(SportsRadio 610) - As the Texans approach Sunday's game against Jacksonville and the opportunity to take over first place in the AFC South, they're getting a lot of positive attention around the NFL.
Coach DeMeco Ryans, quarterback C.J. Stroud and general manager Nick Caserio are getting well-deserved recognition as candidates for postseason awards.
Nobody in the organization is happier about how the Texans are playing or more excited about the direction team is headed than the McNair family that owns the franchise – Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair.
Hannah believes there should be a newly created award, and she knows who the runaway winner should be.
"I'm proud of my husband – he should be Comeback Owner of the Year," she said, laughing, during a recent interview at NRG Stadium. "With Cal, Nick and DeMeco working together with no egos involved to do whatever needs to be done creates success. It's nice to have fun again."
If there was an award for Comeback Owner of the Year, Cal McNair just might be the landslide winner when you consider how much the McNair family has overcome off the field, how well the Texans are playing and what they're capable of achieving the rest of this season and in the future.
There's an excitement at NRG Stadium that hasn't been experienced since the 2019 season when they won their last AFC South title under Bill O'Brien. Sunday is the most important home game since the victory over Buffalo in an AFC wild card game after that 2019 season.
"We enjoy football, and we enjoy winning," Cal said. "When you put those two things together like we're seeing the team do now, it's a lot of fun. We're really enjoying it."
No longer do Cal and Hannah walk through a door at NRG Stadium and worry that another controversy is on the other side. Bill O'Brien is in New England. Jack Easterby is in South Carolina. Deshaun Watson is in Cleveland.
"I'm not looking at the past – let's just stay with the present," Hannah said.
People on the personnel and administrative sides of the organization love to come to work again. Just about everything is positive in the building. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and fired up about what's happening on the field in Ryans' first season as the head coach and Stroud's first season as the starting quarterback.
The McNair family provides Caserio and Ryans with the resources they need to do their jobs, keeps up with what's happening on a daily basis and stays out of the way when it comes to personnel decisions. They operate the same way as Bob McNair when he founded the franchise – hire people they think will do a good job, give them what they need financially, and if they fail, send them packing.
"It's been awesome working with Cal and Hannah," Ryans said. "They've trusted Nick and me, and that's the biggest thing. They trust our decision-making and the way we've handled the team. They trust that whatever decisions we make the team is in good hands."
Caserio recommended the Texans hire Ryans to replace Lovie Smith. After they interviewed Ryans on a Zoom call, Caserio told Janice, Cal and Hannah they had to get him to Houston and not let him leave the building. And they didn't. Signing off on Caserio's recommendation to hire Ryans was a franchise-altering decision.
"They've supported me in everything I've asked of them," Ryans said. "We've made some changes around the building and how we do things, and they've never said no to any of the things we've asked for. That means a lot.
"When your owners are supportive and back you up – not just with words but by their actions – that's what Cal and Hannah do. Their actions speak loudly to our team. The players feel that support from them. I see their excitement that extends throughout our organization. It starts with Cal and Hannah and the support they give us."
A year ago, the Texans were being criticized locally and nationally for being the dregs of the NFL. They won three games, giving them 11 victories in three seasons. There was a revolving door at NRG Stadium for coaches.
Caserio was still overseeing the rebuild. Fans and media were getting impatient. Now there's a euphoria around the Texans, who are 6-2 after an 0-2 start. No NFL team has played more games decided in the last 30 seconds.
On Sunday, before what should be their largest and loudest crowd in years, the Texans are playing the Jaguars in a game with playoff implications.
If the Texans win a fourth consecutive game, they'll be 7-4 and tied with Jacksonville for first place in the AFC South. Most important, they'll own the head-to-head tiebreaker because the Texans won the first game 37-17 at Jacksonville.
If the Jaguars win, they'll elevate their record to 8-3 and have a two-game lead on the Texans and the upper hand in the race for the division title. And don't forget Jacksonville won 31-3 at NRG Stadium in 2022.
The Texans have come so far so fast it's almost mind-boggling. It started with Caserio.
"Nick's doing a good job," Cal said. "He's had to navigate a lot of issues he walked into and had to clean up. I think Nick had the table set for DeMeco when he came in."
Hannah remembers after the 0-2 start, a lot of fans and media wanted Caserio fired, especially since his first-round picks in 2022 – cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and guard Kenyon Green – were on injured reserve.
"People were giving Cal a hard time about keeping Nick," she said. "Cal's been patient and consistent with the vision he has through all the noise of, 'Why aren't you getting rid of all these New England guys and cleaning house?'
"It's because Cal knew Nick was the right guy for that seat. And then DeMeco was that final piece. When DeMeco was coming in, Cal said, 'The table is set for you.' He knew Nick and DeMeco would have everything they needed to be successful, young players like C.J. and Will (Anderson), among others."
During training camp, Cal and Hannah would spend time during practice chatting with members of the media. Both were very positive about the season, but owners are supposed to be, right? Turns out they were right.
"We'd been watching what DeMeco was doing in the offseason and training camp and seeing how the players were responding to him," Cal said. "We could see the coaching staff he put together was really strong. We could see it early, and we had a really good feeling about it, and those things have come together."
The McNairs were asked for one thing they really like about Ryans.
"How he relates to the players and how much the players believe in him," Cal said. "They see the results on the field, and it has a snowball effect."
Hannah responded, "His ability to lead with accountability."
The instigator of the Texans' success is Stroud, who's taken the NFL by storm and is a lock to be voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year if he stays healthy. He's also in the MVP conversation.
Asked what impresses her about Stroud, Hannah said, "His relatability off and on the field, the way he's able to relate to people, and they seem to gravitate toward him.
"He's been through a lot in his life, but he's never let that hold him back. I think it helps drive him. I think a lot of people see that and think, 'I can do that, too,' about whatever it is in their lives they're trying to overcome to be successful."
Nobody predicted Stroud would be so great so early in his career. He's well-coached, and he absorbs that coaching like a sponge. He's a fearless, poised, respected, resilient leader who's going to get better and better.
"We were really excited to bring him in the building," Cal said. "He's a wonderful person. I'm so glad our fans are getting a chance to get to know him.
"I don't know that anything really surprises me about C.J. anymore. We knew he could throw the ball and take good coaching. He did both in college, and he's doing it here. He can just take a defense apart."
The McNair family understands what's going on with their team. They realize success can be fleeting. The bubble could burst with a couple or three defeats, but they're excited about what's ahead, beginning with Sunday's rematch with the Jaguars. There's going to be a buzz at NRG Stadium.
Now, about those postseason awards in which Caserio, Ryans and Stroud are serious candidates.
"These awards are great, of course," Cal said. "Hopefully, as the season continues to progress, they'll be in position to (win) them. But I think each of them – Nick, DeMeco and C.J. – would say it's all about the team, and they'd want the wins over awards. That's the kind of people they are. They're humble, unselfish and hungry to win. And they work so hard to win. If we win, those awards will take care of themselves."
Except for Comeback Owner of the Year.
Cal McNair may have to be satisfied with a winning record and perhaps an AFC South title or a wild card berth.
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.
