The Houston Texans will host the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card Round this Saturday.
This is the second year in a row the Texans are at home for the first round of the playoffs after securing a lopsided win over the Cleveland Browns last year. Los Angeles will be a far tougher challenge considering the Browns were starting Joe Flacco and the Chargers come in with Justin Herbert playing at an elite level.
READ MORE: 3 burning questions we have about the Houston Texans before the Wild Card round
As if that wasn't enough, they also have a head coach who is 5-3 in the NFL Playoffs, has been to the Super Bowl, and even won an NCAA National Championship. There's no doubt Jim Harbaugh will have his team ready, so DeMeco Ryans and the Texans have to bring their A-game.
They might also have some extra motivation thanks to an unlikely source. Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan slammed Houston on ESPN's Get Up, saying the “Chargers basically get a bye against the Texans.”
Texans not getting much love from Rex Ryan.
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 6, 2025
😂😂😂
“Chargers basically get a bye against the Texans.” pic.twitter.com/hjsNMTzoWL
Ryan has been around the game for a long time as a head coach and analyst. He's also the son of a great defensive coach. Buddy Ryan rose to fame as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears during their glory days—including 1985, when they won Super Bowl XX. The elder Ryan spent one season in Houston, as the defensive coordinator of the Oilers in 1993.
That means his opinions typically have some validity to them. That's true here since the Texans haven't proven they can hang with the best teams. They knocked off the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 but after that, lost to the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens.
A win this weekend would be huge for DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud, and hopefully, they can use this criticism as fuel.