The Texans' defense made a strong statement in a Thursday Night Football victory over the Buffalo Bills, sacking Josh Allen eight times and intercepting him twice. It was arguably their most impressive performance of the year in a game they absolutely needed to have in order to keep their playoff chances rosy.
DeMeco Ryans's unit has given up the fewest yards per game and points per game of any defense in the NFL. And they've proven to the coach that they know what they're doing. As such, they didn't need a big rah-rah speech or special instruction before going out and authoring the game-sealing stop, which came via a Caleb Bullock interception with 24 seconds remaining in regulation.
"With our defense, I don't have to say much to the guys," Ryans told reporters after he was asked if he delivered a message before the series. "Just keep doing what you've been doing. That's the beauty of the guys we have, the leaders that we have."
DeMeco Ryans claims he didn't have to say much to his top-rated defense before the final moments of a Thursday night #Texans win over Buffalo. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/ECMuKtiuRl
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) November 21, 2025
Ryans shouted out Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair as those who help spearhead the impressive group.
"They know the moment," he said. "They understand the moment and they're ready for those moments. And they went out and they proved why they're ready for those moments. Everybody was calm. Everybody played together. Everybody was exactly where they're supposed to be and I'm just proud of the guys."
With the pivotal victory Houston moves to 6-5 and closer to a wild-card spot. They face two consecutive road tests next with Indianapolis and Kansas City, which will determine if that playoff outlook gets better or worse.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated