{
  "id": 9022583,
  "title": "Ryans owns Texans’ 0-2 start as Houston scrambles to avoid another 0-3 hole",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/ryans-owns-texans-0-2-start-as-houston-scrambles-to-avoid-another-0-3",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T22:29:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ryans-owns-texans-0-2-222912530.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Coach DeMeco Ryans admitted Monday that Houston's winless start in the NFL season may be his responsibility as the Texans strive to prevent another 0-3 opening, a situation that haunts them after a 0-2 finish in the past four years. The team suffered a 20-6 defeat to Cincinnati on Sunday, following a 36-31 loss to Buffalo in the opener. Defensively, the Texans showed improvement, but offensively, they struggled, failing to score a touchdown and going 0 for 4 in the red zone, as reported by quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud completed 30 of 55 passes, throwing for 353 yards but failing to convert short-yardage situations, which is crucial for victory, according to Stroud. Coach Ryans emphasized that everyone, including coaches and players, must improve, stating, \"If I coach it better, we’ll play a little bit better, train a little bit longer (and) find a way to finish a football game.\"\n\nThe turning point in the game occurred when it was scoreless with seven minutes left in the first half. The Texans had a fourth-and-inches from the Cincinnati 18 when Dexter Lawrence tackled David Montgomery for a loss of a yard, allowing the Bengals to capitalize on an 81-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown reception by Ja’Marr Chase. Coach Ryans conceded that many more plays throughout the game could have been executed better by the team.\n\nWhile the defense improved, the special teams struggled, as Houston allowed a 40-yard kickoff return and a missed 58-yard field goal by Kaʻimi Fairbairn. Coach Ryans acknowledged that the special teams' performance was not up to the mark. Tight end Dalton Schultz had a strong game, setting career highs with 12 receptions for 140 yards, becoming the franchise's all-time leading tight end in receptions and receiving yards. However, the offensive line faced criticism for failing to control Cincinnati's defensive front, leading to multiple sacks and a poor performance from Houston's running backs, who gained only 18 yards on 14 carries.",
  "summary": "Coach DeMeco Ryans took responsibility Monday for Houston's winless start as the Texans try to avoid opening the season 0-3 for a second straight year. “If I coach it better, we’ll play a little bit better, train a little bit longer (and) find a way to finish a football game.” The Texans fell to 0-2 for the third time in four years with Sunday’s 20-6 loss to Cincinnati that came after a 36-31…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has Nico Collins update after missing Bengals game",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/texans-coach-demeco-ryans-has-nico-collins-update-after-missing",
        "published": "2026-09-21T19:19:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}