Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke candidly after the loss to the Seattle Seahawks on “Monday Night Football,” making it crystal clear his team, and specifically kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, did not follow instructions.
Trailing the Seahawks 27-19 in the fourth quarter, the Texans needed to preserve the two-minute warning to give themselves a realistic chance to get the ball back and tie the game.
Fairbairn kicked the ball off as usual, drawing reactions from Ryans during and after the game.
DeMeco Ryans Calls Out Ka’imi Fairbairn After Texans’ Loss
GettyKa’imi Fairbairn #15 of the Houston Texans prepares to kick a field goal against the Tennessee Titans.
According to Ryans, whose countenance on the sideline following the kick drew attention during the broadcast, said “the plan” was indeed for Fairbairn to kick the ball out of bounds. Ryans called it “frustrating” to have players not do as the coaching staff has instructed.
“The plan at the end of the game, we’re kicking the ball out of bounds so we can utilize the two-minute and I had a timeout, and we did not execute that,” Ryans told reporters on October 21. “Again, just goes to the entire game. So, frustrating that we’re not executing the things we’re coached to do.”
Fairbairn was otherwise perfect on the night, hitting both of his field goals and his extra point attempt.
His lone error will not show up in the box score, but it was extremely costly.
ALLCITY’s Adam Hoge posted on X on October 20 that the “Texans just made the same mistake the Bears did in Week 1, allowing a kick return to burn the two-minute warning timeout,” which Orlovsky also referenced.
“And in this case, the kicker didn’t look like he was trying to kick it out of bounds or out of the back of the end zone.”
The loss snaps a two-game winning streak and drops Ryans and the Texans to 2-4.
DeMeco Ryans Rips Texans Showing on ‘Monday Night Football’
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on against the Seattle Seahawks.
Ryans did not place all of the blame for the Texans’ loss on Fairbairn, offering criticism for their myriad issues during the contest.
KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson noted on X after the game that the Texans lost “as they go 1 for 3 in the red zone, 2 for 15 on third down, 1 for 4 on fourth down” and “despite turnover margin edge of 4-1. Ten penalties, 105 yards.”
Ryans called the Texans’ effort in the loss “sloppy.”
Ryans also noted that the Texans fell short in their “main goal” coming into Monday’s game against the Seahawks.
“For us tonight is just overall just sloppy play,” Ryans said in his opening statment. “There was some positive things that we did. But it was just overshadowed by the by the negative things. Offensively, it was not good enough. Didn’t move the ball good enough. We gotta execute better. The main goal in this game was to control the front. We did not do that. Their front controlled us.
“It wasn’t good enough for us. But we have to find a way to get better there. We gotta gotta score points, right? So we gotta find a way to get in the end zone. Had multiple opportunities, just didn’t capitalize on those.”
Ryans also lamented missed connections in the passing game, but the issues were widespread.
DeMeco Ryans Spreads Blame
GettySeattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald greets Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans after the game.
Ryans and the Texans’ two wins this season came against the now-1-6 Tennessee TItans and an admittedly injury-ravaged Baltimore Ravens club.
The third-year head coach also lamented the team’s penalties and lack of “smart” football.
“Today, it wasn’t a good day for our entire team,” Ryans said. “It’s not just one side. All three phases did not do a great job today. We didn’t play winning football. So, we can’t expect to come out with the win when you don’t do the things that winning teams do.”
The biggest obstacle that Ryans and the Texans face is the fact that their issues have been so widespread to start this season.
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