DeMeco Ryans Explains Defensive Miscues in Houston Texans' Crippling Week 16 Loss

The Houston Texans were embarrassed by Amari Cooper and a Cleveland Browns offense without its starting quarterback. What did head coach DeMeco Ryans say about the loss?

A week after the defense played an integral role in beating the Tennessee Titans, the Houston Texans fell apart in Week 16.

On Sunday, Houston lost to the visiting Cleveland Browns, 36-22. They gave up 418 yards of offense in an aerial assault from veteran castaway Joe Flacco. With a chance to play themselves into very healthy playoff positioning—the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts both lost—they simply ran out of gas.

Nowhere was this more evident than on Cleveland receiver Amari Cooper’s stat line. The veteran set the Browns’ single-game record for receiving yards with a 265-yard performance.

Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) steps out of bounds after a reception as Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) defends during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium / © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said the struggles started close to the line of scrimmage.

“When you don’t get pressure on the quarterback—no matter who’s out there—it’s gonna be a long day,” Ryans said. “So for Flacco, he had a really good day vs. us. We didn’t pressure him at all. He stood back in the pocket, he had all day to throw the football, and we weren’t where we’re supposed to be in coverage.”

Flacco was just sacked once on over 40 dropbacks. The only sack for the Texans’ defense came when backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson entered in relief of the blowout/

Subsequently, the savvy Flacco went to work, completing 27 of 42 attempts for 368 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. His main beneficiary, Cooper, ruined Houston’s day.

He ended the day catching 11 of his 15 targets for 265 yards and two scores. He had five more catches and 221 more receiving yards than the next-highest Browns weapon.

Naturally, that begs the question of why Cooper wasn’t followed by corner Derek Stingley Jr., instead of feasting on the inside as often as he did. Frankly, it likely wouldn’t have mattered on Sunday. He found success all over the field.

“That’s not what we do,” Ryans said. “We talk about following guys, it’s not about following them. It’s a matter of guys playing the coverage well. We had a guy double-teamed and he still catches the ball. And it’s a problem, we gotta play ball.”

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Asking the Texans to instantaneously switch their defensive alignment to travel is a fairly unrealistic ask. Houston’s defensive backs specialize in their positions, the boundary corners working on the boundary and the slot corners staying inside. They risk man-to-man exploits for cleaner communication and the confidence that comes with knowing one’s role.

Simply put, one of the league’s best route runners lined up against the Texans and won—consistently. He almost single-handedly took down Houston, and his mark on their playoff chances.

A win would have put the Texans (8-7) a game ahead of the Colts, Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos. Instead, they’ll hope to stack two wins in the final two weeks and attempt to steal the AFC South.