One of the league’s brightest offensive minds labels Houston’s defense one of the league’s top.
The Houston Texans' defense was the motor of the team all season, and teams around the league took notice.
During Sunday’s Super Bowl pregame show, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was featured as a guest analyst for NBC Sports. As one of the league’s brightest offensive minds, Shanahan credited Houston’s defense as one of only two teams this season that could win the big game solely on one side of the ball—the other, of course, being the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Demeco Ryans’ defense ranked second in the league in both points per game allowed (17.4) and total yards allowed (277.2). They tied for sixth with 47 sacks, recorded the third-most interceptions with 19, tied for fourth in forced fumbles with 14 and ranked third in fumbles recovered with 10. What made the Texans’ defense so special was that they ranked in the top five against both the pass and the run.
Third-year edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was named a first-team All-Pro, selected to the 2025 PFWA All-NFL Team, was a 2026 Pro Bowl starter and was also a finalist for the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He recorded 85 pressures, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and three passes deflected, while forcing three fumbles and recovering two.
On the opposite side, tenth-year edge rusher Danielle Hunter was named a second-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. He recorded 90 pressures (second in the league), 15 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and three passes deflected, while forcing three fumbles and recovering another.
Seventh-year linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was selected to his first Pro Bowl this season after leading the team with 103 tackles (48 solo), along with nine passes deflected, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
In the secondary, fourth-year cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was named a back-to-back first-team All-Pro and selected to the PFWA All-NFL Team in consecutive seasons. The Pro Bowl starter recorded 36 total tackles (26 solo), 15 passes broken up (fifth in the league), one defensive touchdown, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and four interceptions—including his first career pick-six.
With standout performances across the roster, whether against the pass or the run, the Texans’ defense was so dominant that it often masked the offense’s flaws. The unit that set the tone all season will remain the foundation for the team’s future.