DeMeco Ryans Says His Coaching Staff Stays All Season as Texans Sit 0-4 at Home

DeMeco Ryans is keeping his staff together through the bye, even with a Texans defense that led the NFL in yards allowed last season now sitting 18th.

by Sahil Goswami

Oct 30, 2026

DeMeco Ryans is keeping his staff together through the bye, even with a Texans defense that led the NFL in yards allowed last season now sitting 18th.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

DeMeco Ryans isn’t using the bye to shake up his staff. Asked whether the Houston Texans’ coaching staff would stay intact for the rest of the season, Ryans answered, “Yes, we will,” per Texans Wire. That came two days after a 27-21 overtime loss to the New York Giants dropped Houston to 2-5 and 0-4 at NRG Stadium.

Ryans put the blame on himself first. “It’s not good enough and it starts, first off, with me,” he said, adding, “Right now being 0-4 at home is not how we expected it to be.”

Matt Burke’s defense has slipped badly

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.

DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Keeping everyone in place means betting on defensive coordinator Matt Burke to fix a unit that has fallen off a cliff. Houston led the NFL in yards allowed last season at 277.2 per game and was second in points allowed, according to the Associated Press. With all but one starter back, the Texans now rank 18th in yards allowed and 19th in points allowed, and their takeaways have dropped from 29 last season to six.

General manager Nick Caserio was blunt about why. “We’re the worst team in the league in tackling,” Caserio said. “Too many missed tackles. Giving up too many explosive plays.” It fits what we saw against the Giants, when missed tackles sank Houston and the Texans showed a physicality problem that won’t go away. Will Anderson Jr. has done his part with 7.5 sacks, and Danielle Hunter posted the defense’s top PFF grade in the loss.

Offense isn’t the main worry. C.J. Stroud is fourth in the NFL with 1,867 passing yards and has thrown one interception in Nick Caley’s offense. “C.J. has done a fantastic job. All year he’s done a fantastic job,” Ryans said. Caserio said the two sides “were close” on an extension but “didn’t get it over the finish line.”

Close is the word for most of Houston’s season. Four of the five losses came down to the final possession, and ESPN still gives the Texans a 24.5% playoff chance. Ryans isn’t looking that far ahead. “One game at a time,” he said.