How Texans might have a DeMeco Ryans decision-making problem

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The Houston Texans are 0-3 for the second consecutive season. After making a roaring comeback last year to earn a playoff spot, this year's Texans team doesn't feel nearly as threatening.

Their defense doesn't look as dominant as it once did; the offense continues to look stagnant, especially the running game despite David Montgomery's addition to the team. But one of the biggest issues might be about DeMeco Ryans.

ESPN's Ben Solak highlighted how Ryans made multiple poor decisions during the loss in Week 3 to the Indianapolis Colts that significantly hurt the Texans' playoff chances. These decision-making issues might become a real problem for the Texans.

Texans might have a DeMeco Ryans decision-making problem

"The Texans are 0-3 for a lot of reasons, and block and game management is a solid chunk of it," Solak writes.

Regarding game management, in the Week 3 loss, Ryans decided to kick a field goal on fourth-and-4. That decision cost the Texans dearly, as Solak shared it was a 3.6% drop in win probability to kick the field goal rather than go for it.

They needed a touchdown down 16-7, and instead of trying to gain four yards to score said touchdown, the Texans took the points. For a team with a poor offense, getting chances inside the 10-yard line like that doesn't come often.

But that's only part of the concern with Ryans' after Week 3. Solak pointed out the poor clock management from Ryans that might've been a big reason for the Week 3 loss.

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"After a first-and-10 run of 5 yards from Jonathan Taylor, the clock rolled from 1:04 to 0:29 (and an expiring play clock) ... and then Ryans called the timeout," Solak writes. "Houston lost 19-17 after getting the ball back with just 11 seconds on the clock."

If Ryans called a timeout with more time left on the game clock, C.J. Stroud and the offense might've had significantly more time to move down the field to try a long game-winning field goal.

Instead, Ryans let the clock run down and significantly hurt his team's chances of winning the game in the process.

While Ryan's defense is elite, and there are reasons to like him as a coach, the poor decision-making regarding clock and game management is a real problem for the Texans' head coach that could lead to losses, as it did in Week 3.