(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans and Broncos are playing at NRG Stadium on Sunday in another game that’s crucial to their playoff hopes, so this is a good time to consider what might have been when both teams were looking for new head coaches after last season.
The Texans (6-5) have won three of four games. The Broncos (6-5) have a five-game winning streak. If the playoffs started today, they’d be the first two teams sitting outside the AFC playoffs. That’s why this game is so important for both teams and their first-year coaches, DeMeco Ryans and Sean Payton, both of whom are doing outstanding jobs for teams projected to be among the worst in the NFL.
Imagine if fate had tempted the owners to go in different directions – Payton hired by the McNair family and Ryans by the Walmart heirs.
Ryans, the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, was pursued by the five teams in need of new coaches, but he turned down every interview request but two, the Broncos and Texans. He was an unknown as a head coach but a hotly pursued prospect for his first job because of his success with San Francisco.
Payton, who won a Super Bowl during his 16-year career with New Orleans, was a proven product. He retired after the 2021 season, spent last season as an analyst for Fox and interviewed with the Texans and Broncos. Both coaches ended up getting what they wanted.
The Texans announced on Jan. 31 they had hired Ryans to replace the fired Lovie Smith. Payton disclosed on the same day he’d accepted the Denver job, and it became official three days later.
To get Payton out of his contract to come to Denver to wash away the stench left from the Nathaniel Hackett regime, Denver sent first- and second-round draft choices to New Orleans for Payton and a third-round pick.
Looking back, the McNair family and the Walton heirs obviously are happy with the way things worked out. But if Payton had come to Houston and Ryans to Denver, chances are both would be doing terrific jobs, and their teams would still be competing for the playoffs. And both would be candidates to be voted NFL Coach of the Year.
Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair were looking for a third head coach in three years after David Culley and Smith had been one-and-done. General manager Nick Caserio oversaw the search. They interviewed Payton, Ben Johnson (Lions OC), Shane Steichen (Eagles OC), Jonathan Gannon (Eagles DC), Mike Kafka (Giants OC), Ejiro Evero (Broncos DC) and Thomas Brown (Rams passing game coordinator).
It took Ryans one Zoom interview to convince Caserio and the McNairs he was the right coach for the job. And Ryans was convinced the Texans were his dream job. The McNairs were so excited they got Ryans that they gave him a six-year contract.
Ryans inherited a 3-13-1 disaster that had won 11 games in three years. The Texans began the season 0-2 but have gone 6-3 since, including Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Jaguars for first place in the AFC South. The Texans have shown tremendous improvement under Ryans, first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Payton inherited a 5-11 team, and his primary job was to resurrect quarterback Russell Wilson’s career. After being traded by Seattle to Denver, Wilson had the worst season of his career in 2022, but he’s recovered nicely under Payton. Wilson has 20 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 103.4 rating compared to Stroud’s 19 touchdowns, five interceptions and 100.8 rating.
Ryans’ 0-2 start was dwarfed by Payton’s early misery. Denver started 0-3, including a 70-20 loss at Miami, where they allowed 10 touchdowns. They managed to win one out of their first six games, and just about everyone thought Payton had lost his fastball. But he hadn’t. It just took him longer to regain his velocity.
Wilson has become more of a game manager under Payton, which is fine because last season was horrendous for him after costing the Broncos so much in the trade with Seattle. He’s avoiding turnovers and taking advantage of a solid running game, but the most impressive thing about the Broncos’ transformation over the last five games has been the incredible number of takeaways they’ve forced and few how touchdowns they’ve given up.
In their last four games, the Broncos have forced 15 turnovers and have a league-high 22 for the season.
When the Broncos started 1-5, they allowed 36.2 points a game. During their current 5-1 stretch, they’ve given up 16.5 a game. In their five-game winning streak, they’ve surrendered eight touchdowns – two fewer than they allowed in their debacle at Miami.
The bottom line is that Denver has turned around its season after the dreadful start. The Broncos and Texans are running neck-in-neck in the race for a playoff spot. The Texans haven’t given up on winning the AFC South, but Sunday’s defeat left them two games behind the Jaguars. It could be wild card or bust for Ryans and Payton, which makes Sunday’s game even more intriguing and vital to what each team wants to accomplish.
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.