The Houston Texans are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, although it feels like it's been much longer because of how bad the franchise has been between then and now. There have been some pretty dark years, with multiple coaches coming and going, but now things look promising for the franchise's future.
They are to play the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They got there with a rookie head coach in DeMeco Ryans, a rookie offensive coordinator who's a first-rime play-caller, and a rookie quarterback who has taken the league by storm and has already become one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
But with all that being said, the Texans are about to play in a game that's more important than any they have played in the last four or five years. The intensity is rising, and the Browns are a very good team. But Ryans says this game is the same as any other they have played.
"It's not different. It's not," Ryans said when asked about the differences between playoffs and the regular season. "Everybody wants to make it different. It's not different... Each and every week, we've gotten better; we just have to stay on that track...keep playing relentlessly, keep playing clean football. If we do that, that's all that matters. We focus on playing good football. It doesn't matter that it's the playoffs – the game doesn't change. We've got to go execute. We've got to go play fast."
This statement kind of flustered some fans of both the Houston Texans and the NFL in general. Because, well, this game isn't the same. The stakes are much, much higher. However, I do get what he is saying.
The Texans cannot get too much in their head about the severity of winning this game. They have to prepare the same way they have all season - that's what got them where they are. The Texans cannot get complacent. And, with this mindset, the Texans will be ready, just like they have been all year.
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