DeMeco Ryans: Texans Knew it Was 'Us Versus Everybody' Going into Playoffs vs. Chiefs

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans understood that his team entered their 23-14 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as clear underdogs.

"We knew going into this game, man, it was us versus everybody," Ryans told reporters after the game when asked about the officiating.

"When I say everybody, I mean everybody. The naysayers, the doubt. Everybody we had to go against again today. Going into this game knowing what we were up against, we can't make the mistakes we made. We had a lot of self-inflicted mistakes."

Ryans and the Texans knew Saturday's game against the back-to-back champion Chiefs would be a challenge. The test was made harder by some penalty calls that favored Kansas City.

Two penalties for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, including a roughing the passer call on defensive end Will Anderson and a late hit penalty by Henry To'oTo'o, led to 10 points for the Chiefs.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 245 yards in the loss while enduring an astounding eight sacks at Arrowhead Stadium.

"This kind of thing, it's us against the world when you're playing in these type of environments and games," Stroud told reporters after the loss.

In addition to the questionable calls, Ryans acknowledged the self-inflicted wounds that impacted the game, including missed field goals, defensive breakdowns and a lack of pass protection—factors that all contributed to the struggle.

"You marry that with everything else we have to deal with," Ryans said when reflecting on the difficult challenge of facing the Chiefs.