After a brutal drubbing like the Houston Texans just suffered at the Minnesota Vikings‘ hands, any coach would be terrified to go out there and face the press. Good on DeMeco Ryans then, for having had the courage to be honest about what happened out there on the field tonight. The crushing 34-7 defeat has certainly humbled the Houston Texans, after they made it to the Playoffs last year for the first time since 2019. The slump period in the post-pandemic is certainly one they’d prefer to forget, but tonight was a grim reminder. Failure is only as far away as your mistakes, after all.

When asked about the game, the Texans’ head coach was level-headed. He was a good sport, first acknowledging that the Vikings were in their element tonight. He praised their playmaking, and admitted that they ran circles around them on the field. But then came the painful admission. “We didn’t do anything to help ourselves,” Ryans said, about his team’s sloppy performance on the field. Speaking of the number of penalties they’d conceded, he called it “Unacceptable, you can’t win that way.” Over the course of the game, the Texans committed 11 penalties, giving up 88 yards.

And Ryans is right. At this level of play, with so much on the line, it is simply unacceptable to lose so much to penalties. “We have something positive going, and then we negate it by the penalties,” the coach later said. With the momentum disrupted and the tides shifted, of course defeat is inevitable.

It is to be noted that the Minnesota Vikings weren’t immune either, they committed 5 penalties, losing 30 yards. Fans of the NFL who’ve been around for a while might remember the Oakland Raiders‘ record 23 penalties in 2016. Playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the penalties alone cost the team 200 yards that day.

What does tonight’s performance mean for the Texans’ campaign?

The Houston Texans, as they stood on the field of play today, were in disarray. In the very first quarter, they were 14-0 after magic man Sam Darnold managed to get two touchdowns past them. That demoralizing effect at the start is not to be underestimated. And then, of course, the false start penalties. Tragedy heaped upon tragedy, three in a row, pushing them back from the 25-yard line to the 40-yard line.

But it has to be acknowledged their defeat comes at the tail end of a two game win streak. And sure, they weren’t convincing wins, especially the 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts. But fans would have hoped the momentum would carry over. Coach DeMeco Ryan, only in his second year with the Texans, really has been trying to turn things around for them. And by and large, he has been successful. He’s a former player for the Houston Texans, playing middle linebacker for six years, and being one of the best to play in that position for them. He has an understanding of the team, and from the way he spoke to the press, a respect for his players.

It’s easy for a coach to offload blame, but he seems to be taking this as a failure of the team as a whole, not singling out players. Hopefully, with a mature head leading them, the Texans will pick their hot streak up again. For now, here’s hoping.

If you’re keen on keeping up to date with the latest trends in the NFL this season, be sure to check out our latest Think Tank Exclusive, featuring Doug Sanders.