Since the divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL playoffs last Saturday, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has taken on a much different tone than he had throughout the season. Even amidst the ups and downs of 2024, Ryans often struck a positive tone and was supportive, by and large, to an extreme degree sometimes, of his players and coaches.
That loss to the Chiefs, along with the constant underachievement of the offense throughout the season, seemed to break something inside Ryans, who became much more open about his anger over losing and how the product we saw on Saturday (and at other times in 2024) just wasn’t good enough.
The most glaring quote of Ryans’ frame of mind, to me, was actually one of the shortest ones, and it was a quote that was technically praise, as transcribed. When asked about offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s season in 2024, Ryans said this:
That was Monday. Today is Friday, and Bobby Slowik, as of noon today, is no longer the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans:
Indeed, the Texans are moving on from Slowik, as well as offensive line coach Chris Strasser and assistant offensive line coach Cole Popovich. Here are my thoughts on these developments:
It’s clear where the blame on the mediocre Texans’ offense sits
Look at who got whacked — the coordinator (the guy in charge of everything), and anyone else who touched the offensive line. There can be no doubt, this offense was a ragged mess largely because the guys up front couldn’t protect C.J. Stroud and and couldn’t consistently open holes in the run game. It’s worth noting that quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is still employed. He handles C.J. Stroud. The message is clear — the line was the problem, and to that end, they can’t stop this purge with just the coaches. Shaq Mason should be on the same flight out as his coaches, and serious conversations need to be had about Tytus Howard’s future with the team, especially at his current salary.
Good for DeMeco Ryans, showing he is a “war time head coach
This was my big question for Ryans — could he fire his friends? Could he be, what “Godfather” enthusiasts might call, a “war time” head coach. The answer, on the surface, appears to be a resounding “YES,” which bodes well for the future. DeMeco Ryans does NOT mess around, and this is great to see. Now, this was likely a decision that had several fingerprints on it, maybe all the way up to ownership, but ultimately, the McNairs let their people run their crews, and Ryans ripped off the Slowik Band-Aid on Friday. Good for him!
C.J. Stroud is officially on the dreaded “coordinator hamster wheel”
Now, there will be some churn, and typically, when a young quarterback starts getting different coordinators each season in their early years, it does not work out well. We have no indication on who the next coordinator will be. It could be someone who wants to run a different system, so now Stroud is exposed to starting at square one with verbiage and scheme. I am confident that Stroud won’t be a cautionary tale. He is a quick study, but the continuity that we loved so much after Slowik stuck around after last season — remember when he was a hot head coaching candidate? — is officially gone with this move.
Who’s next?
The names will be interesting. I have to imagine, with the presence of Stroud and the high level pieces at certain positions, along with working for Ryans, this will be a desirable position for any candidate. The most interesting name I’ve heard brought up (credit Seth Payne, my radio cohost for this one) is Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who was Ryans’ head coach in Philadelphia, and who is viewed as one of the best offensive minds and judges of talent in the sport.
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