Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans emphasizes the fact that missed opportunities were a key reason for the loss on Sunday afternoon.
The Houston Texans had a brutal loss in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon, which moved the Texans to 0-2.
On that note, during Sunday's media availability, head coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned that the Texans' missed opportunities in the passing game specifically were a big reason why Houston struggled.
"The only frustrating part is we had multiple opportunities to make plays. The ball was up. We pushed the ball downfield. We had opportunities. We didn't capitalize on those opportunities. So, still, I'm proud of how CJ distributed the ball. But whoever is out there is your job to come down with the ball," Ryans said.
When looking at the production from the passing game from the receivers, it is pretty clear why Ryans is frustrated.
Without question, the top target for the Texans was tight end Dalton Schultz, who had 12 receptions for 140 yards. However, besides Schultz, no one else eclipsed 40 yards, which showcased the struggles that Houston had moving the ball through the air.
For the Texans' wide receivers not to have a player to eclipse 40 yards is not a great sign at all, and in fact, it is very disappointing, especially because Houston has a player like quarterback CJ Stroud who got the ball there and gave them opportunities, but they were not able to get it done.
Now, it is important to mention that the Texans' top wide receiver, Nico Collins, was out of the game due to a hamstring injury that he suffered on Wednesday, which does seem to be something that had a major impact on this game.
Additionally, it is very possible that Collins will be out once again in Week 3, which could be very problematic for this passing game if Stroud cannot get on the same page as his receivers.
With that said, someone in the wide receiver room has to step up whether it is Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel, Jared Wayne, or someone else.
On the perimeter, Stroud needs someone he can rely on consistently with Collins out of the lineup, and at this point, he does not appear to have that, which is something that has to change otherwise, this passing game will continue to have struggles.
In the game on Sunday, Stroud had a good amount of yards as he totaled 353 passing yards, however he completed 30 of his 55 attempts which is not the type of efficiency that he is looking for, especially in a game that the Texans had plenty of opportunities to win.
When it comes to being more efficient, there is no question that Stroud will be looking toward Schultz to continue being productive, but after Sunday it is very possible that opposing defenses will be devoting a lot more attention to Schultz. So, Stroud may be forced to rely on his receivers which will demand that someone steps up.
So, moving forward, it will be interesting to watch if Stroud can still target Schultz, if Collins is back in the lineup soon, and if any other receivers can step up for the Texans in the passing game, because the results of all three of these things next week should have a key impact on whether or not Houston can move to 1-2 or if they will fall to 0-3.
