The Monday Night Football slate for Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season will see Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play DeMeco Ryansâ Houston Texans on the road for the first time since 2023.
That game was a thriller, with then rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud leading a 39-37 comeback win for the Texans. When looking back at that day, however, Mayfield emphasized on Ryansâ impact on the Texansâ growth.
âIt starts with DeMeco Ryans,â Mayfield told Bucs reporter Casey Phillips, via @tmilrealdeal on X. âJust the type of guy he is, the type of leader, a guy who was a successful NFL linebackerâ heâs going to demand that his guys play extremely hard, and thatâs the one thing I remember [from 2 years ago]. They fly to the ball. It presents a tough task for us, but weâll see what we can do.â
Ryans turned the Texans around
Mayfieldâs praise for Ryans makes absolute sense. The former San Francisco 49ers assistant made an immediate impact upon being hired by Houston in 2023, leading the team to the AFC South title en route to its first playoff appearance since 2019.
Baker Mayfield against the Texans in 2023.
The Texans made it to the Divisional Round for the second straight season on Ryansâ watch in 2024, losing to eventual Super Bowl LIX runners-up Kansas City Chiefs in a game that didnât lack in controversy.
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DeMeco Ryans turns heads with major admission about Joe Mixon ahead of Texansâ upcoming games
A challenging test for Mayfield and the Bucs
This year, Ryans and company are looking to bounce back from a 0-1 start though, having suffered a narrow, 14-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in their season opener in California.
Therefore, Mayfield and the Buccaneers (1-0 after beating the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 in Week 1) know their upcoming visit to the NRG Stadium will probably force them to bring their A-game. Last time out in Houston, not even a 37-point performance was enough to claim the win. Will the Bucs find a way to victory Monday night? One thing is for sure: an entire nation will be watching.
