DeMeco Ryans refuses to 'point the finger' of blame at offensive coordinator Nick Caley
Fans of the Houston Texans must be starting to feel like they're Bill Murray's character -- Phil Connors, a curmudgeonly and cynical weatherman who slowly slips into madness as he inexplicably wakes up to 'I Got You Babe' every single morning while on assigment in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania -- in the movie Groundhog Day, stuck in a never-ending loop where the same issues that plagued their teams offense in 2024 are being relived on a weekly basis throughout the 2025 season as well.
The difference is, Texans fans have been forced to watch an offense that showed so much promise during the 2023 season stumble over and over again in both 2024 and 2025, despite the fact that general manager Nick Caserio has put plenty of resources toward improving Houston's offense each season.
Understandably, it's caused most Texans fans to point the finger of blame at first-year/first-time offensive coordinator Nick Caley, whose underwhelming performance as a play-caller this year has prompted unexpected existential questions like,
With that said, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans isn't prepared to point the finger of blame at Caley, despite Houston's below-average offensive ranks across the board, many of which are actually lower than during the 2024 season. In fact, Ryans is putting all of the blame on himself, falling on his proverbial sword in order to protect his OC.
DeMeco Ryans reiterates that Texans have no plans for personnel changes
"It all starts with me," Ryans said on Tuesday, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com. "So, you guys want to point the finger at somebody, put it on me. That's my job, and ultimately, it's my job to get it fixed. So that's how it'll be, but we're rolling on what we have, and we got to just all do better. Got to coach you better. We got to play better. We got to execute better on game day. And look, as bad as it seems, I tell the guys at the end of the day, we're still one possession from getting that game."
It's not just Monday night's loss to Seattle that the Texans were one possession from getting. In each of their four losses, the Texans have lost by no more than eight points. But this highlights the fundamental issue with this team... even with a defense that is capable of slowing down or turning over some of the league's most effective offenses, Houston's offense can't quite get the job done.
But like a true leader -- and when a guy's nickname is Mufasa, you know he has some top-tier leadership qualities -- DeMeco Ryans insists that the Texans will move forward with the staff in place right now. Even if fans want Nick Caley's job, Ryans likely knows it's too early to give in.
"We're pressing forward with everybody that we have," Ryans declared. "We're collectively all in this together."
Steelers Listed as Fit for Two Big-Name WR Trade Candidates
The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been overly impressive, and despite a lackluster point differential, they currently sit atop the AFC North. A trade deadline boost could go a long way for Mike Tomlin’s team.
One could quibble with the semantics as to whether Pittsburgh is “all in” this season, but signing Aaron Rodgers isn’t exactly the move made with long-term thinking in mind. At 4-2 and with the rest of the division in peril, this might be the Steelers’ last best chance to make a deep run for a while.
That makes them a fascinating team at the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline, and an intriguing ESPN.com piece posted Oct. 22 lists Pittsburgh as a potential landing spot for a pair of big-name wideouts: Miami’s Jaylen Waddle and Las Vegas Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Steelers Listed as Potential Trade Fit for Jaylen Waddle, Jakobi Meyers
In a story outlining the 25 top trade candidates, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen listed both Waddle (No. 2) and Meyers (No. 5) among the top players who could have new addresses by mid-November.
Waddle is still a long shot. Fowler gave it a 10% chance that the Dolphins would actually move him before the deadline. Miami is circling the drain, and head coach Mike McDaniel is in major jeopardy of losing his job. However, Waddle just signed a three-year extension last year.
“This is a similar situation to (Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey) Hendrickson; the team does not plan to trade the player, but interest is there,” Fowler wrote. “While Miami could be tempted to trade players due to its 1-6 record, Waddle is a building block on offense, and he’s due $36.1 million in cash over 2025-26 — reasonable in today’s high-end receiver market.”
Meyers, on the other hand, feels far more likely to move. He needs a new deal and has already requested — and publicly confirmed multiple times — a trade.
“Multiple execs told me they believe Las Vegas is open to a deal but is not actively shopping him,” Fowler wrote. “Another, however, believes the Raiders would prefer to wait until after the season to make any sweeping changes, due in part to the presence of Pete Carroll. The type of offers that roll in over the next two weeks could determine the course of action here.”
Steelers’ Reported Plans for NFL Trade Deadline
Pittsburgh hasn’t typically made a big splash at the NFL trade deadline, but general manager Omar Khan isn’t against midseason additions. Just last year, the Steelers swung a trade for New York Jets receiver Mike Williams, who was largely a non-factor down the stretch.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Gerry Dulac believes Pittsburgh could take a similar path in 2025.
“I think if you see them go get a wide receiver, it’s gonna be the equivalent of Mike Williams, what they did last year,” Dulac said on 102.5 WDVE on Oct. 20, as transcribed by SteelersDepot.com.
” … I don’t think they’re ready to push any kind of button to say we need to get a second wide receiver, No. 2 wide receiver, because you’re seeing what they’re doing with all their different tight ends.”
Rodgers certainly has utilized Jonnu Smith (20 receptions), Pat Freiermuth (13) and Darnell Washington (nine) this season. Perhaps that’s sustainable, but adding someone like Meyers — a physical wideout who can serve as an intermediate option — would complement Metcalf and give Pittsburgh an added element to its offense.
