'We're Here!' Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans Reveals Locker-Room Pep Talk vs. Browns

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans discussed his message to his team at halftime of the Wild Card win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

The Houston Texans are officially here, and if their head coach has anything to say about it, they won't be leaving the postseason any time soon.

Following Houston's 45-14 win over Cleveland, DeMeco Ryans was asked about his halftime message to the Texans, a point in the game where they held a 24-14 lead, and the game was still undecided. This game marked the Texans' first playoff appearance since 2019, and it was all about seizing the opportunity.

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“The thing that was said in the locker room was we're here," Ryans said. "We talk about our moment. We talk about opportunity. Now the biggest thing is what do you do with it? It was all about just going out and just finishing, continuing to execute, continuing to finish, and that's what we did. 

"We knew in the playoff game, it can flip at halftime. If guys stay locked in and stay focused, and that's what we did. That's what I love about our team. Everybody was focused. Everybody was calm. We executed the proper way.”

"Calm" is probably putting it lightly, by the way. Not only did the Texans win the game, but they dominated the second half, outscoring the Browns 21-0 in the final two quarters alongside a couple of pick sixes of quarterback Joe Flacco.

Texans Advance to AFC Divisional Round With Win vs. Browns; Who's Next?

Now, Houston will be able to watch the remainder of the NFL's Super Wild Card Weekend unfold before it finds out who it will face in the Divisional Round of the postseason. The Miami Dolphins were eliminated on a frigid Saturday night in Kansas City, so the Texans will either face the Chiefs or the Baltimore Ravens, depending on the outcome of Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers.