Houston Texans return to Pee Wee Ball drills to fix defense before Chargers game

Houston Texans linemen watch Houston Texans place kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn (15) 58-yard field goal against the New York Giants in the first half of game action at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle) The first set of drills at the Houston Texans' first practice after a week off focused on the basics.Coach DeMeco Ryans led the instruction. One group of defensive players knelt in a row on the 35-yard line while another group stood in front of them.When Ryans yelled, "Drive," the players on their knees wrapped up the ones standing and squeezed."He took us back to Pee Wee Ball today," star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. said with a laugh.The drill was aimed at improving one of the things that has plagued the Texans' defense this season and contributed to their loss to the Giants two weeks ago: missed tackles.Ryans hopes the emphasis will lead to better play from a defensive unit that has largely underperformed this season. The Texans have given up extra yards and explosive plays because they haven't tackled well. The drill was one way to address the problem."It's just a matter of emphasizing things, areas where we need to improve as coaches, as players," Ryans said after practice. "We just emphasize it, put our focus there. We want to see it get better on Sunday."It'll be one of the keys in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers.The Texans have an opportunity to right the ship Sunday. A win could help spark a run. A loss could have devastating consequences, potentially ending their pursuit of the playoffs and causing general manager Nick Caserio and Ryans to rethink their approach to the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The Texans have no room for error.The Chargers are the only team in the NFL without a win. If there's one game that could help get the Texans' defense back on track, it should be this one.The Chargers' offense ranks last in the league in points per game (14.1). It leads the league with 17 giveaways - 10 interceptions and seven fumbles. And quarterback Justin Herbert is having the worst statistical season of his career.It's the perfect game for a defense that has struggled to generate turnovers and ranks tied for 29th in the league.Ryans had a completely different perspective on the Chargers, though. He called them "a really good football team," even if their record doesn't suggest it."Their quarterback is a really great player, their defense has been really good," Ryans said. "They eliminate explosives. This is a really good team. We don't come in looking at the record and making any predetermined notions of who this team is."We go out, we watch the film, we prepare for a really good team."But this week's game, players say, is less about the opponent and more about fixing the things they've struggled with this year.Before his team took last week off, Ryans said, he asked the players and coaches to reflect on what had happened during the first seven weeks and how they could improve.Safety Calen Bullock went home to spend time with his family. He said the time reminded him why he plays football, and he returned with a renewed mindset."That was my why," Bullock told the Chronicle. "I think people forget we're blessed. We're in this position for a reason. We're part of the 1%. Not everybody gets to make it here. And I had to just realize that. Now that I come back, I'm just grateful and leaving everything on the field every single day."Bullock said that mindset showed up in practice for a lot of players. He saw urgency and excitement."It feels like we're back," Bullock said. "It feels like everybody is on the same page, everybody knows the position we're in and we put ourselves in this position, our backs are against the wall, and we've got to shine. We've got to win games and be that defense we know we can be."Running back Woody Marks put it more bluntly when describing the offense. Although it has played well for most of the season, it lacked explosiveness and was outplayed against the Giants."The first half is over with," Marks said. "We got our ass kicked. Come back the second half (of the season), we've got to finish."It'll take us a long way. We got 10 games to lead us over the hump."The Texans have experience being in this position. They were 3-5 last season before reeling off nine consecutive wins to finish 12-5 and earn a playoff berth. They were fueled by their defense, which was the best in the league.They'd need 10 wins this year to finish in that same spot.But to get there, they'll need to improve on defense.Nickel cornerback Jalen Pitre, who missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, should help. He is expected to return for Sunday's game after practicing in full Wednesday.Ryans said he expects no major adjustments. The lineup will largely remain the same, with Pitre at nickel and cornerback Kamari Lassiter returning to outside cornerback. Safety Reed Blankenship remains in concussion protocol and is dealing with a hand injury for which he had surgery last month."For us, defensively, we just have to go play our defense the right way," Ryans said. "It's playing with fundamentals, playing with technique, everybody playing together."That's good defensive football. There are not a ton of adjustments that need to be made. We just have to go out and play it the right way."That's why Ryans took the team back to the basics Wednesday. It wasn't meant to punish or humiliate the players. It was also meant to give them perspective.Anderson, who said he went fishing during the off week, saw that perspective."Even though we may laugh at it, that's a good chemistry drill for us," Anderson said. "Even though we're working on getting better, it just takes you back to those days when you first started playing football."Yes, it's a serious drill, but that's what makes it light and that's what makes everybody want to continue to come to work in this building and continue to show up and play."When asked whether he was optimistic that the Texans could still make the playoffs, Anderson responded, "Most definitely.""I think where we at right now, we have to take it one day at a time, one game at a time," he added. "We can't look too far ahead. We know what we want as a team. We know the goals that we want, but I think right now it's, each week, how dialed in, how detailed can I be on this one opponent to go out and do my job to the best of my ability and just to win these next games to get to where we want to be at."SubscribeThere’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Houston Texans return to Pee Wee Ball drills to fix defense before Chargers game.