Every team in the AFC South is 2-2 through the first four weeks of the regular season, so no one in the division would be foolish to feel they can contend for the division crown as the year unfolds.
That would be a major step forward for the Texans in their first year under head coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans won 11 games over the last three seasons and cycled through four interim or permanent head coaches over that span, but Ryans isn’t looking that far down the road at this point.
On Monday, Ryans said that the team’s focus remains on improving and that remaining vigilant on that front will put them where they belong in the standings when all is said and done.
“With the standings, we really don’t care,” Ryans said at his press conference. “It doesn’t come to mind to me when you talk about the standings. It’s just literally one game at a time, one week at a time. How are we improving throughout the week? That’s our main focus and the outcomes of the season, where we’ll end up, it’ll take care of itself if we continue to focus on our preparation.”
The Texans have won their last two games by comfortable margins and there’s every reason to think continued improvement is in the cards for players like quarterback C.J. Stroud, edge rusher Will Anderson, and wide receiver Tank Dell as they continue to get acclimated to life in the NFL. Their next four games are against NFC South teams with a bye in the middle, so they appear to be well-situated for a stay at the top of the division even if Ryans won’t be paying attention to that yet.
