HOUSTON — General manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans said the Texans altered their offseason work after a divisional-round loss to the New England Patriots that extended Houston’s franchise struggles in the second round. The defeat dropped the Texans’ all-time divisional-round record to 0-7 and marked the third straight year the team exited in the second round under Ryans.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in the 28-16 loss, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and running back Woody Marks recorded a fumble. Houston’s defense forced three turnovers by North Carolina’s Drake Maye (two fumbles and an interception) in the game. The unit finished the regular season ranked first in fewest yards allowed (277.2) and second in fewest points allowed (17.2).
Caserio said the root cause of the postseason defeats was execution. “In the end we didn’t execute well enough,” he said. “You can’t turn the ball over five times in the divisional round. Taking care of the football is the single most important stat correlated to winning.”
Ryans outlined a different emphasis during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, focusing on being a smarter team and adding physicality in the trenches. Walk-through reps prioritized players being in the right spots for the playcall, and there were limited 11-on-11 simulations outside of two-minute and third-down situations — the scenarios that have proven costly in key games.
The Texans cited several small errors that compounded into losses. In 2024 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston moved to the Chiefs’ 25 with 41 seconds left in the first half before Stroud was sacked and guard Shaq Mason was flagged for holding on the next play, resulting in a third-and-23 and a field goal instead of a potential touchdown. The Texans later lost that game 23-14 after a missed extra point. In January against New England, Stroud’s fourth interception near the Patriots’ 49 with two minutes remaining in the half again halted momentum.
Ryans said pre-snap communication has been the area of greatest improvement. “Offensively, defensively, communication has been lights out,” he said, adding that schematic continuity — the second year in the offense and fourth year in the defense — and veteran leadership have helped players handle more.
