How the Texans, coach DeMeco Ryans celebrated making the playoffs: ‘A moment of gratitude, feels awesome’

INDIANAPOLIS – DeMeco Ryans took a long moment to reflect on what had just transpired, how the Texans have been galvanized under his leadership in his first season as their coach.

One year after going 3-13-1 as part of a miserable 11-38-1 three-year span, the hiring of Ryans by the McNair family has lifted the Texans into a playoff squad. The Texans clinched their playoff berth in dramatic fashion with a gritty 23-19 victory keyed by the passing connection between quarterback and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner C.J. Stroud and imposing wide receiver Nico Collins.

In the hallway of the Texans’ locker room, Ryans stood by a wall and appeared emotional and deep in thought about the significance of the AFC South franchise making the playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season and finishing 10-7 in the regular season. The Texans overcame adversity in the form of multiple season-ending injuries to key players, including rookie star wide receiver Tank Dell, offensive guard Tytus Howard and safety Jimmie Ward. At one point, Ryans exhaled deeply and looked upward, a coach proud of his teachings.

“During that moment, I was just thankful, really thankful to be in this position, thankful for our guys and the way they fought, everything that we’ve been throughout the entire year,” Ryans said following the win at Lucas Oil Stadium. “Just taking it all in. For us to grind through the season and find a way to get an opportunity in the playoffs, it’s a special moment, one I’ll always remember It was a moment just of gratitude.”

There was a raucous celebration inside the Texans’ locker room with Ryans emphasizing the team has much more in front of them in the playoffs.

Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who has endured a painful knee injury all season, pumped his fist as he headed into the locker room, exclaiming: “Yes sir!”

There were victory cigars being smoked, including linebacker Blake Cashman enjoying the smoke after clinching the playoffs.

“Love you guys, man,” Ryans told the players afterward. “Proud of the determination, man. You talk about determination? Pure grit? Everybody fighting until that last play? That’s what it’s about, man. And we punched our ticket. We punched our ticket. Hey, now everything starts, right? Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All we want is an opportunity. We’ve got our opp. Now, what do we do with that opp? We’re going to take advantage of that opp again, no doubt about it.

“Love you guys, man. Love the work. This is a huge accomplishment, man. First time this organization has been to the playoffs since I think 2019. Alright? It doesn’t matter what people say on the outside, it’s about the men in this room. Continue to believe in each other, continue to fight every single snap. We’ve got special people in this room. This is a special group of men. Believe it. Continue to lean on each other, continue to trust in each other. We can go as far as we want to go.”

A former NFL Assistant Coach of the Year last season as the architect of the San Francisco 49ers’ top-ranked defense, Ryans, 39, is a former Texans Pro Bowl linebacker who has rebuilt the standards of the organization in his first season as coach of the franchise that drafted him in the second round out of Alabama.

A former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Ryans’ positive, but demanding coaching style has created a strong buy-in mentality from his players.

They have embraced his tough practices and accountability-based approach to everything.

“DeMeco is a perfect guy for this job,” said Stroud, the second overall pick from Ohio State who passed for 4,108 yards, 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions in his first NFL season. “He brings something out of his players that it’s indescribable just like that mental stability, that toughness that he talks about. I can’t do nothing but be appreciative and just be thankful for where I was picked and the situation I’m in now. It’s just been a blessing.”

The Texans are awaiting their playoff outlook, which could be wild-card entrant games at the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs or against the Cleveland Browns at home. They can still win the AFC South division championship if the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans.

Regardless of whom they face in the postseason, the Texans are soaking up the moment and enjoying what they’ve accomplished for at least the next 24 hours.

“That’s what’s special about it,” Ryans said. “We didn’t come this far just to get this far. Guys, they wanted it. Our guys wanted this opportunity, and they went out and had the determination to go and make it happen. It wasn’t easy. It was a tough team. Indy is a really good football team, well-coached team. They played an unbelievable game.”

Before Ryans, the Texans technically had four coaches in a three-year span. That included former coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, interim coach Romeo Crennel, and one-and-done head coaches in David Culley and Lovie Smith. There was the trade to the Browns amidst the legal issues surrounding former Texans Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson and a lot of roster turnover.

For an organization that has endured a lot, Ryans’ presence has provided a boost. The Texans, including chairman and CEO Cal McNair, his wife, foundation vice president Hannah McNair, who ran into the locker room in jubilation and yelled ‘Let’s go!’ after the game, to general manager Nick Caserio, couldn’t be happier that they got Ryans as their coach. They nailed this hire, and Ryans has exceeded all expectations in his first season back in Houston after a successful playing career as a team captain under former coach Gary Kubiak.

It means everything for me to provide this opportunity for our organization, to see the smiles on everyone’s faces,” Ryans said. “Not just the players, but all of our support staff, the owners, Cal and Hannah, them entrusting us. To see the smiles on Nick’s face, everybody. I’m happy to be a part of it.

“I’m happy to see everyone smiling. I’m happy, excited about this moment, excited about this opportunity that we have in front of us. It’s a proud moment for our organization, so I’m just happy to be a part of it and happy to be along for the ride.”

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