Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans did not mince words about Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Less than 24 hours after the Texans moved to .500 for the first time this season, Ryans was already addressing the “Thursday Night Football” matchup, in which the Texans are expected to once again be without quarterback C.J. Stroud.
That reality is even more daunting with Allen on the other side.
DeMeco Ryans Delivers Blunt Truth About Josh Allen Before Bills-Texans
GettyJosh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills directs a teammate during a play against the New England Patriots.
Allen cemented his stature in the league with the MVP in 2024, and Ryans is making sure the Texans are aware of what kind of “challenge” they are up against. Allen is piloting a “really, really good team,” Ryans said, adding praise for Bills head coach Sean McDermott and his tenure.
“They have a great quarterback and Josh Allen, who can make any type of play you need him to make. So, it’s a challenging opponent coming up this Thursday for us. We’re up for the challenge, as always, as every opponent. So, we’re looking forward to it. They have done a really good job, I think, up front, running the football,” Ryans told reporters on November 17.
“Josh can move around and make those plays. You have to cover him twice, for sure, with his scramble ability. And also, he’s done a good job of mixing up some QB run game as well. He does a good job of that, escaping the pocket, making plays, and we have to do a much better job defensively of controlling that. Because we’ve let a few plays get out on us when we allow the quarterback to scramble. So, it’ll be a really big challenge for us defensively.”
Allen has 2,456 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions on 69.6% completion this season.
DeMeco Ryans Doubles Down on Josh Allen: ‘Never Let Up’
GettyJosh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball against the New Orleans Saints.
The former No. 7 overall pick of the 2018 draft has added another 351 yards and 10 touchdowns on 65 carries.
His dual-threat capability gives fits to even the best defenses.
“When you’re playing against Josh Allen, everybody just has to remain disciplined, especially as we’re rushing. Our rush lanes, everybody just has to rush with integrity. Understand, this quarterback can escape the pocket anywhere. So, you just have to have awareness and remain disciplined for four quarters,” Ryans said.
“If you get out of a gap, if you fall asleep on a play, you’re not playing with awareness. That’s when he can gut you. So, you just have to play with awareness for four quarters. You can never let up.”
The Texans boast the NFL’s No. 1 scoring and overall defense, presenting a challenge of their own for Allen and the Bills.
DeMeco Ryans Issues Notice to Texans
GettyDanielle Hunter #55 of the Houston Texans looks on before a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
One thing is for certain: Ryans was not only urging the Texans to play smarter in anticipation of facing Allen. He also stumped for better effort offensively against a “fast” Bills defense on Sunday.
“They run, they hit, they play fast, they play physical, they’re sound in their assignments, they’re going to be where they’re supposed to be. Not a ton of busts on their tape. They play together, they play fast. So, we have to do a good job of trying to sustain drives as best we can. Winning on third down will be key for us. We didn’t do a great job on third down this past week. So, that’ll be key,” Ryans said.
“And then, we have to finish drives. The red zone hasn’t been great for us on both sides. So, we got to do a great job of finishing drives defensively and offensively in the red zone.”
Ryans announced that defensive end Danielle Hunter was fine after getting banged up against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11. That puts the Texans’ star on track to bookend Will Anderson, whom Ryans praised, in efforts to harass Allen on the field.
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