One of the NFL's worst kept secrets through almost nine NFL weeks is how much the Houston Texans' defense has suffered a cataclysmic drop in their production from the 2025 season. After finishing last year as the best-overall total defense (277.2 YPG) and second-best scoring defense (17.4 PPG), they now look up at 18 better units in front of them as they sit at 19th-overall (342.0 YPG) and sporting a 2-5 record as a result.
Answers for the precipitous fall have been scarce, as both defensive coordinator Matt Burke (0-4) and head coach DeMeco Ryans (2-1) have each taken their respective turns with steering the ship of the defensive game planning to no avail. And now, they head into a must-win week nine contest against the winless Los Angeles Chargers from SoFi Stadium in search of any and all effective adjustments that could be made leading up to game.
Sitting down with Marc Vandermeer (Voice of the Texans) and Texans Analyst John Harris on an episode of Texans Radio, Ryans commented further on the state of Houston's defense, with specific focus on how to potentially address defensive tendencies that no longer "works".
DeMeco Ryans comments on his perception of defensive adjustments after seeing ineffective results through seven games
Being asked by Harris about how tough it is to acknowledge how his defense may not be "working" with this specific group of players in 2026, Ryans responded with,
"It starts with being able to self-reflect. And really, see exactly what it is. And hearing that from the guys, it's not all bad, 'throw it all out', but it's just some small tweaks that we need to make here or there. So, I'm thankful for the trust, I'm thankful for the open and honest conversations we're able to have as a coaching staff that really make eachother better. And that's one thing I truly believe in, you have to grow."
While the verbiage of "small tweaks" may not sit well with certain sections of the fan base, the reality is that Ryans is not that far off in his assessment of what's gone wrong with his group this season. In a plethora of big moments, there have been potentially game-ending plays that have been left on the field due to Houston's defenders being a step or two short of their designed assignment, or situations where explosives are generated by opposing opponents simply due to a lack of an ability to execute basic elements of the game of football (like tackling, hustle, penalties, etc.)
A complete defensive overhaul may not be necessary for what ails the Texans' defense at the moment, but it seems like Ryans is definitely welcoming a reasonable amount of variances in the game planning if it means truly turning his ship around for the remaining 10 games of this campaign.
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