‘It’s really a special season for us. The story is not over,’ Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair

HOUSTON – One year ago, the Texans were circling the drain toward the end of another season with no meaningful games and the conversation surrounding the team focused on needing to continue a lengthy rebuild.

The Texans were poised to fire their head coach for the third consecutive year, moving on weeks later from Lovie Smith following a 3-13-1 one-and-done season with his dismissal following a previous one-year tenure of David Culley preceded by the firing of veteran coach and general manager Bill O’Brien after a series of puzzling roster decisions.

Now, the Texans are enjoying a dramatic resurgence in terms of relevance and improvement on the field with the arrival of coach DeMeco Ryans galvanizing the organization. The Texans are 8-6 with three games remaining in the regular season and in the thick of the ultra-crowded AFC playoff hunt.

Although the Texans wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today due to tiebreakers -- they’re currently in the eighth spot for a wild-card playoff berth -- they control their own playoff destiny and would qualify definitely by winning their final three games against the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.

Ryans’ leadership has been instrumental to the upgraded record, injecting toughness and higher standards for the team along with the incredible play of injured quarterback C.J. Stroud, currently out with a concussion, but regarded as the clear frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and ranking fourth overall in fan Pro Bowl balloting among all players regardless of position. The Texans have emerged with a harder-hitting defense and became more explosive on offense despite weathering multiple season-ending injuries, including dynamic rookie wide receiver Tank Dell to a broken fibula. Under the direction of Ryans, a former Texans Pro Bowl linebacker and Defensive Rookie of the Year named the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year last year as the architect of the San Francisco 49ers’ top-ranked defense, are a winning team again.

“It’s been quite a turnaround,” Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair said Tuesday during an Inspire Change grant ceremony during which he and his wife, foundation vice president Hannah McNair awarded $400,000 to 15 local nonprofit organizations. “The players have responded. They play for him. They play hard. They go out and they expect to win no matter who’s out on the field.

“We had players missing this last game. They’ve gone out and responded and we’re looking forward to seeing it again on Sunday. It’s really a special season for us: DeMeco coming back, the quarterback, the team coming together. They’re all contributing and part of this great season. We’ll see where it goes. The story is not over.”

The Texans, who, under the direction of general manager Nick Caserio drafted Stroud and standout defensive end Will Anderson Jr. in the first round in addition to signing key free agents Sheldon Rankins, Dalton Schultz, Devin Singletary, Denzel Perryman, Jimmie Ward, George Fant, Robert Woods, Andrew Beck Noah Brown and traded for right guard Sheldon Rankins, have had to shuffle their roster and lineups significantly. The Texans have repeatedly lost starters to injuries and had to figure out a way to replace them in collaboration between Ryans and Caserio.

“Nick has done an awesome job when it comes to personnel,” Ryans said. “Throughout this entire year – unfortunately – we’ve had to add a lot of different guys at different points of the season, and guys who have helped us along the way – probably some still here and some aren’t here – so that takes a lot of work that goes behind the scenes that no one knows. The players that we bring in, the players that we’re working out, Nick having that experience of who is the right person to bring in? It helps me because I don’t have to second-guess or question when players come up.

“Like, ‘Okay, you like the guy. How was the workout? Good. Let’s go, let’s roll.’ And it makes things flow much smoother when you have that collaboration and that trust, and when you see football the same way and you know who we’re looking for and the style of play and the player that we’re looking for when it matches up, it makes it a lot easier. And Nick has done a great job all throughout. You go back to the offseason with the additions and free agency, also throughout the draft and now throughout the season, how you manage a roster throughout the season, it takes a lot of work and a lot of trust. And Nick has done an outstanding job there.”

Keenum was signed to a two-year, $6.25 million contract this offseason to mentor younger quarterbacks, including Stroud and Davis Mills. With Stroud out, the 35-year-old journeyman former University of Houston standout helped manufacture a 19-16 overtime road victory after falling behind 13-0.

“Hey, Houston showed up on Sunday,” Hannah McNair said. “We really did.”

The Texans have been resilient, winning several close games decided toward the end of regulation.

It’s an entirely different vibe surrounding the organization whose last playoff season in 2019 ended in a crushing AFC divisional round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which led up to the controversial trade of All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, O’Brien’s firing after a winless start to the next season and former Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson’s legal problems and trade to the Browns for three first-round draft picks.

“For me, it’s a credit to our guys in the locker room,” Ryans said. “I’m proud of the guys for how our season has gone. There’s been some ups and downs, but I’m proud of our guys for winning a lot of tough games, a lot of close games that have come down to the last possession. Guys just showing their resiliency throughout this entire year.

“I’m just proud of the way our guys fight, proud of the way they show up to work each and every day. Proud of their drive to continue to get better throughout the season and not be satisfied with where we are. That’s what makes me most proud is just the men in the locker room.”

SEE ALSO: ‘So proud to support these deserving leaders’: Texans award $400K total in Inspire Change grants to 15 nonprofits

Keenum passed for 239 yards and one touchdown, rebounding from an early pick-six on a throw intended for running back Dare Ogunbowale. Arguably, Keenum’s best play was in overtime when he scrambled to his right to create a passing lane and connect with running back Devin “Motor” Singletary for a 41-yard catch-and-run that set up kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 54-yard game-winning field goal. Keenum improved to 3-0 in games started for the Texans since the 2014 season hearkening back to him stepping in successfully when Ryan Fitzpatrick broke his leg.

“It’s a great story with Case coming back and being the leader that he is and stepping in and playing so well and all the guys surrounding him stepped up and and played,” Cal McNair said. “They all contributed. I think they were glad to bring that win home for Houston.”

The Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, whom they’ve split the season series, and Colts, whom they lost to in the second game of the year, all have identical 8-6 records and are tied in the AFC South division.

“Didn’t we say like in training camp we want to be talking meaningful football and playoffs in December?” Hannah McNair said. “We want to talk about playoffs and the scenarios to get there.”

“It was really November,” Cal McNair said. “We wanted to be relevant and talked about in important games in November and here we are in December tied for first. "

The Texans host the Browns on Sunday on Christmas Eve in a game with significant playoff implications. That’s what the McNairs were hoping for and they’re arguably well ahead of schedule in engineering a turnaround from bleak circumstances the previous three season when they combined for an 11-38-1 record.

“Keep bringing it,” Cal McNair said of his message to the fans. “Keep coming early, bringing your loudest voice. Come in early, it’s going to be loud and let’s go get this one.”

“I don’t think there’s a better way to spend Christmas Eve than with your family at NRG cheering on your Texans,” Hannah McNair said. “Celebrate with your family at NRG.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com