There is no shame in winning back-to-back division titles and reaching the divisional round in both seasons. That's what the Texans have accomplished since DeMeco Ryans became the head coach in 2023.
But there are no consolation prizes in this business. Ryans spoke Monday afternoon about being proud of the 2024 team, but ultimately falling short of the goal.
"When I look at this year specifically, I am proud of our guys for accomplishing what we accomplished this year," he said. "To win the division, get into the playoffs, get to the Divisional Round. I'm proud of our guys for that. For me, as coach, as competitor, that's not what I put all the work in for just to get to the Divisional Round and just be excited about that just because of where the Texans were before. I'm just supposed to be pleased with getting into the Divisional Round. That's not why I work.
"I work to win, and we didn't get the job done and we didn't make enough plays to win the game to get over the hump. For me, it was a good year, but not good enough, in my mind. For me, it is how do we take the organization to new heights. So I am looking at all areas to improve our football teams."
