities.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
And that affected your play calling later when you got
that point blank range that troll line. Now we can't
run it right, So now we got to do other
stuff that didn't work because CJ gets strung out on
a play. You know what happened on fourth down, they
get the false start. Now it's fourth and goal at
the five, and it's all over. Yeah, and it's too
bad we're saying that it's all over. But they have
been really challenged to score points in the red zone.
(32:26):
We all know that against the good team, even from
this far away.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Johnny, it's three.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Offensive touchdowns and the four losses. Correct, Oh, good question,
it is because they got two last night but one
offensive touchdown. They got none against the Rams. They had
one against the Buccaneers and one against the Jaguars.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
Wait, we had two offensive touchdowns against the Bucks. Nico
had that deep ball and then Nick Chubbs run. Oh
that's right, Nick, too late, Okay, so that's four and four. Yeah,
but that's not I mean the culture scoring for every
single week out, don't matter who the culture playing, the
culture scoring four every week out. And you know they've
got a rookie tight end, they've got a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Who's new, and yet they're together.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
Yet they're they're scoring points out, you know, and look,
say what you will about They did it against the Raiders,
They did it against the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
You have done it against some pretty sorry teams. You know.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
People thought the Chargers were gonna be good and they
stuffed it right down to throw the charge did.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
That was a game that I thought, Okay, they can
beat the Colts, but they wore those horrific uniforms and
I think that really derailed their chances of winning.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
They're not intimidating. You can't wear yellow, full yellow. Why
not just wear all pink and see how that works.
I mean it just it's not gonna be.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
A better message for Cancer Awareness Month instead of wearing
the yellow, which means nothing. It doesn't even look Charger ish.
It looks awful.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
See.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
I always think when we play the Raiders, and like
I said, Raiders, it's intimidating, but it's just you see
a silver and black, you're like, especially if you know
NFL history.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Yeah, yeah, of course.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
And you know, like this Sunday we have an opponent
like that. You seeform, You're thinking, okay, it's on.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
And we don't see the forty nine uniform all that much.
You see it every four years, and so it's always
kind of cool when you see it.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I remember we are out in Santa.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Claire in twenty twenty one and we had just won
a couple games in a row and we're playing them,
and I remember Randon Cook scoring a touchdown to go
up on him.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I was like, holy cow. But man, that team was
low to a talent in twenty twenty one.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Fred Warner, that's a they played out of their mind
Sunday night. My hope is that Sunday afternoon they kind
of come back down to earth. Some of the enthusiasm
is worn off road trip, road trip, playing a little
bit earlier in their body clock is used to and
maybe that pays off.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Put every break you can get.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
You got a tremendous break, big picture, You got a
tremendous break when you played the Ravens the way they were. Yes,
that was a gift and you took advantage of it fully,
which was great. C j Stroud AFC Offensive Player of
the Week. Awesome, but you got to build on that momentum.
There's no way you could come out against Seattle.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
The way you did. It's just not gonna work.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
You can't do it. You can't have it. You can't
come out like that. And they know it, and it
kills me for Demiko, because they got it. They got
to just put their best foot forward, full throttle, whatever
cliche you want to use all the time. You get
to do this once a week and this is the
first time in fourteen fifteen days because you had to
buy in an extra day and they didn't do it.
(35:26):
And it just shocks me how difficult it can be
to score points. Look, I know the defense is far
from perfect, but you get four takeaways.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah, plus they scored a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
They scored a touchdown off one of them directly, and
you block the field goal. Your chances of winning in
that scenario and that parlay right there has got to
be ninety nine percent. So it's real tough to stomach
this one. You have no choice but to take it.
The four losses are all to good teams. I don't
know if the Jags are a good team.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Anymore.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
But they were pretty decent when you were playing them,
and number one in the league and turnover margin and
all of that, and they beat But these four losses
all have a theme inability to execute offensively, especially in
the crunch, having an opportunity in the crunch and not
able to take advantage of it. I know that two
of the others have, even the Jags game and an
(36:15):
element of the Rams game too. You're unable to make
a late stop to get to the ball one more time,
But how many times can you ask them to.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Do this for you?
Speaker 1 (36:22):
You have to reward that side of the football and
put it in the end zone a couple of times
to make things a little easier on them. They're under
immense duress and that thing. That's why I think it
leads to things. This is just a theory, psychological whatever.
It leads to things like asease what he did, or
stingy with the stiff arm face mask because you're trying
(36:44):
to do so much, make a statement, make something happen.
I don't know if Asas is trying to knock Darnold
out of the game or what. Look he knows it's wrong.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
I mean, I don't know I haven't talked to him
today about it, but it's got to be tough. I
walk down to get a drink in our cafeteria and
they have ESPN playing and Dania Rolovsky was talking and
I couldn't hear him. But because he was on the
broadcast last night, we saw him in the booth next
to you, guys, I waved till low. They posted a
They posted to me, what is a really telling number?
(37:15):
The Seahawks last night had ten pass breakups? And I
thought about that, and there's a line, there was a
there was another line underneath it. I think it was
probably like a it was like the high for them,
or so it was. It was a high number. We
shouldn't have a game where a defense has ten pass
breakups against us.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Cut that in half and it's a completely different situation.
Speaker 5 (37:38):
So it makes you think, okay, well why were there
ten pass breakups? And then you know, and there's so
many there's so many aspects that go into that. You know,
receivers getting separation, Seahawks understanding route combinations and playing them
really well. I think there's a combination of all that.
(37:59):
But a defense should not have ten pass breakups against you,
and they in that unit did, and I'll give him credit.
They were playing without Julian Love and Devin Witherspoon. Good lord,
if they had those two guys. Now, the guys that
played in their in their stead, Nick Ming Worry and
Tyle Cotta, they were fantastic.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Yeah, they were really flipping that. The rookie's gonna be good. Yeah. Oh,
even Warrior's a stud. Yeah. I mean, I thank god
he's over in the NFC.
Speaker 5 (38:24):
I will love watching that dude get that pass breakup
he had on Nico. That's a route that that Nico
and CJ hit a lot, but they take advantage of
a linebacker or in that case, he was playing the
star or the safety because he's two thirty.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
He's two thirty.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
He measured two twenty seven round up to two thirty
at the combine ran four to three. So they can
play him like Cam Chancellor. They can play him down
in the box, they can play him from from death.
And so he did what our linebackers are having trouble doing.
There was a completion of JSN where we had two
guys that jumped the low route and JSM was run
high route. Our linebackers were not finding those other routes,
(39:04):
even worry took one look where he was exactly what
we're supposed to do, dropped right into coverage, and then
as soon as he got there, he made Nico pay
for going in his area. And that secondary and that
defense was just on top of.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Everything that else.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
He starts with the line, Like you said, though, it
all starts with that line.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
They are wonderful together.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Yes, they're really potent up front, and I believe that
that's a huge factor in the game. They might be
the MVP unit as far as I'm concerned. I know
Donald played well. He didn't play that well. I mean, look,
he threw a pick, FuMB on the end zone, fumbled,
you know, was not perfect to say the least. But
he made enough big throws and look what do they do.
(39:47):
They lead the league in explosives, right JSN Donald He
does that. So you look at the overall quarterback numbers,
a touchdown and a pick and it's not that sexy
at the end of the day, but he makes the
big play when he has to.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
This offense and I don't know where it's going.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Look, they might flame out late in the regular season, playoffs, whatever,
but you lost to the Rams. You lost to them,
you still have two more in the NFC West, starting
this Sunday against the forty nine Ers. Then you have
Denver's defense. Look, this is tough. This is a brutal schedule.
You know, you don't have the Titans. You'd love to
play the Titans every week, but you got to wait
to get to the next three to get to them again.
(40:23):
And they're capable of giving somebody a game. You know,
it's just stop me, It's just you gotta win Sunday, Johnny.
Right now, big picture, you're two and four. You've been
two and five before and won a division. But that
was a miracle and it was an easier schedule. I
hate to use the word easier for its more palatable schedule,
and not as good a division, and not as good
a division. It was Hasslbeck in a diaper year, and
(40:44):
you had a situation where you could claw your way
back into it. Now you got a long way to
go here. You've got to win one game and that Sunday.
And I feel like we've been saying this for a
lot of weeks when you started out zero and three
and everything, but you cannot afford to go three games
below five hundred again, right, this is a chance to
start climbing out of it again. You've got another opportunity,
(41:06):
take advantage of it.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
On Sunday, the.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
NFC West Rams five and two. In fact, the Rams
have won the AFC South. They beat everybody in the
AFC South plus the Ravens, the only two losses the
hour at NFC teams, and they actually.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Shouldn't have lost those games. The forty nine Ers are
five and two.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
And they've been five and two with all the injuries
and mac Jones playing a bunch. And the Seahawks are
five and two and we just saw them up close.
Speaker 5 (41:32):
Those are three of the top ten teams and we've
well we've played two of them, will play the third
one on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
On Sunday and then you play a Denver team.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
That's good. Yeah, they're five and two.
Speaker 5 (41:44):
I mean head to score thirty three points in the
fourth quarter, which I break down in matchup coming up later.
But the bo Nicks is finding ways to win. You know,
they should have beaten the Colts. They should be six
and one. Honestly, well you could say that they should
have lost to the Giants too. I mean that's that's ridiculous.
That was one of the five I mean five to two.
(42:04):
So it this schedule doesn't let up. It doesn't let up.
There's another Titans game, there's Raiders and Cardinals down the road,
but you're playing a first play schedule, so you don't
get the you know, like the Jaguars get to play
the Jets.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
I think I'm crazy here, and we can talk more
about it as the week progresses. I think you have
everything in the toolbox. You just have to use the
tools the right way. And I think they got to
come together and make this all work out. They got
enough talent. They have enough talent to win these games.
They're not executing. It sounds I sound like a coach.
Now you got to execute.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
But it's true.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
You know, they say these things because they're right that
you gotta do it the correct way, the way they
draw it up. Tomko talked about seeing things in practice
that did make their way onto the field. They got
to figure that out otherwise it's completely on them. I mean,
Demiko said it's on me, which I know coaches get
a lot of grief for that, but that's what the
head coach is. He's the final layer of accountability when
(42:59):
it comes to the football game being operated.
Speaker 5 (43:03):
And Sunday you'll face a forty nine Ers defense without
Nick Boson, without Fred Warner.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Good.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
Now, talk about McCaffrey and Kittle. Geez, yeah, now you
gotta face them. Yeah, But we know as well as
anybody the issue on Monday night was not the defense.
This offense has got to start finding physicality from play
one to play sixty five.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Absolutely all right.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
On the way out, c J Stratt a couple of
things that he had to say, and then we'll get
you ready for Texans matchup tonight. It's Texans All Access,
final segment of the night here on Texans Radio. Following
the Texans loss at Seattle last night, twenty seven to nineteen.
I was going to say, so close yet so far
with that score, but it felt farther away than that
(43:45):
score might indicate in many ways. Yet you were there
with chances to win short yardage especially difficult for the offense,
third and short, fourth and short, and then down at
the goal line, inches away, Unable to put it across
and get things done on that side of the football.
Defense not perfect, but made a lot of plays, got
a lot of takeaways for you four of them. You
(44:07):
also blocked the field goal. You know the rest of
the story. You made plays all over the place, but
you gave things up as well. You had the ten penalties.
It really hurt to see the team play that way,
and everybody wants to get over it fast. The only
way to do that is with a victory Sunday against
San Francisco.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
What's it going to take?
Speaker 1 (44:24):
We'll continue with that conversation as the week progresses here,
but here's CJ. Stroud after the game about the Houston offense.
What's up? What's it going to take? What was it
like against Seattle?
Speaker 6 (44:34):
The type offense we're running is like you know, like
I told you all this about deathbout thousand cuts and
sometimes you when you live by the sport, it's hard
because you know you're not taking a bunch of deep
downfield shots, but you're asked to be you know, really
good on first second down time and time and time again,
and something that we just got to get better at.
It's still new to a lot of us, but yeah,
(44:56):
I definitely think, you know, we can be better at that,
and none to definitely hope.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
The other one from CJ. Stroud here Nico Collins with
the concussion last night, had to leave the game. Who
knows about Sunday. Christian Kirk injured last week with the
hamstring problem in practice, who knows about him Sunday. Here's
CJ talking about life without Nico. What are they going
to be able to do?
Speaker 6 (45:18):
Yeah, it's gonna be tough. You know, he's our past
player offense. You know, he's one of the best players
in the league time and time again. And we also
got to find ways to get the ball, you know,
in better situations. So that starts with me, you know,
trying to get us in the right looks. But yeah,
I just it will suck. But hopefully, you know, he'll
be okay, and you know we have a short week.
But if not, we got to just step up in
(45:39):
other ways and you know, put more you know, my
play hopefully to try to you know, help us out.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
A couple of cuts there from CJ after the game,
and CJ was coming off that AFC Offensive Player of
the Week performance against the Baltimore Ravens, So you have
to hope that they get back to that form collectively
on Sunday at noon against the forty nine ers. It's
repping eight each town day. The following game will be
against the Broncos and that is Legend's homecoming and that's
(46:06):
the day they put Janis McNair into the Ring of
Honor with Bob McNair and I'm looking forward to all
of that. And a week from tonight, we're going to
have a live show at the lobby right next to
the Texans team shop at NRG Stadium with plenty of giveaways,
including tickets. It's going to be fun, so mark dot
on your calendar. Brian Cushing's going to be there. Other
surprises as well. Six o'clock Tuesday next week, one week
(46:29):
from tonight, and I'll have more details later on in
the week. That's going to do it for our show
here tonight. But we have Texans matchup coming up with
Johnny Harrison. That's going to be a good one, always entertaining,
no matter what the result was the previous outing. Sunday's
game is live at noon right here and on the
Bowl one hundred point three FM and on the Odyssey app.
Have a great night, everyone, Go Texans.
Hello, Texans, Welcome to the show. Great to have you
a board tonight. And because it's a short week, we're
gonna get right to a modified version sort of of
the Demico Ryan Show. We caught up with the head
coach today, so that's awesome. We'll have Nick Cassio on
Tomorrow night at six, following the Texans lost at Seattle
and a very little amount of time to get ready
(00:21):
for the next outing against San Francisco Sunday at noon
at NRG Stadium. So presented by AMIG Bank, the official
business bank of the Houston Texans. Here's Demiko Ryans in studio.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Coach. Great to see it, Great to see you guys.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
All right, everybody's real fresh after that trip. Short week
to play the forty nine ers at home. But take
us through some of the elements of the game, coach,
because I know it was a rough one in Seattle
and you don't have much time to get ready for
the next one.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, man, that was a tough one, horror fall battle.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
I thought our guys, you know, we had had some
plays that we made to keep us in the game right,
multiple times, we had opportunities.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Is phil short there?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
We got to be able to move the ball better
and score points in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
A couple of things on our.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Keys to victory were really finishing in the red zone
with points. I knew we had to score to win
that game. And also just controlling the line of scrimmage.
When you look at it, we didn't control the line
of scrimmage in a case where the past two weeks
were able to displace the D line, we were able
to run the ball a little bit and we got
you know, we got knocked back. We could have run
(01:28):
the ball as well, so we lean more heavy on
passing the football and you know, they made some plays
there and we just gotta be better from a standpoint
also of just everybody just doing their job, doing where
we were coached to do, doing it on a consistent basis,
Like we got to do better in that in that end,
(01:48):
and that starts with me, Couch.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
One of the things you did do much better last night.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
She got the turnovers and they came in a big time,
and including Wills where it actually turned into a touchdown,
which I thought, once he makes that touchdown, we're seventeen twelve, Like, okay,
now we got the momentum. Here we go what are
your thoughts about just the turnover machine kind of getting going.
Kaylan's starting it with that interception. That was just a
great one at that moment what we needed badly he
(02:13):
came up with it. But getting the four turnovers last
night that was big for the defense.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Now, that was huge, right is getting turnovers? And mentioned
this too, You have to like getting the turnovers are
a great thing, but is now what do you do
after the turnover and to really swing the game in
your favor, It's all about getting points after the takeaway
and that's where we fail.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Sure, Wheel did our standing job.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Of getting a sack strip recovering it for a touchdown
is an outstand to play to spark our entire sideline,
entire team, but we just needed more off of the
other takeaways.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Coach, you mentioned in your press conference something about practicing
things well and sometimes that is.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Not always taken to the field.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
What does it take to make practice habits be game
habits for you?
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, you just have to be locked in and that's
that's the main thing. Each and every snap. It's one
snap at a time. And I say that not just
a cliche, but it's truly like it's this one snap,
Can I focus in, Can I do the things, remember
the things that we've studied all week, and can I
go out and execute that on that one given snap
(03:17):
and you put that away and then you reset for
the next snap. And so it just takes a lot
of mental focus, right. It takes mental clarity to be
locked in to be in the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Right. You can't think.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
About the last play or the net. You gotta think
about this one play. This is all I have. You
got to be locked in in the moment.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Coach, when you were talking kind of about the game,
some of the things that kind of I'm sure you're
ruminating on our eight thousand hour flight last night, the
offensive line or just the offense in general not being
able to get movement? Is that probably the biggest one?
The physicality of that against a team that was we know,
very very physical. Was that probably the biggest one offensively
that you look at and say, yeah, I really would
(03:55):
have liked our physicality be the better at the point
of Attech.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, that's the main thing we knew. All we talked
about their front and how they're strong. They're the strongest
part of their team was their front, And we had
to be able to control their front on our double
team blocks where we didn't. We got split on some
of the double team blocks where you're not expecting that
to happen.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
So we just got to be able to train better.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
We got to be able to play with better technique,
and if that's the key to winning the game, we
have to execute that and get it done.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
All right, So running game as a whole coach, because
we know you want to run the football and you
just haven't gotten the consistency you're looking for in a
short week.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
What can you do to improve that kind of thing?
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah, you just get back to the basics and the fundamentals, right,
You don't try to reinvent the wheel. You get back
to the things that we do we have done well,
and you try to lean in on those things. And
you just making sure that we're clean on our blocking
us some who we're going to, making sure we're id
and the proper people and going to them and actually
finishing on the correct people.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Coach Kaylen makes that interception.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
He also had a couple of plays down the field
where then that one over out where he looked him
it was going away from him, and yet he still
got over the top of the route and made a play.
It feels like he's getting more comfortable in that role
of being that rangey center fielder for you, no matter
what coverage you're in. What have you seen from Kayln lately?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Yeah, Kaylen was able to display his range in the
back end, you know, versus our last game because the
ball was up right. There's a lot of deep balls
that were thrown up, and he was able to show
his range and go make plays on the football. And
that's what he's capable of doing. He's that center fielder
who can make those plays for us, and it was
on display versus the Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
And I always say, if.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Teams want to try him there, he has to be
the guy to go erase it and go get the football.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Coach Jellen Knowle has this clutch ability about him. It
wasn't a ton of catches, but it was a pretty
big game relative to his rookie season. So what are
you seeing from him and what can you tell us
about using him more or how you want to use
him going down the line.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, he's definitely continued to, i mean, make more and
more plays for us. We needed a bit play in
a big moment there at the end of the half.
I mean, with an outstanding catch by him to catch
it over the defender to put us in field goal range.
Big play by him, fourth down, another huge moment in
the game.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We needed it.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
CJ found him on the sideline. So he's continued to
make big play after big play. We just got to
find a way to you know, keep leaning in on that,
all right, keep leaning in, find a way to get
him the ball even more.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
How tough was it because Kirk gets injured during practice
last week, you lose Nico through the course of the game,
a lot of shuffling you have to do. Burios is
up for the first time.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
That kind of Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Of shuffling that goes on. I tell guys, and my
theme kind of throughout the week was like, it don't matter,
like we're going across the country playing late. Whoever has
to be that guy to step up to make a play. Really,
it doesn't matter, Like no excuses, no explanations, Let's just
go get the job done. And he saw guys have
to step up, and know I would say, was the
(06:54):
main guy who stepped up and made plays for us.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Coach, you talked about your frustrations.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
How did you feel about the complimentary football aspects, because
there was a couple of really good moments, like you
mentioned in a half Deniko blocks the field goal, you
get to throw to Knowle, you get the field goal
right there, you have Tommy pinning him down inside the
five with his punt. That's when Will gets the strip side.
Complimentary football was there for you and you had some
good moments. How'd you feel about those moments? And how
(07:22):
do you feel about, Hey, we need a few more.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Of those now. I felt good about it.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
You see it right, and I can show the film
when it's when it's done right, And we got some
really great moments of win is doing right and we
execute the right way and it's beautiful football. But there
are some moments out there where we're not lacking. So
it's just a matter of finding that consistency, like who
are we truly? Like, let's be the same and each
(07:47):
and every time that we're out on the field, let's
have that consistency.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
That's what that's gonna put us in a win call.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
How do you handle the week's schedule wise, coach, because
you can't have a normal Wednesday practice. I would assume
because you just played less than two days and it's
not like a Sunday Thursday thing, but it is significant,
especially with the morning arrival following the game.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, it's a short week for sure, getting back at
seven am in the morning. That's that's a new one
for me. Well, we can't have a normal Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
What we'll do.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
We'll go out, move around a little bit, and we'll
kind of do a walk through and just to get guys,
you know, some reps, get a moving around, and then
we'll have our normal Thursday practice and get back to it.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Coach, traveling as we have. I went back and looked
the schedule, like we went play Tennessee, then we end
up going to Baltimore having a buy and then going
to Seattle.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
We finally get home, and we get home for three weeks.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
I know, we don't want to put the other two
weeks and you know, front of San Francisco, et cetera.
But just to be able to be home for a
significant stretch of time. How important is it at this
time of year to not have to travel, but to
play those three games at home.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
It's always great to be home, always great to be
you know, in your bed always great to be in
front of our fans. So we're excited to be home
on his three game stretch here and play some good,
good opponents coming up, and we got to go out
and just play better football.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
That's the main thing for me.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Just being home or wherever you are, the execution doesn't change.
Like you got to be able to go out and
play great football, play great football that our fans be
excited to see him.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
How is the Shanahan Kubiak offense different from the Kubiak
offense that you're just faced in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Oh, it's very similar, right, Just watching some of the
film is very similar, seeing some of the same concepts
that show up. So the difference is with Kyle, he's
just going to be able to get to it, get
to a lot of different formations, many many more motions
and formation variations.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
He just get to it a different way. And we
know Christian McCaffery is.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Going to be their go to guy, right, he's going
to be the guy to try to feed the ball too,
So we got to go out and stop him.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Could you had an up close personal look at Rock
Purdy may not play, it might be Mac Jones, And
I know there are different between the two. And I
know we've talked about prep before, and I would imagine
that you've seen the San Francisco offense.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
A few times in your day. You may have seen
it before.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
But either one of those two quarterbacks or just those
two quarterbacks, what have you seen from those two guys?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I know you've probably not too much time to prep.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
You've probably seem a little bit play maybe on Sunday
night against the Falcons.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What do you think about those two quarterbacks?
Speaker 4 (10:23):
I think Mac has stepped in and did doing an
outstanding job, right, And it all starts with just their.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Time and how they're moving.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
They're trying to create a lot of distractions, right, and
they have a lot of people open, right, So as
a defense, you have to be able to have your
eyes in the right place. You have to communicate well
with all the motions that they give you. But I
think Mac and Brock had done a good job.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Is just getting the ball.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Out very quickly to the open receivers and then they
have their designated shots when they want to go downfield,
but for the most part, they'll just methodically drive down
the field. So we got to find a way to
get stops on early downs and then went on third down.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
How often I would have this is much more of
an offseason thing. When you're talking with undrafted guys or
guys who were drafted Day three or whatever, do you
point out players like Brock Purdy or other guys you
have worked with who weren't drafted that high who turn
out to be really significant players in this league.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You always want to point out those guys to let
let everybody know, like, it really doesn't matter how you
get in, like whether you're a seventh round pick, whether
you're a free agent, like there have been many examples
of a lot of guys who not just first rounders, right,
who make it and succeed in this league. And you know,
and I love the stories of the undrafted free agents
(11:35):
or the late round picks because nobody's expecting anything out
of those guys. And it takes a lot of grit.
It takes a lot of toughness for a guy to
you know, work his way up. But it's just a
matter of it doesn't matter who you are, is just
how you go out and how you play, how you
show that character of yourself when you're playing, and that
it resonates with the underdog stories that everybody loves a
(11:58):
guy who's not supposed to make it by means of
being undrafted, but he comes out and he does well.
Brock Purty, mister irrelevant. He comes out nobody's expecting anything.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
But seeing the.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Way he operated and the way he worked in practice,
I could tell right away that he had a different
he had a different feel about him right he had.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
He moved with a lot of confidence.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
He played a lot of football at Iowa State, and
so he had a lot of reps on task and
so he he got out there and he was a
gunslinger making plays and he earned his keep.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And then now he's a starting quarterback for the forty Niners.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Sounds a lot like a defensive tackle we got right now,
then Tom Toky.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
He's done some good things.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
He had a nice night for you, coach, won't ask
you about a different defensive tackle. Defensive end came back
last night, had the big field goal, block, had a sack.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
What does it mean to afton e ka autry.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Back and it's everything for us what Deniko can do
in our and our pass for us having him, Will
and Daniel out there together like Deniko is a problem
especially as an end rusher, whether he's rushing over the
guard or center, like, he just presents a problem. He's big, strong,
he knows how to get to the quarterback. He's done
(13:08):
it a lot in his career. And then you know,
one of the best guys I seen at field goal block.
He finds a way to find a crease and get
through and lifts up, and he actually made the other
guys around him better. I saw more guys like knocking
back getting their hands up. So I'm happy to have
him lift our defense and be able to be an
(13:28):
impact player for us.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Another guy we wanted to highlight, Woody Marks, had that
ball poked out. When they recovered it was a fumble
and it's happening so fast You're thinking, wait, are they
blowing this thing dead or no, is this an incomplete pass?
It's a fumble and he gets it back for you.
Burios recovers in the end zone.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
What about past? Wow, man, he talk about a player like,
what's going on here?
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Right?
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Ball comes out?
Speaker 4 (13:52):
We don't want the ball to come out, of course,
but they recover the ball and to see wood he's reactioning.
He instantly takes off and he's going to attack the
ball right and he gets the ball out, thank god
he did. And then I think it was Jake Andrews
came through, he hit the ball and then ultimately Burios
was able to recover the ball in the end zone.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
It just goes back to it's all about the ball.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Every single every single snap is all about the football,
and whenever the ball is on the ground, we have
to go get it. It's our ball when it's on
the ground. And what he definitely showcase that and we
need it in such a huge moment for us to
make them have to just take the penalty and not
have the touch back.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
You've talked about your defense attacking the ball, and you've
also said in the past something like you want your
offense to attack the ball also, you want them to
have that nasty whatever it is mindset, my words, not yours.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
What does it take to get that done?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
You mentioned fundamentals, but what about the mental aspect of it, coach,
or is it something that will happen naturally as you continue.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
To do It's definitely a mental aspect. When you're on
the offensive side, when it comes to attacking the football,
it's like, how are you catching it with aggressive hands
going up, and you gotta have aggressive hands to go
get the ball. Defenders on you, how tough are you
like to finish through the cats and come down with
the football. Sometimes you just got to go attack it,
and you have to have that mindset that is my
(15:13):
ball and his mind only, and I'm coming away with
the football. So it all starts with the mindset. If
you have the right mindset, we can all attack the ball.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Coach, on that play, there are a lot of things
going on. First of all, was CJ's arm going forward
or not? Was it a pass or not? Did Drake
Thomas get in the end zone before the ball was
popped away?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Was the ball that recovery taxis?
Speaker 5 (15:35):
There's a lot of things happening on that particular play
we were talking about on the broadcast. How much are
the officials at that point communicating to you, Okay, here's
what happened.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
It was ruled this, it was ruled, this was ruled this.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
How much are they giving you of the situation at
that particular moment. How much are they keeping you informed
on that particular situation.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Well, when the stop it happens like that and they're
reviewing it. So a ref comes over next to me
and as he's getting the information, he kind of we're
kind of talking and he gives me the information that
he has. So it's kind of spotty because he gets
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
And he's trying to share.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
So you I really don't get the full story until
they're done with the review, but so I'm getting bits
and pieces of First thing, first, I'm at, was it
a fumble?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Right?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Right?
Speaker 3 (16:20):
And you try to start there.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
So the ref did a really good job of communicating
what was going on to me and what the other
side was doing. Right, they were gonna take the penalty,
So he did a really nice job of communicating that.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
What do you think it's gonna be like to see
the forty nine er uniforms over there? Because you know,
we always talk about you a Texans player and everything.
Here you are with the Houston Texans as the head coach,
and you had a lot of time spent with the
forty nine ers with a lot of former Texans employees
too over there, so that aspect plays as well, what's
it gonna be like for you, coach?
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Yeah, it's gonna be you know, it's gonna be a
great time to see some old friends. This guy's still
coaching over there some players I was able to work with,
and look, I'm thankful for the organization giving me at
art and coaching allow me to grow, develop and to
be where I am right now today.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
So thankful for them. But a game time, It's all Texas.
Let's go, babe. I'm ready to get after him.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Mark asked you the question about Kyle's offense versus you know,
maybe carriers or what Mike shan hand ran, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
What makes Kyle the play caller as good as he is.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Yeah, I think the one thing with Kyle is he
never stops thinking about a different way to do a
play right, and so he's always thinking, even though he
has his playbook of what he's done in the past,
Like he's always pushing the envelope of Now you see
the other running back starts to bump motion out of
the backfield, like Kyle kind of started that, and you
(17:48):
got the running back just in a weird spot on
the field. But he gets a free release and he's
able to catch a pass. So he's always thinking outside
of the box. He's always pushing the envelope, and he's
always game planning, even up.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Until up until kickoff, like he's changing things.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
He's on those last minute ass He's always adjusting things.
So that's what makes him good at what he does.
And he's you know, he'll take his time and drive
the field right. He doesn't always hunt up the big plays.
He'll stick with the run, take the short passes, and
methodically drive down the field.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Coach, how tough was communication offensively against Seattle? When you're
talking about quarterback and offensive line and change his adjustments.
You have to make it the line of scrimmage versus
how it's going to be at home when you have
some quiet to operating offensively.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah, it was loud in Seattle, but not as loud
as I've as I've heard it before, So we kind
of got a little break there in Seattle. It wasn't
as as loud as he's been before. I think a
lot of people were focused on the baseball game. But
I think here at home, our guys understand now is
going to be quiet. We can get in and out
(18:55):
of the huddle, we can make our checks that a
lot of scrimmage. Should be very easy to do that
at home, but it should be hard for us on defense.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So fans.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
We need you.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
We need the loud noise, especially when we're on defense.
We need to cranked up. We need that energy from
our fans for sure.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
Coach your thoughts on Dalton what he gave you? Not
last night, but this year, it feels like he has
been dialed in, He has been available. He has made
great Keademy. The first catcher is that one handed catches,
like right.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
In front of me, Like, whoa, that's a great catch.
What do you think about the way.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Dalton's Daughton's had a phenomenal year, Like he's showed up
in the passing game, which we all know that's Dalton's
pass and what he's what he's been great at is
in the passing game, right, and but well, I'm more
proud of him is into blocking, Like I think he's
done a better job at blocking at the line of scrimmage.
And then last night, just to see him get target
at the target and him making plays on the sideline,
(19:47):
you know, making guys man finishing inbounds, finishing through guys,
playing physical. I was I was very happy with the
way that he played. And right, he's definitely a warrior
and I'm excited to see him continue you to get
better and prove and make some more big plays for
us this week.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Coach, as I want to give full disclosure here as
we record this, we're all coming off the Red Eye
a few hours ago, and you're remarkably fresh. So sleep
on planes, I mean, how do you do it, coach?
How do you get the energy?
Speaker 4 (20:17):
I probably slept by maybe two hours on the plane
and I'm rolling. I tried to take me a little
twenty minute walk on the traadmill before I came in
here so my energy could be up and ready to go.
But hey, it's we can't control it, h my deal,
And you can control what you can't control. We can't
control the flight, what time we get back. Man, we
just rock with it. There's no excuses and pressing forward
(20:40):
on the San Francisco ready to put our best game
playing forward so we can get this bad taste out
of our mouth.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Coach.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
I don't know if it's a long trip, but I
mean we make long trips all the time, not one
of this length. But what's kind of your your methodology
after a game? Do you when we get on the plane,
you want to just kind of check out for a
little bit cannot maybe watch a movie or do you
want to just dive right into the film right there
on the set?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Think he's watching a movie.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I would love to watch a movie.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Trying to finish this last mission impossible, But I can't
finish it because.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
The film is just on my mind.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
So I have to once I get my computer, get
it all set up. Now I'm going through watching the
entire game, typing in my notes, coming back in the
next morning, watching it again.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
So I wish I could watch a movie.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
So how many times will you end up watching the
game before you end up meeting with your staff?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Before I meet with my staff, I'll watch it at
least at least two times, all right, sometimes three times.
Then I'll watch it again with the defense and offense
and special teams, each individual staff.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
All right.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
The Amagey Bank ask coach question of the week, Repid
Htown game coach, So another question about Houston for you?
Here you are in Htown and this is a big
age Town celebration on Sunday again. What makes h Town
so special to you? And has that changed evolved as
you've been here longer?
Speaker 4 (22:00):
I think for me, the one thing that always stand
out about stands out about Acetown. It's just it's the people,
all right, this huge melting pot, all different people coming
together and everybody can have an opportunity to succeed here
in Houston. And it doesn't matter your background, right, And
just think about my neighborhood where I live, a lot
of different nationalities, a lot of different people, but it's
(22:22):
all love. And that's the cool part about Houston. And
that's why I think a lot of people are moving here.
They're migrating to Houston because of it's such a warm
and loving place and you can be successful in whatever
you do when you're gonna find good people, also good food,
gonna find good people who truly respect, love and care
(22:44):
for each other.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Outstanding coach, thanks a lot for joining us.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Good looks, guys.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
There's a head coach, Tamiko Ryans now coming up, Johnny
and I will go over how tired we are just kidding?
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Oh maybe we'll do some of that, but we're.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Gonna talk about the game at Seattle and what's to
come this week, what's it gonna take to get off.
Then I'd finally get this thing moving in the right direction.
It's Texans Radio here in the Hyundai Texans Radio Studio.
Mark Vandermin and John Harris with you Fresh as Rose
is following last night's game at Seattle, where we're not
(23:14):
crying here, We're.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Not singing the blues.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
We're just pointing out that if we sound like we
don't make much sense, we have an alibi. We have
an alibi red eye, no sleep, that kind of thing.
That's our alibi for not making sensor, being incoherent, or
not putting together complete sentences as opposed to the way we.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Normally are, which you know we have no excuse for that. Yeah,
I think we're coherent most of the time. I think
we are.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
I mean a few questions with Demiko Ryans, I felt
like I was having an out of body experience and
I was looking down upon me asking the question hoping
everything's going well, Like I hope whatever's in my body
right now is asking the question. We can all relate
to that. We're just having fun with the long travel.
It was weird to finish a game so late, the
latest finish in franchise history, even a little bit later
(23:58):
than the Charger game in twenty thirteen, and just to
have the long flight back and everything and again no
singing the blues, just dealing with it because it's kind
of funny to me because we do these shows afterwards
and you never know what's gonna come out.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
So here we are, John, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
I couldn't remember ever landing and getting on the bus
and driving back to the stadium in any sort of sunlight.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
No, we've done this, We've done this. I want to
say twenty twelve for sure against the Patriots, that Monday
night er took forever back because I don't know why.
And I think maybe the Thursday night or one or
two of those Patriot primetime games that were during the
week because the Thursday night obviously you're coming back on Friday.
(24:45):
That was week three twenty sixteen, and you had the
twenty twelve game, which was Monday night, and I just
remember rolling back in with the rush hour traffic. Yeah,
so it's kind of interesting, like, hey, sorry we lost.
You know, you're waving everybody no less, I'm sorry about that.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
The beginning to past time, it was, you know, Monday
night was Monday football is such a special night. But
I think it's just been so frustrating when we just
are are out of sorts and yeah, sure. We were
so out of sorts last night for I don't know why.
(25:20):
I litany of reasons.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Titus after the game mentioned complacency, which.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
I which is weird, kind of raised eyebrows to like, ye,
what that is strange? And I think if that's you know,
if that's something that's happening on the offense, I'm like, Okay,
I don't think it's happening on defense. I don't think
it's happening on defense. I mean, those guys, they they
were putting some tough situations on Monday night and they
they battled and it wasn't perfect with jays n Is.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
By the way, Jay Sen is a bad mofo Oh.
He's really good.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
He smokes, he's and darnold, he's better than I think
people even expected. I thought coming out of college, I
thought he was going to be a really good NFL receiver.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
He is a great wide receiver. There are a lot
of great there're a lot of good ones.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
Now.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Yeah, they're making a lot of good receivers, especially at
that university.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
That university. Brian Hartline Holly smokes between Garrett Wilson, Chris Olav,
Marvin Harrison Junior JSN, I'll tell you right now, and
it's not recently biased. I think he's the best that
we've seen this year. No, Puka did it a different way,
(26:30):
and I feel like I don't want to take anything
away from Puka because Puoka is a badass. But Pouka,
I think gets helped out a little bit more than
mcveigh's scheme to get him open. I feel like JSN
is just so quick and so sudden that he makes
his own separation and the touchdown that he dunks on
(26:53):
the goalpost, I mean that ball is not thrown perfectly,
and because Sam is getting some pressure at that point
and Darnald just kind of puts it out there and
Jaysn kind of jumps, leaps, kind of pulls the ball
away during a game live. I really I don't know why.
Maybe because I just had a different angle on it.
(27:13):
I was like it was a good catch. When I
saw it on TV, I'm like, WHOA, that was actually
a more challenging catch that I thought, And it was a.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
You're right that Darnald had to hurry that ball, but
he flamed that one in there. He did, and even
under confidence in him that he's going to make the
reception and he does. It's funny with JSN, Johnny, because
you mentioned Puka. JSN. He's the kind of guy who
could and it was kind of like Andre Johnson used
(27:41):
to be. Sometimes you're like, he's not having a huge game,
is he? And then you look up and it's six
for one hundred touchdown or something, and you're thinking, oh,
he is Jason. I'm not saying it wasn't like that
last night or it was like that last night, because
you know, two catches less would have been six. But JSN,
you know, he exploded a couple of times, but he
could have had five or six and gotten close to
(28:02):
the century mark. And I'm not saying it would have
been quiet, but you know what I mean, it's kind
of like a basketball player. You look up all of
a sudden, he's got twenty five thirty You're like, oh,
I didn't realize he was getting that many.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
They put up they flashed up a stat in the
stadium up on their video board and said, and I
can't remember when it was the second half some time,
and they said, js N's the second seahawk I think
in history, three consecutive hundred yard games and he's had
eight catches in the last three games each and had.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Great receivers there. They had Locket and large March and DK.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
I think DK metcalf was the one that he had tied,
so he is he's on its way. I was very
glad that he ended up in Seattle. We see him
every four years. He's tremendous. But I got to give
a lot of credit to Mike McDonald a defense. That
defense was locked in. They had guys playing on a
defense like Tyokatta and Drake Thomas, and they don't have
(28:58):
like the special you know, TJ.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Watt, Miles Garrett, like pass.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
Rushers a line as special though, but they're together they
are really really good.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, and really good.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
And with the Marcus Lawrence healthy that that changes things.
And they did not have tank when they played the Buccaneers.
So you take to Marcus Lawrence off that defense, you're like,
WHOA okay, now, boy, imf is a good player. He
got a strip sack that eventually was overturned because of holding.
But they they're they're similar to our defense in that
(29:34):
they take no bs. They you know, like they're just
physically gonna they're gonna physically demand that.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
To beat them.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
You're gonna have to exceed their physicality by such a
high level that they're only gonna be a few offensive
lines and offenses that do that, and ours was not that.
On Monday night, we did not answer them physically. We
again didn't score from the sixth inch line on a
Monday night football game.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
We had third and one, fourth and one, So that
happened against the Bucks.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Happen against the Bucks. Yeah, uh? And then third and one,
fourth and one.
Speaker 5 (30:11):
It's twenty to twelve, and to me, this is the
key spot in the game because after you've gotten back,
there's kind.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Of a key sequence to me.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
After Will gets the fumble, which was a hell of
a play, he gets the phone, makes a touchdown, it's
seventeen twelve, and I'm like, man, if we get this
two point conversion, we're within three.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Ooh, now we're putting some pressure. You didn't get it.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
You don't get the two. And then on a kickoff,
I can't remember who ran it back. I think it
was Horton. Treymont Smith pops out of the kickoff coverage
at about the twenty yard line, but he slips, so
Horton is able to get another fifteen to seventeen.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yards up across the forty.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
So then they take that you let's score a touchdown.
We hold them, but they kick a field goal. So
now it's twenty to twelve, so it's still trudging uphill,
but we're one score a touchdown at two, like we're
in this thing. CJ hits Dalton on second down and
I look across the field and I see the ref
(31:12):
on the Seahawks sidelines. He does this over his head,
kind of way too over his head, because I remember
I said, yah, got it, and then you said, yeah,
he's got the first down, and so then I see no,
the sticks are moving back and they're making it third
and one. And as soon as I mark, I swear
to you, as soon as I saw that, I was like,
oh no, and.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Third and one and we're saying, oh no.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
It was just that I against that front. I just
felt like this, it's a man short yard is just
a bad matchup. And if you remember earlier in the
game thirty one, what do we do. We threw the
quick out the eco. Now Nico is still in the
game at that point, but third and one, fourth and one,
we don't get it. They get a short field. Now
they score a touchdown. Now they're up twenty seven to twelve.
(31:57):
And that to me, that that whole sequence was just
all about, you know, missed opportunities.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
And that affected your play calling later when you got
that point blank range that troll line. Now we can't
run it right, So now we got to do other
stuff that didn't work because CJ gets strung out on
a play. You know what happened on fourth down, they
get the false start. Now it's fourth and goal at
the five, and it's all over. Yeah, and it's too
bad we're saying that it's all over. But they have
been really challenged to score points in the red zone.
(32:26):
We all know that against the good team, even from
this far away.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Johnny, it's three.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Offensive touchdowns and the four losses. Correct, Oh, good question,
it is because they got two last night but one
offensive touchdown. They got none against the Rams. They had
one against the Buccaneers and one against the Jaguars.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
Wait, we had two offensive touchdowns against the Bucks. Nico
had that deep ball and then Nick Chubbs run. Oh
that's right, Nick, too late, Okay, so that's four and four. Yeah,
but that's not I mean the culture scoring for every
single week out, don't matter who the culture playing, the
culture scoring four every week out. And you know they've
got a rookie tight end, they've got a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Who's new, and yet they're together.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
Yet they're they're scoring points out, you know, and look,
say what you will about They did it against the Raiders,
They did it against the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
You have done it against some pretty sorry teams. You know.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
People thought the Chargers were gonna be good and they
stuffed it right down to throw the charge did.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
That was a game that I thought, Okay, they can
beat the Colts, but they wore those horrific uniforms and
I think that really derailed their chances of winning.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
They're not intimidating. You can't wear yellow, full yellow. Why
not just wear all pink and see how that works.
I mean it just it's not gonna be.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
A better message for Cancer Awareness Month instead of wearing
the yellow, which means nothing. It doesn't even look Charger ish.
It looks awful.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
See.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
I always think when we play the Raiders, and like
I said, Raiders, it's intimidating, but it's just you see
a silver and black, you're like, especially if you know
NFL history.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Yeah, yeah, of course.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
And you know, like this Sunday we have an opponent
like that. You seeform, You're thinking, okay, it's on.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
And we don't see the forty nine uniform all that much.
You see it every four years, and so it's always
kind of cool when you see it.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I remember we are out in Santa.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Claire in twenty twenty one and we had just won
a couple games in a row and we're playing them,
and I remember Randon Cook scoring a touchdown to go
up on him.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I was like, holy cow. But man, that team was
low to a talent in twenty twenty one.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Fred Warner, that's a they played out of their mind
Sunday night. My hope is that Sunday afternoon they kind
of come back down to earth. Some of the enthusiasm
is worn off road trip, road trip, playing a little
bit earlier in their body clock is used to and
maybe that pays off.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Put every break you can get.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
You got a tremendous break, big picture, You got a
tremendous break when you played the Ravens the way they were. Yes,
that was a gift and you took advantage of it fully,
which was great. C j Stroud AFC Offensive Player of
the Week. Awesome, but you got to build on that momentum.
There's no way you could come out against Seattle.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
The way you did. It's just not gonna work.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
You can't do it. You can't have it. You can't
come out like that. And they know it, and it
kills me for Demiko, because they got it. They got
to just put their best foot forward, full throttle, whatever
cliche you want to use all the time. You get
to do this once a week and this is the
first time in fourteen fifteen days because you had to
buy in an extra day and they didn't do it.
(35:26):
And it just shocks me how difficult it can be
to score points. Look, I know the defense is far
from perfect, but you get four takeaways.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah, plus they scored a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
They scored a touchdown off one of them directly, and
you block the field goal. Your chances of winning in
that scenario and that parlay right there has got to
be ninety nine percent. So it's real tough to stomach
this one. You have no choice but to take it.
The four losses are all to good teams. I don't
know if the Jags are a good team.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Anymore.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
But they were pretty decent when you were playing them,
and number one in the league and turnover margin and
all of that, and they beat But these four losses
all have a theme inability to execute offensively, especially in
the crunch, having an opportunity in the crunch and not
able to take advantage of it. I know that two
of the others have, even the Jags game and an
(36:15):
element of the Rams game too. You're unable to make
a late stop to get to the ball one more time,
But how many times can you ask them to.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Do this for you?
Speaker 1 (36:22):
You have to reward that side of the football and
put it in the end zone a couple of times
to make things a little easier on them. They're under
immense duress and that thing. That's why I think it
leads to things. This is just a theory, psychological whatever.
It leads to things like asease what he did, or
stingy with the stiff arm face mask because you're trying
(36:44):
to do so much, make a statement, make something happen.
I don't know if Asas is trying to knock Darnold
out of the game or what. Look he knows it's wrong.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
I mean, I don't know I haven't talked to him
today about it, but it's got to be tough. I
walk down to get a drink in our cafeteria and
they have ESPN playing and Dania Rolovsky was talking and
I couldn't hear him. But because he was on the
broadcast last night, we saw him in the booth next
to you, guys, I waved till low. They posted a
They posted to me, what is a really telling number?
(37:15):
The Seahawks last night had ten pass breakups? And I
thought about that, and there's a line, there was a
there was another line underneath it. I think it was
probably like a it was like the high for them,
or so it was. It was a high number. We
shouldn't have a game where a defense has ten pass
breakups against us.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Cut that in half and it's a completely different situation.
Speaker 5 (37:38):
So it makes you think, okay, well why were there
ten pass breakups? And then you know, and there's so
many there's so many aspects that go into that. You know,
receivers getting separation, Seahawks understanding route combinations and playing them
really well. I think there's a combination of all that.
(37:59):
But a defense should not have ten pass breakups against you,
and they in that unit did, and I'll give him credit.
They were playing without Julian Love and Devin Witherspoon. Good lord,
if they had those two guys. Now, the guys that
played in their in their stead, Nick Ming Worry and
Tyle Cotta, they were fantastic.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Yeah, they were really flipping that. The rookie's gonna be good. Yeah. Oh,
even Warrior's a stud. Yeah. I mean, I thank god
he's over in the NFC.
Speaker 5 (38:24):
I will love watching that dude get that pass breakup
he had on Nico. That's a route that that Nico
and CJ hit a lot, but they take advantage of
a linebacker or in that case, he was playing the
star or the safety because he's two thirty.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
He's two thirty.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
He measured two twenty seven round up to two thirty
at the combine ran four to three. So they can
play him like Cam Chancellor. They can play him down
in the box, they can play him from from death.
And so he did what our linebackers are having trouble doing.
There was a completion of JSN where we had two
guys that jumped the low route and JSM was run
high route. Our linebackers were not finding those other routes,
(39:04):
even worry took one look where he was exactly what
we're supposed to do, dropped right into coverage, and then
as soon as he got there, he made Nico pay
for going in his area. And that secondary and that
defense was just on top of.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Everything that else.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
He starts with the line, Like you said, though, it
all starts with that line.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
They are wonderful together.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Yes, they're really potent up front, and I believe that
that's a huge factor in the game. They might be
the MVP unit as far as I'm concerned. I know
Donald played well. He didn't play that well. I mean, look,
he threw a pick, FuMB on the end zone, fumbled,
you know, was not perfect to say the least. But
he made enough big throws and look what do they do.
(39:47):
They lead the league in explosives, right JSN Donald He
does that. So you look at the overall quarterback numbers,
a touchdown and a pick and it's not that sexy
at the end of the day, but he makes the
big play when he has to.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
This offense and I don't know where it's going.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Look, they might flame out late in the regular season, playoffs, whatever,
but you lost to the Rams. You lost to them,
you still have two more in the NFC West, starting
this Sunday against the forty nine Ers. Then you have
Denver's defense. Look, this is tough. This is a brutal schedule.
You know, you don't have the Titans. You'd love to
play the Titans every week, but you got to wait
to get to the next three to get to them again.
(40:23):
And they're capable of giving somebody a game. You know,
it's just stop me, It's just you gotta win Sunday, Johnny.
Right now, big picture, you're two and four. You've been
two and five before and won a division. But that
was a miracle and it was an easier schedule. I
hate to use the word easier for its more palatable schedule,
and not as good a division, and not as good
a division. It was Hasslbeck in a diaper year, and
(40:44):
you had a situation where you could claw your way
back into it. Now you got a long way to
go here. You've got to win one game and that Sunday.
And I feel like we've been saying this for a
lot of weeks when you started out zero and three
and everything, but you cannot afford to go three games
below five hundred again, right, this is a chance to
start climbing out of it again. You've got another opportunity,
(41:06):
take advantage of it.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
On Sunday, the.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
NFC West Rams five and two. In fact, the Rams
have won the AFC South. They beat everybody in the
AFC South plus the Ravens, the only two losses the
hour at NFC teams, and they actually.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Shouldn't have lost those games. The forty nine Ers are
five and two.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
And they've been five and two with all the injuries
and mac Jones playing a bunch. And the Seahawks are
five and two and we just saw them up close.
Speaker 5 (41:32):
Those are three of the top ten teams and we've
well we've played two of them, will play the third
one on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
On Sunday and then you play a Denver team.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
That's good. Yeah, they're five and two.
Speaker 5 (41:44):
I mean head to score thirty three points in the
fourth quarter, which I break down in matchup coming up later.
But the bo Nicks is finding ways to win. You know,
they should have beaten the Colts. They should be six
and one. Honestly, well you could say that they should
have lost to the Giants too. I mean that's that's ridiculous.
That was one of the five I mean five to two.
(42:04):
So it this schedule doesn't let up. It doesn't let up.
There's another Titans game, there's Raiders and Cardinals down the road,
but you're playing a first play schedule, so you don't
get the you know, like the Jaguars get to play
the Jets.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
I think I'm crazy here, and we can talk more
about it as the week progresses. I think you have
everything in the toolbox. You just have to use the
tools the right way. And I think they got to
come together and make this all work out. They got
enough talent. They have enough talent to win these games.
They're not executing. It sounds I sound like a coach.
Now you got to execute.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
But it's true.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
You know, they say these things because they're right that
you gotta do it the correct way, the way they
draw it up. Tomko talked about seeing things in practice
that did make their way onto the field. They got
to figure that out otherwise it's completely on them. I mean,
Demiko said it's on me, which I know coaches get
a lot of grief for that, but that's what the
head coach is. He's the final layer of accountability when
(42:59):
it comes to the football game being operated.
Speaker 5 (43:03):
And Sunday you'll face a forty nine Ers defense without
Nick Boson, without Fred Warner.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Good.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
Now, talk about McCaffrey and Kittle. Geez, yeah, now you
gotta face them. Yeah, But we know as well as
anybody the issue on Monday night was not the defense.
This offense has got to start finding physicality from play
one to play sixty five.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Absolutely all right.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
On the way out, c J Stratt a couple of
things that he had to say, and then we'll get
you ready for Texans matchup tonight. It's Texans All Access,
final segment of the night here on Texans Radio. Following
the Texans loss at Seattle last night, twenty seven to nineteen.
I was going to say, so close yet so far
with that score, but it felt farther away than that
(43:45):
score might indicate in many ways. Yet you were there
with chances to win short yardage especially difficult for the offense,
third and short, fourth and short, and then down at
the goal line, inches away, Unable to put it across
and get things done on that side of the football.
Defense not perfect, but made a lot of plays, got
a lot of takeaways for you four of them. You
(44:07):
also blocked the field goal. You know the rest of
the story. You made plays all over the place, but
you gave things up as well. You had the ten penalties.
It really hurt to see the team play that way,
and everybody wants to get over it fast. The only
way to do that is with a victory Sunday against
San Francisco.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
What's it going to take?
Speaker 1 (44:24):
We'll continue with that conversation as the week progresses here,
but here's CJ. Stroud after the game about the Houston offense.
What's up? What's it going to take? What was it
like against Seattle?
Speaker 6 (44:34):
The type offense we're running is like you know, like
I told you all this about deathbout thousand cuts and
sometimes you when you live by the sport, it's hard
because you know you're not taking a bunch of deep
downfield shots, but you're asked to be you know, really
good on first second down time and time and time again,
and something that we just got to get better at.
It's still new to a lot of us, but yeah,
(44:56):
I definitely think, you know, we can be better at that,
and none to definitely hope.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
The other one from CJ. Stroud here Nico Collins with
the concussion last night, had to leave the game. Who
knows about Sunday. Christian Kirk injured last week with the
hamstring problem in practice, who knows about him Sunday. Here's
CJ talking about life without Nico. What are they going
to be able to do?
Speaker 6 (45:18):
Yeah, it's gonna be tough. You know, he's our past
player offense. You know, he's one of the best players
in the league time and time again. And we also
got to find ways to get the ball, you know,
in better situations. So that starts with me, you know,
trying to get us in the right looks. But yeah,
I just it will suck. But hopefully, you know, he'll
be okay, and you know we have a short week.
But if not, we got to just step up in
(45:39):
other ways and you know, put more you know, my
play hopefully to try to you know, help us out.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
A couple of cuts there from CJ after the game,
and CJ was coming off that AFC Offensive Player of
the Week performance against the Baltimore Ravens, So you have
to hope that they get back to that form collectively
on Sunday at noon against the forty nine ers. It's
repping eight each town day. The following game will be
against the Broncos and that is Legend's homecoming and that's
(46:06):
the day they put Janis McNair into the Ring of
Honor with Bob McNair and I'm looking forward to all
of that. And a week from tonight, we're going to
have a live show at the lobby right next to
the Texans team shop at NRG Stadium with plenty of giveaways,
including tickets. It's going to be fun, so mark dot
on your calendar. Brian Cushing's going to be there. Other
surprises as well. Six o'clock Tuesday next week, one week
(46:29):
from tonight, and I'll have more details later on in
the week. That's going to do it for our show
here tonight. But we have Texans matchup coming up with
Johnny Harrison. That's going to be a good one, always entertaining,
no matter what the result was the previous outing. Sunday's
game is live at noon right here and on the
Bowl one hundred point three FM and on the Odyssey app.
Have a great night, everyone, Go Texans.
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