DeMeco Ryans Enters Texans Offseason With Tough Questions

For a head coach who brilliantly led his Houston Texans team all the way back from a 0-3 start to the playoffs, DeMeco Ryans will still enter the offseason bitterly disappointed.

If only quarterback C.J. Stroud had not imploded in a blizzard of turnovers, if only the stellar defense hadn't run out of gas, if only Ryans hadn't raised his own ceremonial white flag.

Ryans signaling surrender by punting late in the defeat against the New England Patriots summed up the entire playoff stumble and fall; almost everyone was punched out by the time the snow started to lie. All it leaves behind is a period of vital self-reflection, and no more so than for coach Ryans as he looks into the mirror.

“For myself, I just go back and I'm looking at making sure I'm in a great position, great headspace to continue to lead this team in the right way," Ryans said.

"The messaging, everything to make sure I'm effective with what I'm doing. We're reaching the guys. That's the main thing for myself. I think any leader, you want to make sure you're leading in the right way. How are people responding? How are you getting the message across? Is it showing up and are you getting it done?”

DeMeco Ryans Enters Critical Offseason With Houston Texans

After taking stock, Ryans might figure that he needs to deviate just slightly from his tried and tested motivational tactic of propping everyone up, even when they screw up.

Of course, many will argue that Stroud in particular is badly in need of what we would call "tough love," but Ryans undoubtedly didn't shy away from admitting his quarterback needs to learn and grow while under the heaviest of scrutiny as he moves forward.

“The quarterback position is going to get the most eyes, most attention,” Ryans said. “We understand that. In this league, that's what it is. C.J. understands that as well.”

Furthermore, Ryans understands that even his outstanding defensive unit has to be able to pony up and accept some degree of criticism, especially when they suffer the kind of breakdowns which fatally tripped them up in Foxborough.

“At the end of the day, I thought the defense did a great job throughout the year. But as we look at that game, there are some plays that we shouldn't give up in that game," Ryans said following Houston's loss to the Patriots. "You want to go back and watch the game, I know they feel this too, there's some plays in that game that we should have made."

"Their guys made the plays and we didn't make the plays. That's what the game ultimately came down to. Their best players stepped up in that moment. They made plays. I'll tell our guys, ‘You talk about being the best, the best doesn't win you anything talking about it. You got to show up, and you got to do it. You got to make the plays in the moment.’ That's what being the best looks like. We didn't make those plays we needed to make in the moment.”