HOUSTON -- The standard for the Houston Texans’ defense under coach DeMeco Ryans is perfection.
For example, let’s rewind to Aug. 8, when lightning delayed a Saturday night practice, but once the weather calmed down, fans flooded the practice field to see a monsoon of domination from the Texans’ defense.
The defense brought sacks, intercepted quarterback C.J. Stroud twice and allowed minimal yardage throughout the evening. But it was a few positive offensive plays that frustrated defensive coordinator Matt Burke, calling his unit’s performance “OK” despite ruling the day.
“I wasn’t happy with the way we started practice, to be honest with you,” Burke said.
How did Houston’s defense start that evening? They allowed one rushing first down and a Stroud completion that was close to a first down. The rest of the practice turned into a highlight reel for the defense.
“We’re chasing perfection,” Burke said. “I know no one gets there, but we’re chasing it. We want to be better than we were last year.”
Ryans knows it’s a process, but to “achieve the ultimate goal,” they have to execute -- and passing last year’s success isn’t something they shy away from.
Last season, the Texans finished 12-5, but their defense was No. 1 in yards allowed (277 per game), No. 2 in points allowed (17.4) and third in forced turnovers (29) while tormenting opposing quarterbacks.
“It’s a build to get there,” Ryans said. “We’re not afraid of the work that it takes to be put in to get there, and that’s what we’re achieving day by day.”
The unit stood the test last season, whether it was the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes or Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold, the Texans forced Pro Bowl signal-callers into a combined eight turnovers.
The performance against Allen was on primetime and was the best one. It featured eight sacks (a career high for the Buffalo quarterback), and safety Calen Bullock forced three turnovers (two interceptions and a forced fumble).
Individual accolades poured in for the defense as a result.
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., defensive end Will Anderson Jr., linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and Bullock were all named to the Pro Bowl. Defensive end Danielle Hunter was a second-team All-Pro selection, along with Stingley and Anderson earning first-team honors.
But instead of focusing on their achievements, the Texans are working to improve in the areas where they fell short.
“You never want to stay the same. Like if you stay the same, you’re getting worse,” Lassiter told ESPN. “Whenever you look back at last year, look at the plays that we made, and then you really look at the plays that we didn’t make, it’s like, ‘How can I make those plays?’ And once you look at it that way, there’s so many ways you can get better.”
This offseason, they didn’t make many changes to the defense, just minor adjustments.
The biggest move was taking another swing at a Philadelphia Eagles safety following the failed acquisition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson (released after three games) last offseason by signing Reed Blankenship to a three-year $24 million contract. Houston also drafted Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald in the second round.
So for the most part, the same stars and coaches will be leading the charge.
“It’s just about the work we put in every day,” Al-Shaair said. “You can’t climb that mountain on Day 1, but you also can’t look back either. It’s just taking it one day at a time, one step at a time, and we’re on the right track.”
