How Texans approach Titans game: ‘We want to end season the right way, DeMeco has a plan and we have to trust his plan’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The last time the Texans played a football game, they were embarrassed on Christmas in front of a national and international audience in their own stadium as they were thoroughly dominated by the Baltimore Ravens.

It was an ugly performance in every phase of the game in arguably the worst the Texans have played during the ultra-successful DeMeco Ryans era.

The defense was run roughshod over by Ravens powerful running back Derrick Henry while MVP candidate quarterback Lamar Jackson was too elusive to track down.

The offense was completely stonewalled with the running game shut down and quarterback C.J. Stroud, in a recurring theme, under heavy duress as he was sacked five times and hit 10 times overall and threw one interception. The only points for the Texans in the 31-2 blowout were scored by rookie corner Kamari Lassiter when he tackled Henry in the end zone for a safety.

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All of the above reasons are why Ryans decided to play his starters in an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans. Because the Texans are the AFC South champions and locked into the fourth seed in the AFC for the playoffs, there’s nothing tangible at stake other than a 9-7 team trying to win their 10th game and finish the regular season with some confidence in advance of the postseason.

Readiness over rest is the choice for the Texans, albeit with the caveat that Ryans is considered likely to pull starters depending on how things are going Sunday.

“We just want to end the season the right way, on a positive note,” Stroud said. “We have to be ready to play and go to Tennessee, who has a good defense up there and a lot of good players. We have to bring our A game and try to end the season the right way.”

“I can say DeMeco has a plan for us and we have to trust his plan and to go out there and play. I am excited and it is a blessing to be able to go out and play in this league whenever it is. We are excited to play Tennessee and even more excited to play in the playoffs.”

Readiness over rest? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans’ approach to Titans game: ‘Everybody will be out there playing’

During practice all week, there’s been a sense of urgency and visibly more enthusiasm after an 11-day break after the Ravens debacle. That game was played a few days after a Saturday road loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs as wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a devastating knee injury.

After the Ravens game in the locker room, several players said the energy was lacking heading into kickoff and they seemed flat overall. And defensive end Danielle Hunter said the game plan needs improvement in the future for matchups with the Ravens.

“The mindset of our team and what I feel is renewed energy,” Ryans said. “Guys getting away for a minute, I feel renewed energy. I feel our guys are upbeat, excited about the opportunity to go up to Tennessee and play a really tough opponent. Our guys are in a really good spot mentally, physically and we’re excited to just go and compete.”

Other playoff teams are taking a different approach than the Texans, including the top-seeded Chiefs resting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Texans’ strategy is different after a game wide receiver Robert Woods called an “embarrassment.”

Returning from a three-game NFL suspension, linebacker and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair said the team spent Monday being “real about what happened” before turning the page to the Titans game.

The Texans allowed a season-high 251 rushing yards against Baltimore, and Al-Shaair addressed the shortcomings with the team upon his activation from the reserve-suspended list.

“The execution from top to bottom wasn’t up to par,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “I mean, just everything, missed tackles, dropped coverages, all sorts of things. So, took a hard look at it when we came back. Actually, Azeez talked to the team about like, man, it wasn’t something we wanted to, ‘Hey let’s just move on,’ and brush it under the rug. I think we have a lot of talent and I think we have a good scheme and I think we can be a really, really good defense when we’re executing and when we’re not, it can go that way.”

Texans running back Joe Mixon, a Pro Bowl selection who has rushed for 993 yards and 11 touchdowns, was held to 26 yards on nine carries against the Ravens. He rushed for 57 yards against the Chiefs and 23 yards against the Miami Dolphins with little holes to run through since a 101-yard game against the Jacksonville Jaguars before the bye week.

The last time the Texans faced the Titans, they lost the game and Mixon was shut down with 22 yards on 14 carries as their linebackers played him for the cut-backs that worked so well the previous week against the Dallas Cowboys. And Stroud was sacked four times as Titans defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat were dominant.

Mixon emphasized it’s been a different kind of week of preparation this time.

“I thought that we had a hell of a week of practice,” Mixon said. “The way that we responded from last week, everything was timing up in practice with C.J., receivers, linemen and everybody being in sync. At a time like this right now, after the hiccup from last week, when you see stuff like that going into the playoffs, the postseason, you can never take that for granted. “I just had a conversation with them guys, I thought we had a hell of a week of practice.

“In terms of going into the postseason, you can never take that for granted. You’ve got people after this week that are going home. You’ve got 14 teams left. From there, it’s time to put your best stuff on tape. I think that we have a great opportunity in front of us to go out there against Tennessee to try and do whatever we can to go into the playoffs with a great taste.”

The Texans lost in the AFC divisional round last season to the Ravens after winning one playoff game in convincing fashion over the Cleveland Browns.

Although there’s nothing tangible at stake about this game, that hasn’t changed the Texans’ approach of trying to win again and snap a two-game losing streak.

“I love football, I’m trying to play,” Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins said. “I know you’ve got to take care of your players, want them to sit out and stuff. But I feel like if you love the game of football, you’re willing to do whatever. And I love it, so I’m trying to play. I ain’t trying to sit out. I’m trying to go out and improve stuff I need to improve from last week. We don’t get this opportunity a lot. The mindset is you have go out there and have fun and take advantage of the opportunity.”

One year after joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana in an exclusive fraternity as the only quarterbacks in league history to ever lead the NFL in passing yards per contest and touchdowns-to-interception ratio, Stroud and the Texans collectively are in a funk.

The symptoms of the problem are on display nearly every week. In terms of fundamentals and mechanics, Stroud is often throwing off rhythm or off his back foot instead of stepping into his throws. In one case, in a performance against the Baltimore Ravens, Stroud was called one of the worst of his career, his off-target throw intended for wide-open tight end Dalton Schultz was affected by Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil being bull-rushed into him and stepping on his cleat.

Substandard pass protection has been a recurring theme and factor in Stroud’s season. He has been sacked 52 times, significantly up from his total of 38 sacks as a rookie when he was named to the Pro Bowl, and was sacked five times and hit 10 times overall during a 31-2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas. Stroud completed just 17 of 31 passes for 185 yards and was picked off on an errant throw by safety Kyle Hamilton. He had a 59.2 passer rating.

One year after a historic rookie season during which he passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions with a 100.8 passer rating on 63.9 percent accuracy, Stroud has dipped to 3,677 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, a 62.7 completion percentage and an 86.0 passer rating.

SEE ALSO: How a saddened C.J. Stroud supports injured best friend Tank Dell, embraces emotions: ‘It’s easy to be a fake tough guy’

Between Dell and Stefon Diggs out for the season with knee injuries and Collins missing five games with a pulled hamstring earlier this season, Stroud hasn’t consistently had a lot of weapons on the field.

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Has he been able to overcome some of his circumstances? Yes, he has. Has Stroud always been able to make throws and hit open targets? No, he hasn’t.

That breakdown in his game was on display against the Ravens.

Even if Stroud had hit the throws, it’s unlikely the Texans win the football game.

PREVIOUS: ‘It’s no secret I haven’t been playing well, for my standard:’ Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud picked off twice in loss

One of Stroud’s worst throws was an overthrown pass over the head of Collins by the sideline. That wasn’t a case of pressure. That was an obvious misfire.

The missed opportunity with Schultz was a case of pressure breaking down a prime shot to pick up a lot of yardage.

Stroud was pressured on 37.8 percent of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats.

Now, Stroud is looking forward to the playoffs and putting this game behind him and leaning on his faith.

“I really haven’t looked back,” Stroud said. “I am just trying as best as I can to look forward. I think after the season I will be able to do that but there are a lot of things that are different because it is a different year. This is life. Things change, and I feel like this year I learned a lot about myself and my team.

Inside the Texans: Playoff-bound Texans reflect on losses, prepare for Titans

Stroud is keenly aware that his second NFL season has been a rough one in many respects. He’s also shouldering too much blame for what has transpired heading into the final game of the regular season.

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