Following the bye week, here's everything Houston Texanshead coach DeMeco Ryans said in preparation for Week 9's matchup against theLos Angeles Chargers, including his thoughts on the penalties, injury updates on certain players and the future role of wide receiver Tank Dell.
Question: On what he would like the team to do after the Bye Week
DeMeco Ryans: “After the bye, for us as we look internally, it's just for us to hit refocus and hit reset, refocus on us and our identity and how we go about our business. That's been the main focus we'll spend today really focusing on us, not really focusing on our opponent, but how can we clean up some things from a fundamental technique standpoint. How can we clean those things up and how can we move the margins
just a little bit to get a little bit better.”
Q: On injury updates for players injured before the Bye Week
Ryans: “Everybody is still working their way back. No significant update as of right now. We'll see how everyone continues to progress throughout the week.”
Q: On the advantages of using the ‘JUMBO’ formation
Ryans: “When we run ‘JUMBO’ out on the field, the idea is to be able to run the ball at our will by getting an extra blocker out, a bigger person on the edge to handle the defensive end, handle the edge players and see if we can generate some movement when it comes to the run game. It gives you that advantage when the angles are right and you do it the proper way. The disadvantages sometimes with ‘JUMBO’ is you don't have all of your passing threats on the field at the same time, so how do you utilize that to truly mix it up with the run and the pass combinations. I know we've gotten kind of heavy in the run category when we do have ‘JUMBO’ out there, so we're looking internally on how we can flip those numbers a bit and make sure we're not just 100% when we're going out in jumbo, just 100% run.”
Q: On T Braden Smith in Week 7
Ryans: “I thought Braden did a good job coming in. He played some of the ‘JUMBO’ tight end a little bit for us there. He had some physical finishes on a couple blocks. I thought he did a decent job. We don't have four tackles up, but we'll see how that goes for each week, see what do we need at the game and what gives us our best chances to go out and win.”
Q: On the main focus after the Bye Week
Ryans: “The main thing that stood out for me is getting back to us and our identity, not losing sight of that and that's cleaning up things we can't control. We spoke about the penalties and how we can mitigate some of those penalties. ‘How can we play cleaner as a football team and not hurt ourselves? How do we emphasize the tackling even more going into this week? How can we put guys in better position and make sure we're emphasizing in meetings and on the field?’ We're just resetting on our technique, our fundamentals, our communication, making sure we get better at what we can control and not really focusing on others. That's what the Bye Week entailed for us. It's a deep look internally. I feel like right now, this Monday, we've been off to a great start, some really great meetings. I feel a renewed sense of energy from our guys in the meeting rooms. It felt like the bye came at the perfect time for us and I'm excited to see what this week entails.”
Q: On what the team will miss from WR Jaylin Noel
Ryans: “We’ll miss Jaylin Noel’s explosive ability. He came in and he gave us a ton of big plays on offense. His return ability as well as a kick returner and punt returner, he did a lot for us offensively and special teams-wise, so we'll miss that production from him. With that being said, a lot of times you miss a guy, that's someone else's opportunity to step up and fill that void. We still have five good receivers that we like on our roster. We feel like they can still all provide some explosive plays for us. We'll miss Jaylin Noel but we know other guys have to step up.”
Q: On what he has seen from the leaders of this team
Ryans: “From our leaders, the main thing I expect to see from the guys is just positive energy. ‘How are you moving about the building? How are you moving about meetings? Are you locked into meetings, asking good questions, leading the charge in that way, showing the younger guys how it should be done?’ Also with the leaders, it's also about what you do on the field. ‘Are you playing to the highest level? Are you upholding that ‘C’ on your chest by being a great player first and foremost?’ That's how you lead in the best way. It's not about what you say, but it's about what you do. For all of our captains, our leaders, guys who think they're leaders, you have to step up and play that way on Sundays.”
On the teams struggles with tackling
“For tackling, we'll look at different ways to emphasize it in our practices. ‘How do we just put guys in different positions? How do we do more of it to make sure guys are emphasizing it?’ Specifically, it's the wrapping and squeezing. We're there. We're trying to play physical. We're trying to knock guys back. But we have to make sure we're securing. First man in specifically has to secure the tackle and we can do a better job of having our cleats in the ground, having our body positioned in a proper way where we're really getting in front of guys. We've missed a ton of tackles, as I've analyzed it. We've missed a ton of tackles with our body position not being exactly where it needs to be. We've been too much to the side of guys and not putting our body in front of guys, so we have to do a better job of that.”
Q: On the teams struggles with penalties
Ryans: “For penalties, we all have to clean it up from a coaching perspective, from a player perspective and we'll emphasize that more in practice and see how it translates to the game.”
Q: On his favorite part of the Bye Week
Ryans: “My favorite part of the Bye Week, going to a volleyball game on Saturday for my baby girl and seeing her get some of the winning points in the game. That was my highlight of the bye week.”
Q: On the importance of spending time with family during the season
Ryans: “As a coach, we spend so much time away from our family, so when we do have that opportunity and chance to get with our family and be with them, especially for me, all of my kids are in some type of sport, some type of activity, so to just be there and show support for them, show the love for them, try not to be too loud on the sidelines, like, ‘Who is that guy?’ But no, it's fun just seeing them in their own element, seeing their personality shine. It's just fun to be there to support my babies and I love that this past week.”
Q: On C/G Keylan Rutledge
Ryans: “Keylan has stepped in and did some really good things for us. He's played aggressive. He's had some challenges as a rookie, but he's weathered it really well. One bad play doesn't determine how his game goes. He's able to eliminate a bad play and move on to the next play and he's done a really good job being steady in there, consistent force for us there on the inside and I'm pleased to see how the rest of his season continues to progress, but he's done a good job as a rookie. Sometimes you lose sight that he's a rookie because he's been one of our most consistent guys up front.”
Q: On T Aireontae Ersery
Ryans: “‘Tae’ has done some good things for us, protected on the edge. One challenge for ‘Tae’ is to continue to play with that relentless motor, that relentless finish. ‘Can we see more of that going into the second half of the season?’ That's the challenge that we presented to him and I know he'll do it. He's capable, very capable of doing that. Just want to see it show up even more.”
Q: On the penalties for the offensive line
Ryans: “For all of us with the penalties, specifically holding penalties, we've got to know when to let go on the edges. That's been called a lot more this year and we have to know when to let go, understanding that's a point of emphasis for our officials. We have to do a better job playing cleaner. Some of our biggest runs, not only ‘Tae’ [T Aireontae Ersery], but our tight ends and guys on the edge specifically, some of our biggest runs or touchdown runs have been called back because of the holding penalties and that leads to the questions on the running game where we've had 20-plus yard gains. It's just been nullified by penalties. ‘Can we clean it up? Can we play smarter knowing when to let up on the edge?’ I think that'll definitely help our numbers in the run game.”
Q: On the opportunity to go on a run
Ryans: “Our opportunity starts this week with us being focused on handling what we can control, controlling what we can control and not putting the focus on a run. It's about how do we prepare the right way. ‘How do we play more disciplined? How do we have the self-discipline to go out and play clean football?’ That's where it starts for me. I'm not concerned about a run. I'm concerned about us playing better.”
Q: On how coaches come together to help the defense preform to the standard
Ryans: “Defensively, we have to finish. That's been the theme of where we had a letdown last week. We didn't finish the game. We had multiple opportunities to finish it on our terms and we didn't do it. ‘Can we get back to playing with an edge, S.W.A.R.M. play style mentality? Can that show up?’ That mitigates missed tackles when multiple guys are at the football, securing, wrapping. That mitigates the missed tackles. ‘Can we do that? Can we play and truly rep our style?’ It hasn't shown up consistently throughout this year of the brand of football that I would like to play. Our guys understand that and they know we have to put that on tape. We play disciplined football. That hasn't shown up where we've been disciplined each and every week and we swarm. That hasn't shown up. Those are the two things when I talk about our identity and who we are, play fundamentally sound, disciplined football, swarm to the football, play with great effort, great physicality, you'll find a way to finish football games.”
Q: On DE Will Anderson Jr. saying he takes the defenses struggles personally
Ryans: “I love Will for his mindset, how he attacks everything. He's the definition of a true leader. That's a guy you want everybody on the team following because he prepares the right way. He truly cares. It means a lot to him. He weighs in on himself a lot. He puts a lot of on us, on himself, which a leader should do. I'm proud of him for that, for saying that. But for us, it's just we have to go do it. Everybody, we have to go do it. We got to go finish games. We've been in a lot of tight ball games. As I saw this past Sunday, over half the games came down to being decided by eight points or less. That won't change throughout the year. That doesn't change. ‘How do you find yourself on the winning side of those games?’ It's being great in situational football and it's finishing the proper way. If we do those things, that's when you earn the right to win games.”
Q: On why explosive plays hurt the defense
Ryans: “Explosives are a huge determinant factor in scoring points. When you can gain an explosive on offense, you're putting yourself, especially nowadays, with how good the field goal kickers are, you're going to at least get three points if you hit an explosive. If you're really good, then you can find your way getting in the end zone. It's the flip side of that defensively. Most of the times when you give up explosive points, you end up giving up points. The name of the game is to keep points off the board. Our offense, they've done a really good job all year. I don't think they've gotten enough credit or highlighted enough. I think our offense has played really good throughout this entire year. They've gained a ton of explosives. C.J. [Stroud] is playing extremely well. They've scored over 30 points multiple times. They've done a really good job. Coach [Nick] Caley has done a good job of mixing up the play calls. For all that they've done, they've done a really good job for us. Now can we come together as a team and play, everybody play good. ‘Can we continue to do that?’ When we did that two times this year, we won football games.”
Q: On how he knows when practice was good enough to show up on Sunday
Ryans: “We keep practicing hard. That's the mindset for me. I get back to what I believe in. We get back to practicing hard, practicing the proper way. You have to make those plays on Sunday. Even though you make them throughout the week, it's going to be a little more challenging. ‘Can we put guys in tougher positions throughout the week so that Sundays are easier?’ That's my job. That's what I'll do for the guys is to continue to challenge them even more in practice because when you practice well and we've been tight in those games, but can we find that small edge? That's where the margins are really small. ‘Can we find that edge to put us in a winning position?’”
Q: On signing DT Naquan Jones
Ryans: “Naquan was a guy we didn't want to let go there at the end of cut downs, but we felt good about where the roster was. We're happy to get Naquan back, see how he can help us on the inside.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said following the bye week
