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Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

DeMeco Ryans Not Satisfied With Texans’ Defense vs. Cardinals

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Dec 14, 2025 11:48 PM ET

While the Houston Texans were able to check off the box that was their sixth win in a row after Week 15's dominating 40-20 victory vs. the Arizona Cardinals, it wasn't quite as seamless on the defensive side of the ball as this team has been used to throughout much of this season.

The Cardinals' 20 points were the highest the Texans had allowed since their Week 10 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacoby Brissett chipped in for three passing touchdowns on his 40 passing attempts, and Houston's pass rush, while still effective with two sacks, was a bit quieter than we had seen from some of their numbers in recent weeks.

Of course, the Texans still commanded their way to a statement three-score victory, but after the results of the contest, head coach DeMeco Ryans made it clear that there's still tons of room to grow on the defensive side with the amount of opportunities that were left on the field.

"We left a lot of the plays out there," Ryans said during his postgame presser. "We have to keep playing up to our standard. That's what we judge ourselves against, the standard. The standard is the standard. It doesn't change. So, we'll continue to look at the tape intently and see where we can get better."

DeMeco Ryans Challenges Texans' Defense to Be Even Better

The Texans were far from poor on the defensive side of the ball against Arizona throughout. They still had two takeaways on the day, and had them especially under control in the first half that ultimately led to Houston taking an early lead on the scoreboard, and dictated the pace throughout.

But for a league-best, number-one scoring (16.2) defense like the Texans have produced this year, it's easy to have high expectations for what this group brings to the table on a weekly basis.

This time, for Ryan’s, the standard wasn't exactly up to par from start to finish, and in turn, will give his group things to build on and tape to watch as they prepare for Week 16's game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Rather than relishing in the successes of the Texans' victory too much, Ryans is making sure not to get his group too comfortable. Houston might be in the playoff picture at the moment, but a lot can change on any given week, and if too complacent, that momentum can come to a halt pretty quickly.

The win against the Cardinals, while necessary, still leaves the Texans three games away from completing their regular season duties. At 9-5, Houston sits in a great place that allows them to win out and find their way into at least a Wild Card berth, and perhaps more if a few outcomes fall in their favor.

But, for those aspirations to fall into place for the Texans, it all starts with this team continuing to do its job for the next three weeks of the season.

So, the message moving forward is clear for Ryans: keep moving one week at a time, keep up the effort to get better, and the rest will inevitably fall into place.

"It's that one-game-at-a-time mentality. I know nobody wants to hear it, but that's what I believe, that's what we control, is one game at a time. Come out, handle business each week," Ryans continued. "That's what we've got to do down the stretch here, we've got to go out and handle business. I told our guys: you go out and handle business each week, you're just putting yourself in a better spot."

"So, you just keep going out, controling what you can control, not really focused on what everybody else in the AFC is doing. Focus on the Texans. Focus on stepping your game up and playing better."

Time will tell if the Texans can complete their midseason turnaround with a playoff berth following their three regular-season games left on the calendar, but Ryan’s certainly isn't getting comfortable just yet.

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

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