LOS ANGELES – Inside a hallway at NRG Stadium on Christmas Eve, steps away from the Texans’ locker room, Derek Stingley Jr. contemplated the question and delivered a message soaked in belief and confidence.
When the Texans were winless after three games, there was a lot of panic in the city of Houston and a disappointed and frustrated fan base. Some of it was reactionary and over the top, a sky is falling mentality. Some of the criticism, especially about a lackluster offense and questionable play-calling and personnel decisions, was on point.
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The most important thing for the Texans was sticking together and not pointing fingers. That’s easier said than done, particularly when there’s a chorus of nonstop noise and doubt. The blame game isn’t played by winning football teams.
Thirteen games later, it’s an altogether different vibe and situation surrounding a resurgent two-time defending AFC South champion. The Texans, once written off, are legitimate playoff contenders and are firmly in the hunt for a third consecutive division title under the leadership of coach DeMeco Ryans.
They’re on an NFL-leading seven-game winning streak and have won 10 of their past 12 games overall. Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The dramatic turnaround, defined by the NFL’s top-ranked defense and an absolutely loaded secondary headlined by Stingley, bookend pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, hard-hitting middle linebacker and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair and some solid moments from an inconsistent offense, is a prime example of what’s possible when a team stays the course.
“Yeah, I mean it shows that the people inside the building, we knew it was a good team from the very beginning,” Stingley told KPRC 2. “We went through all that. Once we step on the field, that’s all we got. We knew that.”
A victory Saturday over the Los Angeles Chargers, an 11-4 team led by coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback Justin Herbert and one of the league’s best defenses, means the Texans would clinch a playoff spot for the third year in a row. A tie would net the same outcome.
“I’ve always thought we were going to get things together,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “It’s not really a surprise to me, but I’m proud of these guys, regardless if we win or lose. I love my teammates. I really want to see them do well, not just as football players, but as men. But on the other side, the football thing, it’s been great to win some games. I just want to keep that going.”
A loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Indianapolis Colts combined with a Texans win over the Chargers, the team they blew out in the AFC wild-card round last January as Herbert was intercepted a career-high four times, would propel the Texans into first place the AFC South.
“That’s where you want to be in December,” Ryans said. “You want to be playing meaningful games, and that’s what this team has earned. Every week from here on out, how can you continue to improve your position?
“Right now, this is a playoff game versus the Chargers. We know they have a lot to play for; we have a lot to play for. How else would you want it? It’s an exciting time.”
A defensive battle looms largely over this game.
The Texans have allowed the fewest yards and points per game with averages of 272 yards and 16.6 points per contest.
The Chargers, led by All-Pro safety Derwin James and a stout front seven led by veteran outside linebacker Khalil Mack, rank fourth in total defense and eighth in scoring defense.
“Football players, Pro Bowl players, All-Pro players,” Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins said. “They nice over there.”
The stakes are high and this shapes up as an evenly matched game.
“Big playoff game, honestly, man, and it’s gonna put us right where we need to be at for us to make that playoff run,” Anderson said. “It means everything. We started off kind of shaky, man, but we stayed resilient. We persevered, man. We came together as a team. And look where we are now. So, we just gotta keep this thing rolling, man.
“Everybody being locked in and being on the details of their job. And I think coach has been doing a really good job, man, of just making sure that we’re staying focused on the mission. And the mission is to get in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl.”
The Texans’ path to the playoffs is clear.
Win, and they’re in.
The Texans need a stronger effort from their offense, though.
They were limited to one touchdown last week in a 23-21 win over the 2-13 Las Vegas Raiders, who lost their ninth game in a row. It was much closer than it should have been, largely because the offense struggled mightily at times to run the football and Stroud had some uncharacteristic misfires. The defense, playing without Al-Shaair, was vulnerable against the run and pass to Raiders standout rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who had 188 yards of total offense and two long touchdowns.
Stingley scored on a pick-six interception for a touchdown. And kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn booted three field goals.
The Texans offense may get a boost from the healthy return of rookie starting running back Woody Marks to work in tandem with Jawhar Jordan and Nick Chubb.
“We’ve had glimpses, we’ve made some progress, but that wasn’t the way we wanted to start it,” Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley said. “Not pleased with that. I don’t think anybody was. It wasn’t just one person, it was all of us, coaches, players. We’ve got to do a better job than that.”
The Texans are shuffling their line this week due to injuries.
Trent Brown has been ruled out with knee and ankle injuries and will be replaced by Tytus Howard at right tackle.
Rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery is trying to play through a broken thumb that required surgery with metal hardware inserted, per league sources, with a protective club. He returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis and is questionable. He traveled with the team to Los Angeles.
However, the current plan is for Blake Fisher to start in his place at left tackle. Under this scenario, Jarrett Patterson will play left guard again as he plug in for Howard with Jake Andrews at center and Ed Ingram at right guard.
The Chargers are on a four-game winning streak, including victories over the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Raiders.
No team has scored 20 points against the Chargers during that span.
They have 17 interceptions, and just 14 touchdowns yielded.
“They’re really talented, playing some good ball at the right time of the year,” Stroud said. “Something that’s a challenge for us. Derwin is a dog. Got to line up against him last year in the playoffs. He’s a heck of a player. I bet they’re motivated to knock us off just because what happened last year. So, we got to be motivated.
“They play together as one. They’re on a string in coverage, which is a good thing. They rush together. So, they do everything together. It’s really sound. They have great coaching. They do a really good job of mixing coverage and stuff like that.”
On the other side of the ball, Herbert is still haunted by his epic playoff meltdown as he was intercepted twice by Stingley.
“All the turnovers, you watch them individually and see what went wrong on this play, what you could have done differently,” Herbert said. “It’s just part of the game. Unfortunately, it really didn’t go our way, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. And, so, it’s more what can you learn from it, how can you move forward, and give everything you can to put this team in a position to win.”
The Chargers love to run the football behind rookie running back Omarion Hampton. Herbert is battling through a broken hand.
“Big personnel, want to run the ball, old-school team,” Anderson said. “Herbert’s playing his best ball right now.”
The Texans are 19th in scoring offense and total offense. It’s similar to the performance last year under former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who was fired in the off-season and replaced by Caley, a former Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots assistant in his first year calling plays.
“I think if you ask our guys, we’re tired of people downplaying us, but rightfully so, we haven’t put it on tape every game,” Stroud said. “I think we’re getting better offensively and I’m confident as ever in my guys. It’s not always going to be clean, not always going to be easy, but we’re going to continue to fight for each other, continue to push the envelope. I want one day for us to say our offense is great, as well.”
Four Texans players were named to the Pro Bowl this week: Stingley, Anderson, wide receiver Nico Collins and Al-Shaair with Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre designated as alternates.
The Pro Bowl is nice, but that’s not what the Texans are seeking.
“It’s pretty cool, but it’s not the goal,” Stingley said.
For the Texans, now is the time. This is the moment for a team that is looking for a breakthrough and a long playoff run, potentially one that matches their Super Bowl ambitions. The Texans are 0-6 all-time in the AFC divisional round. Winning a game like this one on the road would make a statement about their competitiveness in a wide-open AFC.
“What else could you ask for?” said Stroud, who grew up in Southern California in Rancho Cucamonga. “It’s going to be a heck of a game. I know they’re motivated as well to win out. So are we. So, it’s another playoff game. It’s going to be a playoff atmosphere. I’m excited. This is what NFL football is about.”
A win for the Texans on Saturday would mean they make the postseason for the third year in a row.
Only three other head coach-quarterback dues in NFL history have done so in each of their first three seasons together: Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano and quarterback Andrew Luck, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco and Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown and quarterback Otto Graham.
“For our team and where we are at this point of the season, we’ve earned the right to play a game that’s meaningful,” Ryans said. A really huge game for us that if we win, we get in. I mentioned to our guys this morning, how else would you want it? It’s such a huge opportunity that our guys have earned. Everybody understands it didn’t look great to start, but our guys stayed the course. They continued to believe in each other.
“They continue to play with the passion, the energy, what we needed to play with. They finish games the right way to put themselves in a position right here to have a win-and-get-in moment. I’m excited to see our guys go out and play this game. We really had a really good day of work today. Their mindset is right. Everybody’s energy is up. Everybody understands what’s at stake. I’m happy to be in this moment. Now we just got to go close it out.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com