DeMeco Ryans took the blame first and left his options open after the New York Giants beat his Houston Texans 27-21 in overtime on Sunday, saying he is not yet ready to decide on changes during the bye week that now arrives with his team at 2-5.
The defeat was Houston’s fourth in four home games this season, and it came seven days after a 34-31 win over Jacksonville in London had suggested the season might be turning. Ryans, speaking to reporters at NRG Stadium, refused to frame it as bad luck. “As I reflect on everything, it all starts with me,” he said.
#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans: 'As I reflect on everything, it all starts with me. As a competitor, we're not getting the job done'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 25, 2026
Third downs, flags and tackling
Ryans went through the problems one by one. His offense converted three of its 12 third downs, a rate he said does not win games. His team was flagged 10 times for 80 yards, and he warned that if the same mistakes keep coming, the answer may be new people in those roles rather than more of the same.
The defense he built his reputation on drew the sharpest words. Houston let Cam Skattebo run for 124 yards on 17 carries, and the game ended when Skattebo broke a 42-yard run on the first snap of overtime and Devin Singletary scored from 30 yards on the next. Ryans said the tackling was not good enough, that several defenders reached the ball carrier at the point of attack without bringing him down, and that this is a new season with a new group that simply has to play better. A week earlier he had already said the defense was not good enough in the win at Wembley.
Asked about the season as a whole, he kept it simple. “No magical elixir is going to drop out of the sky,” Ryans said, adding that coaches and players both have to own the record and work their way out through blocking, tackling and the run game.
One bright moment, and a long injury list
Ryans did find one thing to enjoy. Tank Dell played for the first time since December 2024, and the coach called his return an electric moment for the building, praised the explosive catch Dell made and said it was only the beginning for the receiver.
The bye also comes at a useful time medically. Running back David Montgomery, nickel defender Jalen Pitre, safety Reed Blankenship and right tackle Blake Fisher all missed the game, and receiver and returner Jaylin Noel was in a walking boot afterward with a turf toe injury.
C.J. Stroud echoed his coach after the game, calling the stalled third downs drive killers and saying the team will tune out the noise that comes with a 2-5 start.
What comes next
Houston has two weeks before a 4:05 p.m. EST kickoff against the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 8. When Ryans was asked whether staff or lineup changes are coming during the break, his answer was that he is not there yet, which leaves the next 14 days as a review of where the season stands. The Giants, now 4-2-1, also go into their bye before a trip to Philadelphia on the same day.
Every scoring play is in the Giants-Texans Game Center, and the club’s schedule, roster and results are on the Texans team page.
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