Houston Texans at the Bye Week — Coaching Staff Report Card

It’s the Houston Texans bye week this week, so their 2-3 record is going to hang around until next Monday, when they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in a very late (in Houston, at least) Monday Night Football game. That game begins a stretch of four tough games — Seattle, and then three straight home games versus San Francisco, Denver,m and Jacksonville. 

The Texans’ record is one of the stranger 2-3 records, in terms of emotion. If you had told me before the season that the Texans would be 2-3 going into the bye week, blindly, I would have predicted major disappointment. However, the fact that the two wins are the most recent two games, plus they included a win over the Ravens, means Texan fans have some pep in their collective step. 

So, with no game to analyze or recap on a Monday, let’s give out grades for the coaching staff on how they’ve done so far this season. Without further ado here are my report cards, five games in, for head coach DeMeco Ryans, and his three coordinators. Here we go: 

DeMECO RYANS, Head Coach — GRADE: B-

Of all the people being graded in this article, Ryans is the one whose grade should most be tied to the disappointing 2-3 record. After all, he is the head coach. So why is his grade not in the C or D range, if the team has a poor record? For me, I like the way Ryans has evolved as a head coach this season. I think he’s been quicker to pull the plug on players who are underperforming, and his delegating the defensive play calling to Matt Burke has been a major success, even if Ryans himself chooses to underplay its importance. The wins will come. 

NICK CALEY, Offensive Coordinator — GRADE: C-

If we were doing this report card after three games, the grade would have been an unequivocal F. The Texans were averaging the fewest points in the league, and C.J. Stroud looked like he was being held hostage at press conferences. The last two games have given big reasons for hope that this offense can be good enough to win games, make the playoffs, and maybe even take the team to an AFC title game. Stroud won the AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 5, for his 244-yard, four touchdown passing performance versus the Ravens. The Texans ran the ball capably. For now, Caley’s body of work as the play caller and architect is a C-, but if I were guessing his year end grade, I’d guess it will be in the B range. 

MATT BURKE, Defensive Coordinator — GRADE: A

There’s not a ton to say here with Burke. The Texans’ defense is, far and away, by four points a game, the best scoring defense in football, and they’ve lived up to every bit of the hype. If anything, there is probably more room to improve, as they’ve only forced six turnovers in five games, and they haven’t had a ton of sacks. They are bound to improve in both of those areas over the next several weeks. There is too much talent not to. In Burke’s two games calling plays, the opposing teams have scored a total of ten points. This is an easy A. 

FRANK ROSS, Special Teams Coordinator — GRADE: A-

Frank Ross’ special teams units have been a model of consistency and high level performance since he arrived here in 2021. Ross’ energy is infectious. He is perfect in his role. This season, the Texans’ special teams have been excellent, leading the NFL in Expected Points Added per snap. The only reason for downtick from an A to an A- is that, while they were the reason the Texans hung around in the loss to Tampa Bay, they were not great in the other two Texans losses, to the Rams and Jaguars. Still, I would not trade Frank Ross for any other special teams coach in the NFL. 

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