The Houston Texans are responsible for their own destiny in the playoffs. After beating the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday in a must-win game, the Battle Red are currently on the bubble, right in the mix for the Wild Card berth in the AFC.
However, the Texans face a significant challenge on Sunday night when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. If the Texans win this matchup, their playoff chances will jump to 83%, according to the NFL's official website.
Despite the enthusiasm, Texans fans must remember they’re facing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who, despite being in terrible form this season, have reached the Super Bowl three years in a row and won two of them.
If the Texans hope to win, containing Mahomes is crucial, a point that coach DeMeco Ryans underscored in a recent interview on the team's YouTube channel.
DeMeco Ryans on the challenge of containing Patrick Mahomes
In a recent interview on the Texans’ official YouTube channel, DeMeco Ryans discussed several topics, including strategies from the Colts game, efforts to elevate the squad performance, and how the defense pressured Daniel Jones into rushed and incomplete throws.
However, the question everyone was waiting to hear was about the upcoming game against the Chiefs on Sunday night and how to stop Patrick Mahomes. Coach Ryans was straightforward: “Never assume with him."
Let me explain. During the interview, one of the hosts asked him about the tackling situation with the Texans. Regardless, Mahomes is still an issue that has to go down as soon as possible, just like Josh Allen.
In response to this question, the Texans' head coach said:
“Yeah, the main thing with the tackling with him is you never, never assume, right? Never assume that, you know, he's throwing the ball. Never assume that he's like, just go finish your play. Like if he's scrambling out of the pocket, and make sure you just have body on body, making sure you're clean with him going out of pocket, always understanding he can throw the ball at any given time.”
He’s not wrong. On more than one occasion, we saw Mahomes scrambling or throwing the ball outside of the pocket because no defenders were near him. That detail can’t be denied; however, the Texans already know that and must not assume Mahomes will do just one thing. They need to be prepared for anything when facing the Chiefs’ quarterback.
Also, DeMeco Ryans was very clear in the coverages and the secondaries, as Mahomes is always looking downfield to throw a pass. The Texans' coach said his team needs to be “sticky” on coverages because he always wants to throw the ball.
“He's not really looking to scramble and run the ball like he is looking to throw the ball. His eyes are always downfield. So secondary has to be aware of that. Making sure you're sticky on your coverage.”
To wrap up his answer, the former LB for the Texans through 2006-2011 leaves a clear message: “Just have to make sure you finish the play.”
The Texans hold their own playoff fate; they can’t afford to waste this opportunity at Arrowhead.