There isn’t any doubt that the Texans’ trek within the AFC playoffs appears completely different.
Little question it feels extra daunting, if for no different motive than the Texans should make it as a wild-card group. Their path to the Tremendous Bowl is on the highway. And it begins within the first-ever playoff primetime Monday Evening slot towards Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers – the primary time the Texans aren’t enjoying within the compulsory Saturday afternoon wild-card playoff spot.
However these aren’t the one causes this one feels completely different.
This group is completely different in its third consecutive playoff run underneath third-year coach DeMeco Ryans. These Texans are extra centered, grittier, and extra decided to make the deepest playoff run in franchise historical past this time round.
It’s playoff time for the Texans, however reality be informed, they’ve needed to be in a postseason mindset for the previous couple of months, needing virtually each victory of their franchise-record nine-game successful streak simply to make it to the playoffs.
“Nothing shifts for us in the case of our mindset. Our mindset by no means modifications,” Ryans mentioned to the Defender after Sunday’s 38-30 regular-season finale win over AFC South rival Indianapolis. “We don’t flip it up as a result of we’re within the playoffs. We proceed to grind out, put the work in, do what we’ve got to do to observe rather well all through the week. Regardless of who our opponent is, we acquired to have a fantastic week of observe, and that exhibits up at any time when that recreation is. How we work all through the week, it’ll present up then. Our course of and mindset doesn’t change.”
In different phrases, the Texans are standing on enterprise this time round.
They aren’t simply glad to be within the playoffs, and a third-straight wild-card spherical victory and yet one more AFC Divisional spherical exit gained’t get it this time.
Regardless of a disappointing 0-3 begin to the season, these three years of constructing underneath Ryans have set the stage for one thing larger this time round. The Texans boast probably the greatest and hardest defenses within the NFL, led by defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
Everyone knows that protection wins championships.
The overwhelming perception is that this group is best ready to make a deep run in these playoffs.
“After we broke it down, I informed them: ‘We’re 4 video games away from being world champions,” Anderson mentioned. “No matter it’s important to sacrifice, no matter it’s important to quit, don’t look too far forward, however actually be within the second, actually have a look at what we’re striving for’
“Look what we’re going in the direction of. I believe all people’s been doing a extremely good job with that. Man, we’re a few video games away from being precisely the place we need to be at.”
And that has the whole lot to do with these final character-building weeks through which the Texans strung collectively the league’s longest successful streak. Not often was it good, however in these wins, the Texans got here by with the important thing performs for the victory. They stayed true to that components all the way in which till the top.
“The expertise that we do have from me having slightly extra expertise, to our protection, our offense, our particular groups, our coaches, entrance workplace, all people, we all know what it takes to win these video games,” third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud mentioned. “That’s a extremely, actually stable execution plan and executing the little issues.
“As a result of all people thinks you go to the playoffs, you bought to do extraordinary stuff. It’s actually… the group that does the bizarre stuff higher than the opposite group wins. I believe, for me, I acquired to make completions, handle the ball. I believe once we have a look at the top of the sport, whoever, at any time when we play, we’ll see our consequence and see what occurs there.”
