Ryan Ryan thinks the Houston Texans are “basically a bye” for the Los Angeles Chargers on wild-card round weekend.
The Texans would politely disagree. And yes, polite is the right form of context as running back Joe Mixon took a moment to put together the proper words when asked for a comment.
“I’m just here to let my helmets and shoulder pads do the talking,” Mixon said. “I’m not going to comment on that.”
The Texans (10-7) enter Saturday’s contest as a 5-5-point underdog despite playing host to the No. 5 seed Chargers. Los Angeles (11-6) is riding high into the postseason off a three-game win streak, including back-to-back victories by 10-plus points.
It’s why Ryan is confident the Bolts will break the spirit of the Texans first before they ever break a sweat.
“I never realized the Chargers got a bye — that they qualified for a bye,” Ryan said Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up” morning show. “But they did because they’re playing Houston.”
The former head coach isn’t alone in predicting a blowout could be on the horizon. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport joked during a segment on “The Insiders” about Houston’s chances of securing a second playoff win in as many years.
“The talent for sure is there,” Rapoport said. “It’s a perfect opportunity for the Texans to come out and get a win that absolutely no one expects them to get.”
The Texans haven’t met their internal goals. They’ll be the first to speak of the issues that plagued a chance of a higher seed.
One area that hasn’t died? Internal belief. Players are bought in throughout out a cold week of practice to muster up a game plan worthy of quieting the critics.
“The time is now to strike,” Mixon said. “I just keep trying to have my guys’ eyes on the prize. You’ve got to put everything into perspective. I just keep telling them you win this game (and) the next game, that’s the AFC championship. I’ve been there before. I know what it takes.
Outside hasn’t gotten into the building yet. Even if it did, The players have chosen to ignore it.
“Noise is always going to be there,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “It’s a part of sports. It’s always evident in this sport. They said the same thing about us last year when we played the Browns (in the playoffs).
“I kind of like being the underdog. I’ve been the underdog a lot of my life and my career, so it’s actually comfortable for me.”
Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT.