DeMeco Ryans, Texans playoff goal within reach

The Texans and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans are on the verge of reaching the playoffs with a win against the Colts.

The Texans and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans have come a long way, and if they can put together another strong 60 minutes of football tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium, they will have achieved a level that few people expected when training camp began in late July.

A win on Saturday night in the prime time showdown against the Colts would secure the Texans' ticket to the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2019.

"We're really excited about our opportunity and what this game means for us to earn a spot in the playoffs," Ryans told the media earlier this week.

"Whether it's prime time or not, it doesn't matter to us. We just want to go out and play good football. Play our brand of football, execute and just play clean," Ryans added.

The Texans are far from being a healthy football team, but every NFL club can say the same thing at this time of year. Receiver Noah Brown and Defensive End Jonathan Greenard have already been ruled out. Several others are banged up but expected to play as our Click2Houston.com Texans Insider Aaron Wilson has reported.

Despite dealing with injuries throughout the season, Ryans has kept his team locked in with his philosophy that when someone goes down, it's the next man up mentality to get the job done. They enter Saturday at 9-7, securing a winning season in Ryans' first year at the helm.

The partnership with General Manager Nick Caserio has been a key reason why the Texans are where they are as they enter week 18. The Head Coach and GM link is critical for any NFL franchise to be successful, and they are now reaping the rewards.

"Nick has done a great job when it comes to roster management," said Ryans. "Adding players throughout the offseason, throughout the draft process me and Nick have worked step in step."

"We talk about every decision before it's made and we make sure we're on the same page and I always say this- it works well when you see football the same. You know what types of players you're looking for, the skillset you're looking for and we are both on the same page when it comes to that. We've worked well together throughout the entire year," added Ryans.

Tonight, Houston will go after a 10th victory and earn the chance to continue playing meaningful playoff football in January. That said, there's no motivation that's needed.

"There's really not a lot to be said. I think for players everybody understands where we are," said Ryans. "They understand what this game means so there's not going to be a lot a coach has to say to get a guy up for a game like this."

"It's going to be a faster-paced game and a little more physical. Guys have to understand that. They've done a great job all year and for us to be right here at the same spot vying to get in with this playoff opportunity- man, what a great matchup between two teams."

Join us for our Live Texans Pre-game special on KPRC 2+ from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.