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Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

DeMeco Ryans Identifies Two Key Players Elevating Texans' Defense

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Keith Cummings | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 3:30 PM ET

If the rapidly ascending 8-5 Houston Texans are going to keep on climbing the AFC playoff ladder, it will hinge upon steady leadership.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans' mastery of keeping this team on an even keel, proven after a talented team started 0-3 earlier this year. However, they refused to blink.

Great coaches also have an innate ability to read the vibes and energy within a locker room, and Ryan’s current crop showed the right traits of being more than capable of making that resilient climb up the standings.

“Our guys and what we have here in our building, they understand it’s about the team. It’s the team first. They understand the brotherhood," Ryans said. "I like how excited guys are for the other guy making a play. Nobody needs to pump themselves up. Nobody needs a pat on the back. They’re excited to encourage their teammates and pump them up because that’s what true team sports is all about, encouraging the man next to you."

"That’s what our guys have. They have a true love for each other. They truly care about each other. They all want to see each other succeed and do well. That’s why you see the guys comment the way they comment.”

DeMeco Ryans Hands Special Praise to Jalen Pitre, Tommy Togiai

Ryans has spent enough time strapping on the pads himself to know that different individuals and characters emerge to create a winning blend.

Guys like Jalen Pitre are setting a tone on a defensive unit that's stacked full of alpha figures, and while everyone will bring up his huge hit on Kansas City Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice, Ryans has long been aware of his vast impact.

"He’s a Stafford Cobra, hard hitter. That’s where he gets it from. It’s nothing we did. He’s been doing that since Little League," Ryans said of Pitre. "He’s been a fun guy to watch. I wasn’t here, but watching his Baylor tape, it was the same thing."

"He played with his hair on fire, always populated the football wherever it was. Blitzing, whatever he was doing. He’s always an impact player at every level he’s ever been on.”

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Pitre's appearance on a plethora of highlight reels serves to highlight just how dangerous and explosive this Texans defense actually is, but the stellar unit is equally grounded in unselfish core principles.

For Ryans, nobody exemplifies the "take his lunch pail to work" ethos more than defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, a force of nature who always turns up and shows out.

“He’s never had to elevate his play, for me. Tommy has always been consistent and that’s the thing I always said about Tommy and that’s what makes him a true pro," Ryans said of Togiai. "He’s just consistent. The things we ask him to do; he doesn’t play out of himself. He doesn’t try to do something; he doesn’t try to make plays where he’s not supposed to make plays. He’s just a smart football player."

"He plays with great technique and that’s what I always allude to of playing football the right way, playing with fundamentals, playing with technique. That’s Tommy all the time... You talk about our four-man rush and our [defensive] ends, nobody would expect that Tommy would be the first guy to sack Patrick Mahomes. It’s about being consistent, doing your job to the best of your ability, and you have a huge game like Tommy had.”

Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

Getting everyone from the top to the bottom on this talented roster to play their part is always a fine art of elite coaching, so Ryans has suddenly thrust himself squarely into the NFL Coach of the Year conversation.

Deep in every coach's core DNA sits the desire to keep coaching players hard right down to the wire, and that doesn't stop just because a unit might be considered the best in the entire league.

“If they try to get satisfied, I won't let them," Ryans insisted. "It's going to be hard. For us as a team, I know a lot of people are applauding the defense and talking about how good the defense is. But our guys, we all know, we're honest. I'm an honest coach and there's always room for improvement.”

Maintaining a sense of true urgency really does matter, especially because the Texans are still chasing the playoffs and putting the entire NFL on notice, too.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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