Houston Texans News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans watches the replay of an interception in the 4th quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Travis Register-Imagn Images

Texans’ DeMeco Ryans, Nick Caley Sound Off Amid Growing Questions

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Keith Cummings | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 1:50 PM ET

It's pretty hard to dance around the emerging scenario that's playing out within the inner mechanisms of the 2-4 Houston Texans.

With every misfire and misstep on offense, the pressure is undoubtedly now seriously mounting on Texans embattled first-year offensive coordinator, Nick Caley.

Of course, head coach DeMeco Ryans has shifted the blame upon his own shoulders. But that’s about as sound a long-term plan as the Texans have when they’re first and goal.

Nothing quite sums up the Texans’ spluttering start to the season more succinctly than their abject failure to convert when in short-yardage situations. Caley's answer when confronted with their own issues, somewhat inevitably, will do little to appease disgruntled Texans fans who have grown particularly tired of coming up short.

"Yeah, there's no fear when it comes to sneaking a ball," Caley said. "We had a plan, a short yardage plan, and we ran the plays that we felt would give us an opportunity– based on the structure of the defense, etc. We did not do a very good job across the board."

"Again, for multiple reasons from play to play. So, you know, will we have opportunities - we've shown that we can do that, you know. But, there's also other personnel groupings, there's also other run types that we can attack based on front structures and teams week by week, however you see them. Not everyone is going to sit there in the front structures from week to week to week."

Texans have been pretty effective either the QB sneak, but shied away on the big stage with good opposing DT’s, asks Nick Caley why. pic.twitter.com/8BwdYgS8Pm
— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) October 23, 2025

On account of Caley being introduced as some kind of savior for the Texans’ offense, it really does make him an easy target for the media and fans to take their frustrations out on.

After all, quarterback C.J. Stroud continues to look lost in a system that was always going to have a degree of teething problems until everyone got things down pat.

That being said, for as much as Caley and Ryans have tried to somehow apply bells and whistles to this Houston offense; they're critically lacking an offensive line that can do the fundamental basics correctly.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Less than 60 yards rushing on MNF, and Stroud was constantly hurried and harassed by a pretty good Seattle Seahawks defense; it certainly tells a compelling tale of woe that Ryans is struggling to turn on its head.

Barring some quick-fix options, the kind that only dispensing with valuable draft collateral would bring, Ryans has no choice but to double down and hope for some quick improvements in technique.

"A ton of it, I believe truly, a ton of it has to do with technique," Ryans declared this week."Of course you want to be the most talented group. You want to have the most talented guy possible. But I've also - I've seen guys, all, who've came in on the offensive line from all different, whether it's undrafted, all the way to first rounder."

" It's just about, really, that group is really about the details, and the communication. And being tied together. Playing together. That's the bulk of it, whoever steps out there. And I've seen people win games with backup offensive linemen - seen them win with starters."

DeMeco Ryans on technique vs talent on OL:

“A ton of it, I believe, has to do with technique. Of course you want to be the most talented group.. that group is about the details, the communication, being tied together.. that is the bulk of it. I’ve seen people win games w/ backup… pic.twitter.com/Esxk3HFa3S
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) October 23, 2025

Prior to the defeat on Monday night, Ryans had always remained stoically in behind his patchwork group upfront regardless, but it's getting increasingly hard to do anything but finally point some fingers.

Football is really a quite simple game at its very core, but butting heads and moving the pile is simply failing the Texans right now, and all the additional talk isn't solving the problem yet either.

The trouble is, it’s also a little too late for any major overhaul now.

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

More must-reads: