HOUSTON (AP) — In their third straight season in the divisional round of the playoffs, coach DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans vowed this year would be different than the previous two.
Instead, it ended the same, with another lopsided loss to keep them as the only NFL team to have never reached a conference championship game.
C.J. Stroud had a dreadful performance, throwing four first-half interceptions in the 28-16 defeat at New England on Sunday that dropped the Texans to 0-7 in the divisional round. This loss comes after a 23-14 defeat at the Chiefs in this round last season and a 34-10 rout by the Ravens in the 2023 season.
Ryans was asked what this team must do to get over the hump and into the conference title game.
“We’ve got to protect the ball. We’ve got to play better football when we get in this moment,” Ryans said. “For the past three years we have not played well, haven’t protected the ball well, and we have not executed well in this moment. So, it’s not a magical elixir that’s going to happen to get past the divisional round. It’s still football, and you’ve got to go out and you’ve got to execute football really well in these moments, and we have not done that.”
The Texans rode their top-ranked defense to the playoffs, ending the regular season with a nine-game winning streak to become the fifth team since 1992 to open a season 0-3 and reach the playoffs. Stroud fumbled five times, losing two of them and threw an interception against the Steelers in the wild-card round. But the defense scored two touchdowns to allow Houston to overcome his miscues to win a road playoff game for the first time in franchise history.
Houston’s players and coaches spent all week talking about how they’d have to protect the ball better to beat the Patriots.
But instead of doing that they had an even more turnover-filed performance, with Woody Marks adding a fumble in the red zone when it was a one-score game in the third quarter.
The Texans led 10-7 in the second when Marcus Jones returned Stroud’s interception 26 yards for a touchdown that put the Patriots on top for good.
Stroud’s struggles came on a day Houston was without star receiver Nico Collins, who sustained a concussion last week. The unit was further hampered when second-leading receiver tight end Dalton Schultz injured his calf in the first quarter and didn’t return.
Despite this, Stroud, the 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, took responsibility for his mistakes and the loss.
“I’m crushed,” he said Monday. “And I don’t want to be emotional, but it’s like how hopeful we were to go farther and for it to be on my plate and for me not to step up, it really hurts me. I wish it didn’t go that way.”
His performance did nothing to diminish the confidence Ryans has in his young quarterback.
“I’m not going to let the bad plays there in that game … dictate to me who C.J. is,” Ryans said. “I know who C.J. is, I know what he’s capable of doing. So, we just keep looking to get better. No one feels worse about the situation than C.J. does.”
Dominant defense
While there should be plenty of concern about Houston’s offense after Stroud’s struggles in the postseason, the Texans should be encouraged by the dominance of their defense.
“It’s inspirational to see how they played,” Ryans said. “You’re always in it with those guys and they always give you a chance because it’s a special group.”
The Texans led the NFL in yards allowed in the regular season and were second to the Seahawks in points. The defensive end duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter combined for 27 sacks in the regular season and added 6 ½ in the playoffs.
The unit forced Drake Maye to fumble four times, losing two of them. Anderson had three sacks, two tackles for loss and forced two fumbles Sunday to become the fourth player in NFL history to have at least three sacks and two forced fumbles in a playoff game. Hunter added two sacks and forced a fumble against New England.
Anderson was selected first-team AP All-Pro and Hunter received second-team honors. The Texans placed three defensive players on the team with cornerback Derek Stingley receiving a first-team nod for a second straight season.
Seventh-year linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair led the team with 103 tackles in the regular season to make the Pro Bowl for the first time. He had nine tackles Sunday and recovered both fumbles for Houston to become the first player since the 2015 season to have at least two fumble recoveries in the playoff game.
Mixon and Dell
The Texans played all season without running Joe Mixon and receiver Tank Dell as they recovered from injuries.
Houston’s offense took a major hit with Mixon out with a foot injury he sustained away from the facility in the offseason. It came after he ran for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season in Houston in 2024. He has one year remaining on a three-year, $27 million contract extension he signed after joining the Texans.
Ryans was asked if he sees a future with Mixon in Houston.
“As of right now I don’t know that answer,” Ryans said Monday.
Dell didn’t play this season after dislocating a knee and tearing an ACL in December 2024. He has one year remaining on his rookie contract. His injury came after he combined for 1,376 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons.
Ryans said Dell’s recovery is going well and that he’s looking forward to his return next season.
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