HOUSTON — Before training camp opened, coach DeMeco Ryans delivered a speech beneath a large image of the Artemis II spacecraft and listed the mission crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Ryans cited the April 1 flight around the moon as the first such mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 and noted it was a 10-day mission in which the crew “went further” and returned safely to Earth.
Ryans used the historical feat as a metaphor for his roster, saying the program laid years of groundwork to make the launch possible and comparing that preparation to what Houston could do this season. He suggested the team could reach heights it never has, including reaching the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history and winning the Super Bowl. “The preparation that it took for Artemis II to launch, it took three years for that mission to take place, and that’s the beauty of it,” Ryans said.
Owner Cal McNair has stated the franchise wants to play “in the very last game,” and All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. called the Texans a “Super Bowl team” in the offseason. Ryans, when asked about expectations, said only that he knows “high expectations” and added, “That’s why we do what we do to achieve the ultimate goal.”
The staff and players have emphasized a daily process. Quarterback C.J. Stroud said the expectation is to take it “one day at a time, one play at a time,” and cornerback Kamari Lassiter described the season as a marathon, calling training camp the beginning and urging the team to improve daily while attacking each day like it may not have another.
Houston believes the roster has the pieces to reach those goals. The Texans have a quarterback who has played at a Pro Bowl level, running back David Montgomery, offensive-line additions including first-round pick Keylan Rutledge, tackle Braden Smith and guard Wyatt Teller, and wide receiver Nico Collins, a multiple-time Pro Bowler. The defense features three All-Pros — cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., Danielle Hunter and Anderson — and three other Pro Bowlers in Azeez Al-Shaair, Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock. Last season Houston allowed the fewest yards (277.2 per game) and the second-fewest points (17.4) in the NFL. Ryans closed with a reminder that success requires preparation: “We don’t launch tomorrow. You don’t just get there just by talking about it. You got to put the work in, and that’s the main message.”
