Texans 22, Broncos 17
Q. Go back to the interception from the time you make the call until you were sure you...just take us through that.
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, what a play by Jimmie there end of the game. We set the call in. Our guys been battling in the red zone all week, right. Friday is our red zone day. Guys, they put the work in, right, and we needed it.
It showed up. First it starts with JG and his pressure to get that on Russell at that point in time, and then Jimmie to go and up secure the ball. Once he let it go I seen Jimmie was underneath and he went up with both hands and pulled it down.
It was a big time play. It's great having Jimmie back, and you see his impact instantly on our entire team. Not just defensive, but the team. Just great to have him back.
Q. What were you feeling when you saw that he actually had the ball?
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, excited. Excited, super excited for our guys. We talked about how we had to (indiscernible). We knew it was going to be a tough battle. We had a really good team with the Broncos and our guys, they fought to the end.
I'm just really proud of the guys. Nobody blinks in that moment. There is time left, we still have opportunity to make plays, and guys stepped up and made a big time play there to end of the game. Just credit to the defense just all day. Gave up a couple big plays there, but for guys to stand up, most importantly to see Stingley show up again for the third consecutive week and getting two interceptions is big time, continue to see his growth and playmaking ability show up.
He's an impact player for our defense, and it shows each and every week. We talk about the ball every week and we needed it this week. We win the turnover battle and the game and that was the difference.
Q. To stay with the defense, can you talk about the impact of Will Anderson on this game?
DEMECO RYANS: What a game by Will. I think everybody seen his stat line. You talk about tackles for loss, talk about sacks, putting pressure on a quarterback. Like Will wreaked havoc today. That's what we envisioned and selected Will, and to see him show up in a big time game, show up being an impact player for us, that's who Will Anderson is and he shows it every single day.
So really happy for Will and the game he had. He had a big time game for us. Caused the interception, one of the interceptions that Stingley got. He caused that interception. It's just everybody playing together. Everybody making plays. Leaning on each other. That's good defense.
Q. Coach, just talked about (indiscernible.) When you call your last time out, exactly what did you say or what did you anticipate to get to that point?
DEMECO RYANS: We called a timeout we were just trying to get a picture there, a snapshot of what we thought they were going to do. Sean did a good job changing it up, changed personnel, the look there.
But just trying to make our guys aware of just the situation and things we had practiced in that moment.
Of course they can do anything, but just want to make our guys aware what we were anticipating as coaches.
Q. Coach, win No. 7 today matches the win total for the past two seasons. You guys are in a playoff run. Talk about the faith aspect of this group of players, how they believe they can get it done and get to the playoffs and win games.
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, for me, I don't worry about what happened in the past here with the Texans. This is 2023. This is our team. This is our brand of football. Our guys are a resilient group of men, right, who show up every single week. They put the work in every week and they show up on Sundays and execute and play for each other. That's all I ask for and our guys continue to get better.
Q. Did the referees give you an explanation on that...
DEMECO RYANS: Not the explanation I would've liked to hear, but they did give me an explanation. (Laughter.)
Oh, man, credit to Dez. Dez stepped up for us. Played meaningful snaps for us. Getting him back last week and even more this week he showed up and made some big time third down stops and big time tackles, so really proud of Dez and him being ready to go and make impact plays for us.
Wish he would've got that touchdown, but it was a great play by him.
Q. Nico continues to come up big. Critical today with unfortunate injury.
DEMECO RYANS: Nico shows up every week. You talk about two catches over 50 yards, over 190 yards receiving. I tell Nico, you're a big time playmaker. Believe it. Go put it on display every week, and he continues to show up for us. Proud of the work he's done improving as a player, showing his playmaking ability as well.
Big time deep threat for us, and just one of our most reliable receivers. At the end of that, it just, you know, really hurt us losing Tank. Tank has been very valuable to our team. He has provided a spark to our team each and every week that he's on the field. Everybody is just waiting for that moment. You know it's going to happen when he shows up and he makes an explosive play for us.
Or he's scoring a touchdown. So to lose Tank with a leg injury is just -- it hurts our team really because of what he means to our team. Not only on the field, but off the field Tank always has a huge smile on his face, full of energy. Just really hurts losing Tank.
Q. Is there an update on him?
DEMECO RYANS: Still getting more information on him.
Q. The more you guys play these kind of games, do you see the team being more comfortable?
DEMECO RYANS: For sure. When you're in these games, and this is the NFL every week, I think that's why they have that red zone channel. It comes down to that last moment every single week. Every game seems like it's within a score.
So it's how you operate in that moment and not blinking and not panicking. It's like everybody being under control, calm, in the moment, and just executing.
That's what our team is continuing to show each and every week.
Q. Who replaces that juice, that speed that Tank adds to the offense? Talk about the emotional response from the team in general in real time when he goes down.
DEMECO RYANS: No one replaces Tank. Tank is his own man. Everybody around him just has to step up and just do their part, right, be their best in whatever role, whatever area we ask them to. To be their best. It takes everyone. When you lose a guy who brings that emotional lift to your team, it's going to take everyone to dig a little deep experience pick it up and do a little bit better.
Q. Struggling to run the ball. More pressure on CJ. What does it say about Stroud that he can be in those obvious passing situations and still produce?
DEMECO RYANS: With CJ being in the obvious passing situations, I feel like that's where he thrives the most, right. He's comfortable in those positions. Shows up and makes those plays every single week for us when we do have to pass it. Of course we want to run the ball better if we can, but if it's not, when you can throw the ball like that, it just flips. Maybe the passing game opens up the running game for us.
CJ is continuing to do a really good job for us. Nobody asked me. Alabama. Of course Alabama should be in. All right? (Laughter.)
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports