In any rebuilding football program, college or pro, they say that the third season is really the harbinger of what things will look like, moving forward. By the third season, the thought is that the head coach and GM have filled the building with “their guys” and the program is in place. If it doesn’t look so hot, that’s a bad sign. If it looks good, then HURRAY!
So far, for DeMeco Ryans, his first two seasons as Texans head coach have probably exceeded the expectations that most fans would have had when he took over in January 2023. Two 10-win seasons, two division titles, two wild card round wins. I think most Texan fans would have signed up for that on the day Ryans was hired.
However, the success in 2023 seemed to recalibrate expectations in 2024, and despite a nearly identical outcome as 2023, 2024 left a bad taste in Texans fans’ mouths, largely because the offense took a huge step backwards. So, as the Texans travel to Los Angeles on Friday for Sunday’s season opener against the Rams, the Texans’ offense sits front of mind in things to watch for:
4. New era for the offensive line and C.J. Stroud
The Texans’ new offensive scheme, under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, features four new starting offensive linemen, all being coached by new offensive line coach Cole Popovich. That’s a LOT of new! Add in the injury to starting running back Joe Mixon, and NEW starter Nick Chubb gets his first action as a Texan! The one constant is quarterback C.J. Stroud, who will be getting more control pre-snap, at the line of scrimmage, before plays, something he’s been dying to get. The fly in the ointment for all of this is the Rams’ DEFENSIVE line, which is one of the best in the sport. The Texans have to keep Stroud clean on Sunday, if the offense is going to lead the Texans to victory.
3. Texans corners vs Rams wide receivers
Ultimately, it’ll be the two defenses that probably decide this game, and the juiciest matchup between one team’s offensive players and the other’s defensive players, is the matchup of the Rams top two wide receivers against the Texans’ top two cornerbacks. DeMeco Ryans loves to use his corners in man coverage, and Stingley and Lassiter are good enough to take on that assignment. It will be interesting to see if Ryans has Stingley tail the Rams’ top wide receiver, because I’m not sure who that is, between Nadia and Adams. This will be the best matchup of the day, though.
2. Matthew Stafford
Staying with the Texans’ defensive theme, it is absolutely incumbent upon Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter to remind Rams QB Matthew Stafford that he is playing with a ragged disc in his lower back. Supposedly, Stafford has been taking epidurals throughout the offseason, but I’m guessing one Will Anderson car crash hit can overcome whatever medicine Stafford has injected into his back. My hope is that Hunter and Anderson wear out Stafford to where we see Rams backup QB JJimmy Garoppolo at some point.
1. Head coaching matchup
Ryans and McVay have yet to face off as head coaches in the NFL, other than a preseason game last year. In the regular season, they’ve not faced off. Ryans, however, has gone up against McVay as the Niners defensive coordinator five times, back in 2021 and 2022, four in the regular season and one in the postseason. Here’s how it went:
Sean McVay has gone up against a Demeco Ryans defense 5 times in 2021-22.
In those 5 games, the Rams are 1-4 and score an average of 15.4 ppg. The Texans defense ranked 6th in EPA/play last season.
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) September 3, 2025
These are two head coaches who call plays on their respective side of the ball. As fun as the physical matchup will be between the Texans’ corners and Rams’ receivers, the chess game between the two head coaches should be phenomenal.
SPREAD: Texans +3.5
PREDICTION: Texans 23, Rams 17
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