Since being hired by the Houston Texans back in 2023, head coach DeMeco Ryans has quietly dominated his way to becoming one of the best coaches at playing within the division in the NFL in recent history.
That prowess against their AFC South rivals was shown just this past weekend against the Indianapolis Colts, as the Texans lifted to a 7-5 record on the regular season thanks to a quality 20-16 win on the road, lifting them to 4-1 within the AFC South so far this year.
Houston’s in-division dominance is nothing new for Ryans, though. In fact, with a 13-4 record against the AFC South within the past three years, Ryans is now the winningest head coach facing division opponents since he was hired in 2023.
The Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is 13-4 (.764) against divisional opponents, the best record of any NFL team versus its own division since he was hired in 2023.
That’s a stats.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) December 2, 2025
A quiet, but clear statement of a stat for the Texans’ head coach: when going against the Colts, Tennessee Titans, or Jacksonville Jaguars, Ryans is bound to come prepared.
Houston didn’t start off perfect within the AFC South this season. Week 3 against the Jaguars was a brutal performance, especially on the offensive side of the ball, that really sunk the Texans to one of their lowest points of this season at an 0-3 record.
But just as the Texans have for their entire season, they’ve climbed their way back into real division threats with a few weeks to go on the NFL calendar.
Texans Have Been a Force in the AFC South
Tennessee was bested twice for a clean 2-0 sweep, Houston split against Jacksonville thanks to a resilient 19-0 comeback in the fourth quarter, and with their latest win vs. Indianapolis, has even climbed into conversations of stealing the division title late in the year.
There’s still tons of work to be done for Houston and Coach Ryan’s to keep that momentum going for this season to reach those big-picture playoff heights, but as proven by their takedown of the Colts, when and wherever those division games roll around, the Texans are always going to be a threat to come out on top.
Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans talks to fans before the game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Looking ahead for what’s to come this season, Houston still has one more divisional contest left on the horizon––that coming in Week 18 as the Colts travel to play the Texans for another meeting, and will look to avoid a season sweep for a second straight year.
Recent history may be a telling hint of what to expect once that weekend rolls around in Houston, and if it is, Ryans’ lead on that title for best coach within the division will only continue to strengthen.
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