(SportsRadio 610) - After leading the Texans to their seventh playoff berth in franchise history with Saturday's 23-19 road victory in Indianapolis, head coach DeMeco Ryans didn't need to tell his players what they already knew.
The Texans had punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2019. All there was left to do was sit back and wait.
On the couch with his family Saturday afternoon, Ryans watched the Titans and Jaguars with the rest of us, though according to the first-year head coach, he wasn't exactly locked in from start to finish.
"When I turned the game on, it was maybe late in the third quarter, and the Jags started making a few plays and I said, 'Maybe I should turn this off,'" Ryans said. "Stayed with it, kept watching the game, and Tennessee had played a really good game there, made some plays to win and we were excited. I'm jumping up and down with my kids, excited that we were able to win the division, thanks to the Titans getting the win."
With the Titans' 28-20 victory, they knocked the Jags out of playoff contention and stripped them of an AFC South division crown, which they'd held for much of the season, awarding it to the team that joined a growing list of teams to go from the worst-to-first in a year's time.
For the 19th time in the past 21 season's, at least one team has won its division the season after finishing in last place.
For Ryans and the Texans, the time to bask in that glory has already come and passed.
Ryans admitted there was no real message relayed to the team upon learning that they secured the 2023 AFC South title, rather it was implied.
"The message is – man, it's back to work," Ryans said. "It's back to work. Let's put the work in. We know we have the Browns coming in here, really tough opponent. We got to go put the work in and find a way to win – whatever it takes."
The Texans have been in "playoff mode" for the better part of the last month, playing in pivotal games every week to stay in the hunt.
"Our mode hasn't changed, and our guys understand where we are and what we have to do," Ryans said.
The Texans won't know until later this week if they'll be able to count on guys like Robert Woods, Noah Brown and Jonathan Greenard, all of whom missed this past weekend's regular season finale with injuries. However, the Texans will be a different team than the one the Browns beat 36-22 at NRG Stadium on Christmas Eve.
The Texans played without C.J. Stroud, Blake Cashman and Will Anderson Jr. in the week 16 drubbing. Greenard and Jimmie Ward left early in the first half with injuries as well.
Having Stroud back in the fold and playing the most efficient football he has all season, is a game changer. While the Texans will need to get some bodies back elsewhere, Ryans knows the Texans will always have a chance when they've got number seven in the mix.
"Having CJ - having your starting quarterback always gives you a chance to win," Ryans said. "We're excited to have him."
During the week 16 loss to the Browns, the Texans didn't connect on one explosive play of 20 yards - an anomaly for their offense this season, which finished the regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in pass plays of 20 or more yards.
On the contrary, the Texans defense allowed six plays that went for at least 18-yards in the game, including two pass plays to Amari Cooper that went for 53 yards and 75 yards respectively.
Cooper finished with 11 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
"Watching it again, he (Amari Cooper) had some of the best catches I've seen all year, even though guys were in coverage and in position, he still made unbelievable catches," Ryans said. "He had an outstanding game, so we just have to be in position to cover him better. We have to make plays to get off the field on third-down as well."
The task on Saturday is tall, but it's been that way all season.
