DeMeco Ryans talks Texans’ turnaround season and C.J. Stroud’s return | The Rich Eisen Show

DeMeco Ryans talks Texans’ turnaround season and C.J. Stroud’s return | The Rich Eisen Show

Houston Texans head coach Demo Ryan. How you doing, coach? >> Hey Rich, doing fantastic man. Great to have great to be on again with you. >> Thank you very much. And I can confirm you’re doing fantastic. I can confirm it. H how does how does this feel to you? I mean, you you’ve taken teams to the playoffs before. Um and you’ve taken them um into the playoffs and won playoff games before. How does this one feel to you right now, coach? Yeah, I mean each one is uh each one has its own little beauty with it within it, right? And I really love this one because of how we started. Uh it’s it’s just so reflective of like life, right? You can start down, things aren’t going well, you got a lot of problems, it’s not looking great, but it’s about how you keep battling. How do you keep pushing through like whatever adversity you face? And I’m so proud of this team for a lot of people would say we were down and out. no chance of making it and here we are playing meaningful games in December with an opportunity to make it. This one feels very special. >> What do you draw on when your team is 0 and three? Like what do you draw upon as a head coach in that instance? >> Yeah, I I just I go back to the I go back to the to the film, right? A lot of people can tell you who you are and what you’re not doing and what you can’t do. But I look at the film and I look at, you know, who we were playing, how we were playing, what actually happened in the game. And when I look back at those those first three games, it’s it’s simply like one or two plays, right? We’re in those games in the fourth quarter. It’s one or two plays where if we make them now, we’re three and 0 and we’re the best team in the NFL. So, I I go back to the just let’s be realistic and let’s analyze things, you know, with a clear mind and see exactly where we are. What can we correct? How can we as coaches help the players, right, to be in better position to make the plays we need to make to flip that. So, we’re winning those games in the fourth quarter and that’s what we did. >> But you there’s a belief issue in in a locker room as well that you got to have your finger on that pulse. Um what what about that aspect? Not just the X’s and O’s, coach. >> Yeah. And and the the belief factor, right? It’s that never waivers, right, for me. We put so much work in and you I see I saw the team that we had in training camp. I saw the guys who we had on our team and that belief in what they’re capable of doing and what we can do collectively as a team. That never wavered because I know we have the right men in our locker room, right? guys who’ve been there with me before in our previous two years and we found a way. So I know we had the right leaders, we got the right guys. So the belief never leaves me. That’s why I put in all the work I put in and I I truly believe and I know truly that you know God has his hand on our team as well. >> Well, I mean take me to week 10 now or I’ll take you to week 10 now. You’re down 19 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. staring at getting swept by the team that that did beat you back in week three to send you to an 0 and3 start. Somebody taps you on the shoulder and say, “You’re not only going to win this, but you’re going to win five more in a row after.” >> What do you say to that person, coach? >> Thanks for keeping it positive. >> I love it. >> Oh man, you I truly believe Rich, you have to have a positive mindset, man. No matter how bad it looks. And that game will always, you know, be the I think that’s the focal point of our season. That’s the turning point, so to speak, where >> Yeah, we have our backup quarterback in Davis Mills, and he and without Davis, you know, making such an inspirational comeback in that game and leading us to victory. I don’t know where our season would be right now. So, that’s that is the the turning point for our season. grasp it at straws from our positions talking about it about quarterback play and and what makes for quality quarterbacks in this league and how you have to have an excellent backup. You know, your former place of business in San Francisco, having an opportunity to make a deep run like you now because of what M. Jones did there with Brock Perie out and Davis Mills while CJ Strad is out keeps your ship more than afloat. Um, and then you see Philip Rivers in your division now. And you might you might be seeing old man Rivers at the end of the season in a must-have game for you. And neck up, you need it. Neck down maybe less so, right? I mean, I’m trying to figure that part out. What about your perspective? >> Yeah, for me, Rich, I I think it’s the neck up part. You can never underestimate that. Like playing quarterback, you truly, you know, you have to make great decisions. Like, and that’s truly what it comes down to. Like when you have a quarter, backup quarterback who can come in and not feel like, you know, they’re trying to outshine a starter so they can take over the role. Like that’s not what you need. That’s not the mentality. You need to come in and manage the game properly. Just make great decisions with the football and understand who you have around you as a backup quarterback. It’s not on you to go and per se win the game. It’s on you to make sure you’re distributing the football to your playmakers, right? who can go there for and make the plays we need to make. And when you have your backup quarterback in as well, you also have to run the ball really well. And I think that’s what San Fran has done. You know, with McCaffrey, when Mack was in, they ran the ball well. They stayed on schedule. You know, you you try to win those short those third downs, keep it in third and manageable, and you don’t turn the ball over. All right. And that’s uh one thing that Davis did a great job of. He only had one turnover while he was at the helm starting for us. And that allowed us to go and play complimentary football. We can rely on our special teams to flip the field. We can rely on our defense to make plays, right, to get us in favorable field position uh for the offense. So, it’s about playing team football when you do have that backup quarterback in and not trying to come in and be the hero and put the team on your back. It’s just do what you need to do to be a part of the win. We don’t have to win because of you. We just have to win collectively as a team. >> Uh, and your quarterback, you got him back. He’s been terrific since he’s returned. Um, and and I’m wondering what you’re seeing out of CJ Strat. Is he Is he playing the best ball you’ve seen him play yet right now, do you think? >> To me, right now, I think he’s playing at such an elite level and it is the best that I’ve seen him, you know, over the span of these three weeks. Just seeing him come back and seeing how he’s he’s grown like each week. I think it’s sometime I think it is bene I think it was beneficial for him to actually sit those three weeks and just watch the team right and watch the team and watch how we won games and watch how we just played together right he didn’t have to the quarterback didn’t have to do something magical it’s just by running the offense efficiently playing clean having great command of the offense and that’s where I see him right now he’s probably he’s been the like he’s been steady he’s been calm in the moment very confident demeanor how he’s handled himself just in practice on the sidelines that feel like you also we have a new offense right that he had to kind of get used to and I think right now he’s at a really good point where he feels as comfortable as he’s felt within the scheme and what we’re doing and you know he understands what it takes to win games and that’s what he’s doing for us and he’s making some absolutely incredible plays especially on some of the third downs when he’s able to escape the pocket, utilize his athletic ability to move, not to run, but to keep his eyes downfield and to find Nico Collins, to find Dalton Schultz on third downs and also in the red zone. It’s it’s been phenomenal to watch him just grow as a a quarterback, as a leader. and he’s just man, he’s really just he’s really helping our entire team, right, with the confidence that you need at this part of the season. Like when you’re trying to make this run into the playoffs, you have to feel confident as a team. Like the defense need to needs to feel that the offense can make plays to win a game. They can go score points to win games. The offense needs to feel the defense they’re able to get critical stops, right? Special teams is able to show up and make plays. Like I feel like right now at this moment we’re playing really great team football and that’s what we need. We need to be our best right now and that’s where we are. >> Well, that’s the way it looks from my couch and from my couch. I’m scared for the opposing quarterbacks you’re playing to be honest with you. I’m sitting in the safety of my living room and I’m like like a horror movie watching through my fingers watching your defense go, you know, do what it does. Uh I’m wondering do you ever sit around saying I’m glad I never had a coach against something like that. Seriously. You know. >> Yeah. It’s crazy. No doubt what I’m saying, >> man. We have Yeah, we have some phenomenal guys on defense. Like the the effort, the the physicality that they play with. I mean, Will Anderson, Jaylen Petri, Aziz, Al Shier, Kamari Lacader, our corner, he’s probably one of our most physical players like pound-for-pound on our team. He brings it every I’ve never seen a corner tackle like Kamari Lacier uh tackles and then he you try to throw the ball over his head, he can go and intercept it as well. And then you have the allp pro Derek Stingley who doesn’t get many opportunities but seems like when people do go his way he finds a way to make a play. Then we got Kayn Bullock just playing center field in the back there. If you throw the ball up he’s liable to take it away. So we have we have studs at each level of our defense and these guys are hungry to be the best, you know, in the league and they’re showing that each and every week they have a lot to prove. They are very prideful group and it’s it’s uh it’s really fun. And it’s easy to coach these guys, right? Cuz they can they can coach each other up and it’s really a truly a player-led group and it it’s easy and it’s fun to sit back and watch them play on game day. >> I’m so curious. Please walk me through the moment where you I imagine you in a film session after Will Anderson sacked Josh Allen by looping back twice, right? Looping once and then coming and getting him the second time. What was the film? You showed that to the group, I imagine, right? Yeah, for sure. I I have this huge uh this huge uh sign in our team meeting room that says relentless, right? And I just point to that sign. I say, you want to see what relentless looks like? What does it mean? It’s not just words on the wall, but this is it in real life. And I showed the clip of Will Anderson like running over 50 yards to chase down an MVP quarterback. It’s one of the best plays that I’ve ever seen. It’s what I truly believe defensive football is about. It’s about the pursuit. It’s about the hunt. It’s about imposing your will on your opponent. And that’s who Will Anderson is. That’s why he’s one of the the best defensive ends in this league. He’s one of the best leaders that I’ve ever been around because he’s intense. He’s relentless every single day of the week. Not just on game day, but it’s also throughout practice. And there’s no there’s no surprise to me by the things that he he does on Sundays. It’s no surprise because I’ve I’ve seen it all throughout training camp. >> It helps where he went to college too, right, coach? >> You know that that has a lot to do with it. >> You got to go to the right place. >> Yeah, that helps too to get on Deco Ryan’s radar screen and certainly with the relentless play from Alabama cuz I’m sure you knew exactly what he was doing at the college level when you drafted him. And that play was truly unbelievable. That was one of those moments that does stand out. It totally does stand out, you know, and that’s why I was curious is how you handle it as a coach afterwards, >> too. >> Yeah, it’s one I I have to highlight and it, you know, it kind of reminds me also of the play from the kid uh the kid from Dallas who got knocked down on the on the punt on the punt play. He’s knocked down several times and he gets up. It’s like those two plays are like that’s why you love sports. That’s why it’s so many life lessons in sports and those plays right there really uh really define what what sports is all about. >> And Demetico Ryan, few minutes left with the Houston Texans head coach. I feel like this is uh this could serve as my pre-bro chat with you because uh NFL Network is going to have Texans and Chargers. I’m calling that game. So, I’m going to be Yeah, I’ll be I’ll be in the booth for that game. That’s a massive game. You got one obviously with the uh with the Raiders before that and you’re taking it one at a time. I I understand. And then you’ve got that that last game of the year uh at home against Philip Rivers. I just had my guys look it up. You did you’ve never sacked or picked him off, I don’t think, in his career. >> I’ve never got him. You never got him. >> But it’s wild, right? What you’re seeing right now. He’s going against the NerS on on uh on Mon on this this coming Monday night. Unreal. >> Yeah. you know, you know, >> after our game on Sunday, I had I had to tune in to check him out because it’s just so, you know, impressive to see a guy who’s been coaching high school football to come back and to see him operate, you know, that was I was like, “Wow, like he is really going to give them a chance, right, to win this game.” Of course, with the running back that they have and Jonathan Taylor, he does such an outstanding job and Philip was able to keep them on schedule like they did a really good job and I know, you know, he’s going to be better. We’ll see how he’s feeling. You know, 44 years old is after getting get hit a couple times and putting those pads on and definitely, >> you know, the rehab, the recovery process, it slows down a little bit. But, man, I’m proud for Philip. I’m happy for him to It’s such a cool story, you know, for the entire league. Like, you always got an opportunity, always got a shot no matter what. And you can see Shane truly believes in him. He’s done he’s did a great job of leading this offense just being there one week and giving them a chance to win in one of the toughest places to play in the league to go up to Seattle and do what they did and have an opportunity there. It’s impressive all right to see him do what he’s doing. So I’m happy for Philillip just not during the last week of the season. Not bad. Yes. >> N no no no slow down buddy. Not there. >> That’s where the bed fellows become strange and that’s for sure. uh in the couple minutes I have left with you if you don’t mind me just spending time on on you. How are you a better coach now than when you first started with the Texans? >> Uh you think self scout yourself if you don’t mind. >> Self scout for me. Uh you know for me I really right now I think I’ve grown in an area where I had to just kind of step back as a coach and first coming in it was like I’m on this defense and I’m going to make sure the defense is is right. make sure we’re playing great defense and kind of let the offensive guys handle it and do what they have to do. But, you know, I took a step back this year and just wanted to oversee everything, right? Really truly be in a position to help all of my coaches. And I feel like I’m a better coach >> because I’m doing a better job of coaching my coaches, right? And I feel like I have better command on game day of all three phases and what’s going on. How do I want how do I want it to look? What do I want to run like in all three phases? I feel like I’m in much better command now as a head coach. And hopefully my coaches feel the same way that I’m helping them out a a little bit more as well. But it’s uh a lot less stressed out >> on game day because it’s like even with like relinquishing the play calling, it feels like I’m actually able to, you know, be able to do more. I’m able to help more and I feel I feel like I’m a better leader now just by doing less. I’m a actually a better leader. I’m actually able to do more by doing less. >> And I don’t know, again, I know you’re taking it one at a time. That’s what coaches do and and for good reason because it’s the NFL. Um, but I I’m sure you’ve peaked at the spot where the Super Bowl is being played and for you to potentially take this team from 0 and3 to that building where your coaching career began. >> Um, what would that mean to you, do you think, to be playing in in the in the field of jeans, if you will, there in Santa Clara in the Super Bowl with your team? >> You’re touching my heart, Rich. You’re touching my heart there, man. That’s uh that you talk about that would be very special. I spent a lot of time in that place and knowing you know what that would mean for me to be out there in Santa Clara playing in that one. you know, it doesn’t matter where it is in the coach speak, but to do it there, uh, where I got my start in coaching, that would be, uh, very special, very touching and and it’ll be a very fitting end to the year to make it back, make it out to Santa Clara for some really great reason. >> Certainly, if you look across the way and the NerS are there, too, which is entirely possible as you and I are talking right now. >> It is. You know, now we’re talking, man. You talk about a matchup. What a what a game. >> It sure would be. It sure would be. Heat. Heat.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans joins The Rich Eisen Show to discuss:

0:00 Run to the playoffs
5:00 Davis Mills
6:15 C.J. Stroud’s return
9:50 Will Anderson Jr.’s sack on Josh Allen

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