Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said following Colts win

Here's everything Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said following Sunday's 20-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts, including an update on defensive back Jaylen Reed, an early look at Kansas City and what went right in the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Question: On the decision to go for it on fourth down on the next to last offensive drive

DeMeco Ryans: “During that series, we were driving the ball down. I felt really good about how we were driving the ball. Honestly, on the first third down, I felt like we got it, I felt we had really good movement and I told the guys to do it again. Being aggressive there, that's my call as the head coach, I'm aggressive. Hey, it didn't work. That happens sometimes, but it's not going to stop me from being aggressive.”

Q: On what factors into those decisions

Ryans: “There are always numbers, analytics, but it's also a feel. When I see our guys move the pile there on 3rd-and-1 like they moved it, I feel like we could have did it again. So, I'm not going back on that decision now.”

Q: On if there was any consideration to challenge the spot

Ryans: “They already confirmed it, so I couldn't have challenged it at that point.”

Q: On S Jaylen Reed’s status

Ryans: “With Jaylen Reed, we'll see how he continues to progress with the arm injury. I don't think it's season-ending, so we'll see how he progresses.”

On any update on S Jimmie Ward

“No update on [S] Jimmie Ward.”

On his biggest takeaway from yesterday’s game

“My biggest takeaway is always… I'm excited that we got the win, but I think the biggest takeaway for me is we left so much out there. There's still so many things we can do better. I know it's tough to say that, but it is some small things I know we can do better, things we've worked, things we can clean up technique-wise, fundamental-wise. I just feel like we still left a lot of plays out there and that's my challenge to our guys. It's always, ‘How do you get better?’ Don't just rest on, ‘Oh, we won,’ and be happy with winning. It's all about continuing to learn, in a win or a loss, what do you learn from it and how you keep pushing the envelope to get even better.”

On the team’s ability to control the ball offensively

“Offensively, I feel like we've moved the ball really well. Of course, we can still get better in the red zone and finishing with touchdowns. But I think we're moving it well. It always starts there. Whatever you want to do offensively, you've got to move the football. I thought we did a good job on first down, mixing in some of our play-action passes, running the ball. I thought it was a good mix of plays on first down that gave us the advantage there. We were able to get some explosives on first down, passing the football. You keep pressing forward. You keep trying to get as many yards as possible. Get in the red zone and then that's where you try to strike and score points.”

Q: On the offense’s ability to pick up pressure on blitzes

Ryans: “It's a credit to the coaches, starting with [Nick] Caley and the offensive staff. They've done a really good job of really emphasizing and walking through the pressure looks that we'll see. Credit to the players [too], they executed it the right way. I think Woody [Marks] has stepped up and done a really nice job in protection. He's improved the protection, how we're communicating up front. We did a really great job, probably one of our better jobs yesterday of picking up the blitzes that they were bringing and got them out of some of those blitzes. Not just picking it up, I thought C.J. [Stroud] did a great job of answering some of those blitzes, getting the ball to Nico [Collins] on one down the field on a deep in cut. It's collectively, coaches, players, everybody working well at it. It starts with how we practice, how guys are attentive to the details in their meetings and walking through to fix some of the issues that we had earlier with those blitzes.”

On if the team is finding solutions in the red zone compared to earlier in the year

“For us as a coaching staff, we're willing to do whatever it takes to try to improve. We won't continue to do the same things. I feel like they've done a really good job offensively of adding some non-traditional type plays in the red zone to put us in position to score.”

On if he matches his aggressiveness on fourth down based on the opponent

“Really, for me, just looking at fourth down, I feel like we have an advantage. I feel like we have plays that are good enough to win on fourth down. I’m not going for it just because they're an aggressive team on fourth down. I want to put the team in the best possible spot. Going back to our game, I felt like I wanted to continue to drive down and end up scoring so we could have a two-possession lead there and really put the game out of reach at that point because our offense did such a great job of driving the ball down. Those positive plays, which they showed, allowed me to be aggressive because I felt like we would continue to move the football.”

Q: On the defense’s success against Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor

Ryans: “Taylor, he's a tough back. I thought our guys did a really good job of tackling. That's what allowed us to really stop the run, not allowing those guys to get over 100 yards. It was how we tackled. Everybody tackled really well from our safeties, linebackers, defensive linemen. If one got missed, guys were still there. We swarmed the football and did a really good job of tackling.”

Q: On how he gets the team and the staff to buy into his messaging

Ryans: “For me, if your message is changing every week, guys may feel like you have to do something different. For the game of football, you don't have to make something up. You don't have to do something different. All the work you put in, in training camp. All the rules that you taught, all those things, it doesn't change. I don't make up things for our guys. I don't make it bigger than it is. Continue to control the controllables. Focus on exactly what we can do to put ourselves in a position to win games. Focus on yourself as an individual. Not staying the status quo. How are you really pushing yourself to get better? How are you studying a little extra? How are you working a little extra in practice? How are you working a little extra in your recovery process? That's all that I preach to the guys, and I'll continue to preach that because I know that's what truly matters when the game is on the line.”

Q: On the final offensive drive before halftime

Ryans: “We were trying to get points there. We are trying to get points. We didn't execute how we wanted to execute at the end of the half. If we get the first down, we're in a good spot there. We want to finish vertically. I thought [Jayden] Higgins did a great job of catching the football, but we got to finish vertical, get the first down there. Then we're in a position to go ahead and try to get points.”

Q: On the rotation of the defensive line

Ryans: “Coach Rod [Wright] does a great job with the substitutions. That's up to him with the substitutions and how he's rolling the guys. We take nine guys to the game. The idea behind it is we want those guys as fresh as possible when they're in there. We don't want our guys having to play a full 60 plays. When they're out there, them giving everything they possibly have. We ask a lot of our defensive line; we put a lot on them. So, to do that, you have to be as fresh as possible. Coach Rod has done a really great job of rotating and mixing those guys in accordingly.”

Q: On players like RB Woody Marks and TE Dalton Schultz exemplifying toughness

Ryans: “For me, I feel like everybody has to be tough to play here. It's a toughness, first off, a mental toughness. To understand your assignments, what you have to do, but also a physical toughness to push through the nicks and bumps that you have. I expect everybody to push through those because that's what NFL football is about.”

Q: On if he anticipates having to acquire a defensive back due to injuries

Ryans: “We'll find a way. I don't feel like we have to go outside to do that, but we'll find a way.”

Q: On CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Ryans: “Stingley has done a great job all year. He's done a great job of handling his business, doing it the right way, working hard in practice, and showing up in games. When it’s his opportunity to make plays, he finds a way to make those plays.”

Q: On his viewpoint going for two-point conversions when down multiple scores

Ryans: “With the two-point conversions, I think every coach… There are 32 head coaches in the league and everybody has their philosophy of how they want to handle it. That's why they're the head coach. Everybody else has an opinion about how it should be handled. Everybody feels like, ‘Hey, it's right if it works. If it doesn't work, then you're an idiot for not doing it.’ That's the nature of our job as head coaches, and I wear that burden. It's okay. It's all right.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said following Colts win