Demeco Ryans - Head Coach, texans Event: Media Availability | Date: 2026-09-09 | Full transcript (primary source).
Demeco Ryans addressed the media during a press conference for the Houston Texans on September 9, 2026, ahead of their first game of the season. This event marks a significant moment as Ryans discusses the team's preparations and expectations, emphasizing the changes and new strategies implemented since his arrival.
Transcript
Ryans: What's up full house, let's go. With this being our first game anything goes any looks any type of schemes anything can come up. So for that reason I don't put a lot of weight into the games that we play prior also with this team new head coach, right? New defensive coordinator new special teams coordinator there will be a ton of different looks that we've had in the past two years. So just to say oh what we did the past two years is what's work rinse and repeat. That's not it. Right. We got to be prepared and ready for anything. We got to trust our rules trust so we've done during training camp trust our training and put the ball down. Let's go to work.
Ryans: He hasn't played the previous two times you guys have matched up is a man really disruptive player, right? He's done it for a while. Very disruptive. He will he can wreck a game by playing, you know, violent in the backfield making plays sideline to sideline is a really good player. It's been a good player for a long time. So a guy we have to put a hat on every single time.
Unknown: Camp how eager are you to see him play for your team in a real game?
Ryans: I'm very eager to see Montgomery, you know get out there for the first time, you know behind his offensive line. He's done a great job of leading, you know inspiring guys and just the way he works the way he carries himself. It's been a pleasure to work with him. So I'm excited to see him finally get in some real action with our guys and I know he'll be fun to watch.
Unknown: My different has been for you and your staff preparing to start a decision at home instead of going in the road like it has happened?
Ryans: Preparation is preparation. So whether we're home or away it's good to have a home game to start the season first time for me being here starting the season at home. But hey, we got to go play good football and we're excited to be in front of our home fans for the first time open it up for our 2026 Texans to showcase what we're all about against a really good opponent. It's gonna be a great matchup. I've seen guys get ready for a really good football game. They're a really good team. They're coached well, they'll be prepared. Our team's a good team. We're prepared. So I mean you gotta love the NFL is back. We got a great matchup to start the year. Hey, let's get it.
Unknown: How do you greet the margin of error coming into the first game?
Ryans: With the first game you just have to be dialed in on the fundamentals right protecting the football. That's the main thing for me. We have to make sure we protect the football really well. Tackling is always an issue can be an issue the first games. You got to make sure you're putting guys on the ground finishing some of our guys haven't had live tackling reps. So we just got to make sure we're secure in our tackling make sure it's not just one guy trying to make it but we're all running to the football, but it's just you got to make sure you play clean in that first game, right? The team that plays the cleanest right the team that doesn't make the most mistakes. You don't beat yourself. All right, this one you have opportunity to win this game.
Unknown: Scene from Kaitlin Bullock from now to when y'all first proud of men?
Ryans: Kaitlin has really grown from a communication standpoint. He does a great job with talking getting everybody on the same page in the back end because we asked a lot of those guys and Kaitlin has, you know, taken that by the horn done a really good job and making sure everybody's dialed in together. And it's just his confidence. It's at an all-time high and I'm excited to see him go play, right? It's everybody knows his range has been great. He's improved every year improve this tackling from year one to year two. We know the ball hawk that he is and I'm excited to see this kid go have a great year.
Unknown: Philosophy how important is to you not over complicate things and so you guys can play fast and not be thinking out there?
Ryans: It's football, baby. You don't overcomplicate. You put the ball down and make sure our guys are confident. All right, we again we tell our defensive guys we got a lot of film that we've watched but they can do anything. All right, but we just just trust each other go out there play fast. It doesn't you know for us. We don't have to do a ton we just have to do what we do and do it well, and that's my philosophy. That's what I believe in and just making sure our guys are on the detail eliminating the explosive plays.
Ryans: Buffalo was I think top two in explosive plays last year. So for them adding DJ more getting that explosive threat downfield, we know that's gonna be an emphasis of theirs this year. We just got to make a play when the ball is up in the air. We got to find a way to make a play and we got as we all know get out there, you know the quarterback as best we can he's a great player. We have great rushers. It's gonna be a really good match.
Unknown: And from Jalen I've seen that confidence started to continue to build just him getting out there. He's had he's missed some time unfortunately with injury, but just seeing him be out there stay out there that's allowed him to just gain, you know, some better confidence with the offense. So he's looking good. It's looking good as a returner for us as well expecting him to do big things for us as a returner. So I'm just excited to see him out there staying out there. And that's what we have to try to keep him there all year.
Unknown: Go and then just for his return to Houston for the first time since 2019?
Ryans: As a David is back at practice all of our guys are out there working which is a great thing to start the season having all the guys available and ready to go and Jadaven has done a good job. He's worked himself back. He'll be ready to go.
Unknown: Obviously, you know Josh is one of the best players at creating out of structure and making explosive play that you pointed to. You know talk to in that particular thing. But from your perspective you guys have been able to kind of contain that past couple of times you have to play them. So what's kind of that balance of you know in a sense forcing him into creation mode but also knowing that you've had success but also knowing that that's also his strength to what's kind of that balance that you kind of think about going to the game?
Ryans: If rose the balance starts with we can't hang our head on past success. My past success is not gonna, you know, automatically guarantee you future success. So we got to go out and we have to earn it. And that's one thing that Josh and his offense is gonna make you do they're gonna make you earn every play that you make. And that's how we like it. That's how we should be and our guys are up for that challenge. We know we have to cover longer than we do versus other quarterbacks. You got the rush a little bit longer just knowing it's not it's not gonna happen as quick as other teams. It's just got to take time guys have to be patient. You have to make sure you're plastering and coverage being responsible being where you're supposed to be. When you do that, you have opportunities to make plays or Josh is a good player. He's gonna make some plays but we have to just find a way to make more than he makes.
Unknown: Is it something spectacular that you've seen from him in training camp at the build-up or is it just steady day by day?
Ryans: What I love about CJ's growth and his progress that he's been steady. He's been consistent. He's continued to grow. Just seeing him grow as a leader saying the way he's operating in the offense. I man I'm fired up to see him just go play. No, there's a lot being said about CJ man. He's done a great job the past three years. We've made the playoffs every year because we've had a talented young quarterback who's led us to the playoffs. Right and I'm thankful to have him as our quarterback. He's done a great job for him. He's taking a huge step this year in growth and now it's time to go show.
Unknown: Yeah, potentially have two young guys that could be starting for you on that offensive line. What is that learning curve for both of those guys in Rutledge and Ursary?
Ryans: Don't overcomplicate it. Block the man in front of you be sound in your assignments. Communicate the right way and play physical and aggressive as those guys play. That's it. We got those are two good young football players that we're thankful to have on our team. They've done a good job all training camp. And I know that's what they'll do the lights won't be too big for them. They're gonna go out and do what they've done all training camp be consistent play physical and finish the right way.
Unknown: They said that one of the main things that him and keeling discuss is just going out hitting some.
Ryans: I love it. That's one thing I hang my hat on we're gonna play with physicality. That's one thing I believe in and that's what football is about. You got to play physical. It's a physical game tough game for tough people. You're not tough and it's not a place for you.
Unknown: How do you feel like he's coming along cadence?
Ryans: He's come along really good. He's improved each week. He's gotten better what we've asked him to do and you know still a young ascending player. But he's done a good job of what we've asked him to do and you know he has more to him than just being a run player. But we have a feel like we have a really good rotation with our defensive tackles. We have some depth there that probably the best depth that we've had since I've been here. So just excited with that group with them different amount of guys we can mix in have different combinations out there. I think it'll be a really strong part of our defense this year.
Unknown: But you just did you've been around this game for a long time as a player and as a coach and the season starts today.
Ryans: No, man, I'm let's go like it's here. I can't wait to watch it see what's happening, man. I'm well, I think this I don't know is this year 20 for me in NFL. But man, it never gets old the excitement the build-up of the season openers. It never gets old. I'm as fired up as all of our fans are fired up about the season opening up on a Wednesday. Hey, let's get roll.
Ryans: I'm a one-take guy.
Unknown: Now that was that was a fun fun opportunity for me to shoot the Manning cast I'm thankful for those guys allowing me to be a part of that and you know the other coaches I was able to work with but they do a really great job with a man and cast known Peyton for a long time for the amount of touchdowns he scored on me. Um, he should let me get a little get back by getting the man and cast. But that was that was a fun. That was a fun fun deal for me to do that.
Unknown: That was that was at the NFL annual meetings. Yeah.
Unknown: Knowing the last couple of weeks there's been speeches you go to the team that have a NASA theme to it. Yeah, is there something you have planned this week coming with week one with another something with with NASA involved as well?
Ryans: For me it's you know it started with the NASA build-up with NASA being in our backyard here in Houston and just really wanted to tie the two together, right because Houston is about community Houston is about us being together. So it was a thought it was a really good way to correlate us preparing right for training camp getting ready just like Artemis 2 they prepare they got ready. It took them time right for that build up and for that moment and now, you know come Sunday it's time for the takeoff and that's the next part of the message. Hey, how are we taking off on Sunday?
Unknown: You anticipate from him this year in the second year running the system?
Ryans: If we're Kaylee like for anyone right the second time doing it he's much more comfortable with what he's doing. He knows what he wants. He knows how he wanted to look. So just him just having that command him coaching up his coaches, right? Everybody's on the same page. He's doing a great job of communicating and leading the offensive group coaches and players. So I'm fired. He's fired up practice today. He's fired up barking a guy.
Unknown: So some of the guys were talking about how you had them eat and lunch with each other like defense well offense tight ends linebackers, whatever did you get involved in that at all? Is there anything that you learned especially unique different about somebody you didn't know?
Ryans: Yeah, the biggest thing for for me and training camp is how do you like force that interaction amongst the player? Right and now is the main thing is it's getting different. It's easy for the linebackers to always eat together with linebackers. They meet together. So you just kind of have to force that interaction and I'm happy our guys, you know, it took it serious. Well, we had our breakout sessions of different groups eating lunch together meeting together just getting to dive in and learn each other a little bit better. I think that was beneficial towards our growth as a team for 2026 and I feel like our guys gained a lot of insight from that.
Unknown: So grateful for the opportunity and to be here and he said that he doesn't even have any expectations on himself he's just going out to play that's the kind of latitude you guys have given him. What do you expect from him?
Ryans: I like to hear that from Brevin and just go be free be himself and just play football right don't put any pressure on himself to achieve anything grand. It's just a matter of Brevin like staying out there being consistent. We know he's missed a lot of time. You know, his past two years has been a rough go for him. But it's great to see him just on the practice field working. All right, and he just keeps working doing what he has to do. We know he can help our team.
Ryans: All right. Thank you guys.
