The Houston Texans spent the week getting ready for J.J. McCarthy, but DeMeco Ryans made clear his worry going into Sunday is his own defense, not the quarterback the New York Giants picked. “For us, it really doesn’t matter who plays quarterback,” the Texans coach said after John Harbaugh named McCarthy the starter for the trip to Houston.
Ryans was blunter about last Sunday. Houston beat Jacksonville in the rain, but the Jaguars still put more than 30 points on his defense, the third opponent to do that this season. “We got to play better defensively, because it wasn’t good enough in our last outing,” he said.
What Ryans wants fixed
The coach pointed to two things: missed tackles, and the yards that leak out on the ground and on short throws over the middle. He praised the run defense and the front, yet said the unit has to make more plays on the ball when opponents throw. The tackling work in practice, he said, sticks to safe technique in pads rather than adding contact.
He also had respect for the new Giants starter. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft, came on for Jameis Winston against New Orleans last week and went 11 of 21 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception, adding 26 yards on two runs as New York’s late rally came up short. Ryans called him athletic and said the Giants made the right call, but insisted the plan is built around his own players’ strengths.
An offense with more pieces
The receiving corps gives Houston reasons for confidence. Ryans singled out Kayshon Boutte for catches that look easy only because he makes them so often, and he expects Marvin Harrison Jr., who played fewer than 15 snaps last week, to get a larger share. Tank Dell is back from two years away, and Ryans said there is no snap count planned for him; he simply wants to watch Dell run out of the tunnel again.
"We're gonna put stress on defenses."
HC DeMeco Ryans on the Texans WR Room pic.twitter.com/gJMelpGpFT
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 21, 2026
C.J. Stroud arrives as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, an honor Ryans called deserved. Stroud’s work with offensive coordinator Nick Caley has not changed. In the backfield, Woody Marks takes on more carries while Jawhar Jordan misses a few weeks with a quad injury. Safeties Jalen Pitre (shoulder) and Reed Blankenship (concussion) are among the players ruled out.
Where both teams stand
Houston is 2-4, with 144 points scored and 143 allowed. New York leads the NFC East at 3-2-1, with 136 points scored and 140 allowed. Both teams have their bye next week, so Sunday’s result carries into November.
What comes next
Kickoff in Houston is 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, October 25; follow it in the Game Center. After the bye, the Texans visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, November 8, and the Giants travel to Philadelphia the same day.
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