The Houston Texans are riding their longest winning streak in seven years, but if you listen to head coach DeMeco Ryans, you wouldn’t know they just cruised to a 20-point victory.

Following Sunday’s 40-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Texans (9-5) have extended their winning streak to six games. Yet, despite the lopsided score and a season-high offensive output, Ryans spent much of his postgame presser focusing on the "meat left on the bone" by his defensive unit. 

"In that game, defensively, that game was not up to our standard," Ryans said of the Texans' defense after beating the Cardinals.

"So there are a ton of things that we can improve upon, a ton of things that we need to get better at, things that we work on. We did a play up to our standard defensively, so we have a lot to go out and improve."

The Texans entered Sunday with the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense, allowing just 16.2 points per game. While the final score against Arizona looked dominant, the defense surrendered 235 net passing yards—the most they’ve given up all season—and allowed three passing touchdowns to Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

"We left a lot of plays out there," Ryans said. "We have to keep playing up to our standard. That’s what we judge ourselves against... The standard is the standard. It doesn't change. So, we’ll look at the tape intently and see where we can get better."

Ryans' dissatisfaction stems from a few uncharacteristic lapses:

The Big Plays: Despite the win, the defense allowed Cardinals tight end Trey McBride to explode for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

The Pass Rush: While Will Anderson Jr. continues his Pro Bowl-caliber season, the unit overall was "quieter" than usual, registering only two sacks.

Red Zone Resistance: Arizona managed to find the end zone three times, a frequency Ryans wants to see curtailed as the playoffs approach.

The Texans now turn their attention to a Week 16 matchup against a 2-12 Raiders team coming off a shutout loss to Philadelphia. On paper, it is one of the most lopsided matchups of the season, with the Texans opening as 14.5-point favorites.

For a coach like Ryans, a game against a "wounded animal" is the ultimate trap. His focus on defensive improvement this week is likely a tactical move to prevent complacency.

Ryans' philosophy is simple, he doesn't care about the Raiders' record. He cares about the Texans' tape. If the defense can eliminate the chunk plays allowed to Arizona and tighten up the interior in the wake of Edwards’ injury, Houston could be looking at a seven-game streak and a very dangerous December. 

As the team prepares to host the struggling Las Vegas Raiders this coming Sunday at NRG Stadium, the message is clear, winning isn't enough, playing to the "standard" is.