(SportsRadio 610) - As soon as he was hired on Jan. 31, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans started preaching the gospel of physicality.
Not surprising since Ryans played a physical style of defense during his 10-year career as a linebacker for the Texans and Eagles.
Not surprising since Ryans came from the 49ers, who play one of the NFL's most physical brands of football.
As Ryans likes to point out, a physical mentality starts with the offensive and defensive lines and permeates through other positions on both sides of the ball.
As a former defensive player and assistant coach, Ryans is taking a lot of pride in transforming a defense that's making significant improvement this season.
That improvement has helped the Texans fashion a 3-3 record, including 3-1 over their last four games. They're coming off the bye week and playing at Carolina, where they're favored by three points against the league's only winless team.
Nowhere is that improvement more glaring than points allowed and run defense. The Texans surrender 18.8 points a game, eighth in the NFL. Last season, when they finished 3-13-1, they allowed 24.7.
Under Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke, the Texans are 17th against the run. They give up 108.5 yards. Ordinarily, allowing almost 109 yards a game rushing wouldn't be that impressive, but considering how pathetic the Texans were last season, it's cause for celebration. They were last against the run, giving up 170.2 yards a game.
"It starts with how the defensive line plays, and I think our ends have done a great job of setting the tone when it comes to performing well in the run game," Ryans said. "We've done a great job of being violent on the edges, and then it's the backend guys – linebackers and safeties -- stepping up and being physical, swarming to the ball. Everybody's starting to pick it up and see how we have to play."
When Ryans was targeting defensive players in free agency and the draft, one of the first things he recommended to general manager Nick Caserio was finding players who had the kind of physical mindset he would demand when the offseason program began.
That type of temperament is a 24/7 proposition, and once it's instilled, it's contagious. That's one reason Ryans wanted to bring safety Jimmie Ward with him from San Francisco, sign free agent linebacker Denzel Perryman and trade up in the draft to select end Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick.
There was a time in the NFL when coaches had full-contact practices. They thought the way to develop the kind of physicality they wanted to play was to force players to pound on each other in practice. Today, rules prohibit hitting in the offseason, and coaches are reluctant to overdo it during training camp and regular season practices because they fear injuries and salary cap ramifications.
So how do Ryans, Burke and the other defensive coaches manage to do it?
"A physical mentality starts with that mindset, and I try to establish that every day, whether it's me just showing a violent clip of a hit, or a violent shed getting off a block," Ryans said. "It starts with that mindset and (players) continuing to see that picture.
"We can't physically go as hard in practice now, so I continuously remind the guys of what it should look like. When I see great clips of other teams doing it, I always try to show our guys to make sure they know, 'This is the style of football I want to see the Texans play.'"
After finishing 30th in defense in 2022 (379.5 yards a game), the Texans are 25th (354). In his two seasons as the 49ers' defensive coordinator, they were first in points allowed and second in yards in 2022 and ninth in points allowed and fourth in defense in 2021.
Under Lovie Smith, the Texans were minus-1 in turnover differential last season. Under Ryans, they're plus-6, tied for second and one behind Tampa Bay. That's an impressive statistic, but it's primarily because the offense has committed a league-low three turnovers, including one interception by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The Texans have nine takeaways and a league-worst nine sacks.
"When it comes to the turnover battle, I'm proud of where we are," Ryans said. "It starts with the offense protecting the football. We spend a lot of time talking about (protecting) the ball and how important it is to winning games. Our offense has done an outstanding job. It's (turnovers) definitely the game-changer."
Getting sacks, especially strip sacks, is conducive to forcing turnovers. The Texans are getting good pressure on quarterbacks, but they're not recording enough sacks.
"We can improve when it comes to the execution of what we're asking guys to do," Ryans said about the pass rush. "Four guys rushing as one. I always say that, but it takes all four guys being tied together when we're running stunts (and) our games (up front).
"It's everybody being on the same page, being dialed in with the proper footwork, being exactly where they're supposed to be – that's when the pressures and sacks will come. That'll get better as we continue to go throughout the season.
They must get better Sunday. With two weeks to prepare for Carolina, the last thing the Texans want is to lose and allow the Panthers to boast, "Our rookie quarterback is better than yours."
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.
