The Houston Texans have just made a splash, as they have hired DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach.
Ryans, who has spent the last two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, apparently has a big fan in pass rusher J.J. Watt.
LET’S GOOOOOOO!!!!!!
You want to reenergize and reignite the incredible Houston fan base, this is a hell of a start!!
Cannot wait to see what Meco does.
One of the best teammates & leaders I’ve ever been around. #HTown
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 31, 2023
The Texans haven’t made the playoffs since the 2019 season, which was quarterback Deshaun Watson’s penultimate year with them, and they could use a big shot in the arm to speed up their rebuilding process.
Ryans first joined the 49ers in 2017 as part of an overhaul of the organization, and he started out as a defensive quality control coach.
After three more years as an inside linebackers coach, he got promoted to defensive coordinator, and his handiwork has been easy to observe.
The Niners went from 17th in points allowed and fifth in total yards allowed in 2020 to ninth and third in both categories, respectively, in Ryans’ first season as defensive coordinator.
This year, the team ranked first in both departments, and they have been universally regarded as the best defense in the NFL.
The Texans, on the other hand, ranked 27th in points allowed and 30th in total yards allowed, and they finished just 3-13-1.
With a huge lack of offensive weapons, defense is where they can make their mark and regain respectability in 2023.
From 2006 to 2011, Ryans was a standout middle linebacker for Houston, as they went from a fledgling expansion franchise to a playoff team in his last year there.
He made the Pro Bowl twice with the Texans while also winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2006.
NEXT: NFL Insider Reveals Tuesday DeMeco Ryans Update
