Texans 26, Titans 0
DEMECO RYANS: We're thankful. Thankful to God for this opportunity. Thankful for just being able to weather through the storm and get a win. Any win in this league is a big win. Really proud of our guys and the way they showed up and prepared throughout the week.
Kind of felt it throughout the week. Preparation was right. Attention to detail was right. Guys showed up and played well today. All three phases we played complementary football. Huge credit to the defense today. Having a shut out, it's hard to do. Extremely hard to do in this league.
So I'm very happy for those guys and the way they played. To get a shut out, which doesn't happen much, hasn't happened much here, very proud of those guys for the effort they showed today.
Offensively did a really nice job. I think when you see Woody, a young player, rookie, steps in and ran the ball really well for us. Caught it well. Made plays. Was productive. Got in the end zone a couple times. So really proud of the way that he played as well.
So just overall collectively really great job, coaches, players.
Q. You already alluded to a shut out. This is the first shut out for the Texans since 2018. (No microphone.)
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, feeling outstanding for the guys. Again, we work hard as a team, right, to be on the details, be where we're supposed to be. For a defense to go out and play just a clean game, right? It's not always pretty. Going to have issues here and there. But for the most part it was a very clean game. Danielle had an outstanding game; pressured the quarterback; got two sacks.
Stingley comes back. Battling all week just to be able to be out there and he toughed through it. He was able to be out there and not just be there but be productive. Was able to intercept the football for us to change the game. Really proud of all of them.
Q. How much did your perspective that Nico Collins (indiscernible) touchdown give the offense spark?
DEMECO RYANS: I think one of the biggest plays for me offensively, we started going backwards. We had penalties and started moving backwards a lot. I forget, first and 30 or something, some spots we been in.
But I was proud of the offense, the way we overcame that. CJ was able to hit Nico down the sideline on a go-route. To be able to see us go backwards and understand that that's not the end, you can overcome it with playmakers being able to make plays.
Nico showed up really well today making plays for us.
Q. Coach, coming off the losing streak, how much weight off the shoulders does it feel like is off your shoulders and the team's shoulders? Feel like you have a sense of relief now?
DEMECO RYANS: It's not about getting a sense of relief. It's about when we go out and execute and play the right way, that's what it can look like.
So we been there. We just haven't played clean football. Offense did a really nice job protecting the ball today. Didn't turn the ball over. We took it away. Tommy punted the ball outstanding. Gave us backed up opportunities 'Imi did a great job kicking of off. Our kickoff team covered really well verus a good returner.
Just about us playing complementary football and playing clean football. We did that today and that's the result. That's what we expect when we do things the right way.
Q. At what point do you feel like the offense went on (indiscernible,) and what allowed it to really turn it up, especially in those last two quarters?
DEMECO RYANS: I thought our offense just stayed with it. We ran the ball well. That allowed us to continue to sustain drives. We haven't sustained drives in our previous games. We were able to win the time of possession battle, and that starts with the run game.
When you're able to be productive in the run game, backs making some nice plays, Chubb and Woody. Both guys had really nice runs. O-line did a really nice job. But when you're able to stay on track in the run game, CJ made some great decisions with the football as well that allowed us to stay on the field and stay after it.
It's the most plays we've ran in had a game offensively this year. That just shows if we stay on track, stay on schedule, we can be a productive offense.
Q. DeMeco, not only did Woody get the touchdown but Jayden Higgins gets his first touchdown today. What did you notice from him and his growth and for him to be able to get this score, monkey off the back, and add more validity to the offense?
DEMECO RYANS: It was really an outstanding play by CJ, making a check and getting to that play. Outstanding throw by him, and Higgs finishing in the end zone with the catch. Main thing about our offense, all the guys, I wanted to see them play with some excitement and enthusiasm and that's what I saw today.
Guys enjoy playing football, and that only happens when you're making plays. When you execute and make plays you can have that enthusiasm. So that's what I liked, and congrats to Higgs for getting his first touchdown as well.
Q. More on the rookies. (Regarding impacting the team. ) What would you say about the impact both rookies made?
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, both our rookies stepped up and made plays to help us win the game. That's what you expect when you're drafting rookies. Always tell rookies, let's not wait for we got time for you to wait and grow and develop. We want you to be playmakers right now. We have a lot of young guys. Tae is stepping in at left tackle; doing a good job. Noel has become our returner. He's doing a really nice job. Nice punt return today. Woody, Higgs, all these guys stepping up and making plays.
Proud of the rookie class for them sticking with it, growing, developing while also making plays.
Q. You talked since the offseason about the need to run the ball. What was the difference, kind of two part, today that allowed you guy to run the ball successfully? And also, CJ took some hits early, and for him to be able to I guess stay focused late in the game?
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, I think we say committed to the run, right? We called it. We stay committed. Caley did a good job calling it and staying with it. When you stay with it, our guys made some guys -- Woody and Chubb, they made guys miss on the second level, which we were able to get some positive runs over five yards, which allowed us to be in second and short. Third and short we were able to still run the ball. Some fourth downs we were able to convert there.
So you stay with it and you're not having a ton of negative plays like we had in our first three games, like it just shows, you can stay with the run. It allows you to have some positive plays in the run and you call more runs when you see the production that shows up.
CJ, he took couple hits there in the pocket; toughed it out; got up and kept battling. That's what we expect from him. We want to protect him better, but sometimes quarterbacks may get hit. It's about being tough, showing the resolve to continue to fight and battle for your team; he did that today.
Q. On that note, Coach, attributes CJ Stroud brings to the team. After a couple close-call games, just more on CJ, where is he at?
DEMECO RYANS: CJ is in a really good spot. Go back and watch the film, but to me felt like he made really great decisions with the football today. Probably his best game of the year so far to date.
We just want to continue to build off where we are now, the outing that he had today. Just got to keep building, stacking off that one. I was impressed with what he did today.
Q. Moment or two in the first few games from the defense that you didn't like. Is this a pretty easy one to show them and say, if we do what we're capable of this is what we can accomplish?
DEMECO RYANS: That's what I been trying to tell them. No, it's just being in the right spot. No grenades. I caught no grenades going off. Nobody is running free. Everybody was disciplined, where they were supposed to be. Yeah, they're going to make some plays. They're a good team. Cam, he got out and threw the ball back crossfield like we knew he could do.
Guys stayed with it. Kept pressing our D-line and did a great job. Did a really good job in the run game, and then our D-line caused havoc in the pass game. The guys covered really well today.
Q. How important was it to have this type of offensive performance to kind of maybe change the narrative a little bit and show these guys what this could be like?
DEMECO RYANS: Yep, for me it's not about a narrative. It's speaking what's really happening to our guys. We always look at the film and we can see what's really going on. When you play clean, that's what we talk about, got to play clean and get out of our own way so we can see what type of offense we really have.
First three games we didn't know who we are because we continued to hurt ourselves so much. So we'll see. This is a start. We'll see how we can continue to build off that. Each week presents its set of challenges. I think it's really important for guys just to go out, win a football game, have a good game, offense, defense, special teams, just to really continue to build that confidence.
Like, you got your first one. Like you can get it done. You have to get it done to kind of have that belief.
So our guys do believe in themselves, believe in each other, and we just have to keep working, keep getting better. This doesn't mean anything. We're onto the next one. We got to keep getting better throughout this week.
Q. Coach, since week one you mentioned we're close. Today go out there 26-0 shut out. Between Caley and CJ Stroud what's something you can echo to them personally? You guys came out today and played complementary football, clean football, how do you continue to get them on the same page so these performances are not too few and far between?
DEMECO RYANS: First off, it's not that we are close as a team. When I said that I'm talking about our games were close. We were right there in the game. Just didn't finish the game. When it comes to Caley and with CJ, those personal things, they'll stay personal. We're good.
Those guys did a good job today and we'll stay after it. We'll get after it again next week. Get after the game plan and put our head down and go back to work.
All right? Thank you guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports