The Houston Texans have been an impressive underdog story, and they will play in the Divisional round of the 2023 NFL playoffs this weekend versus the Baltimore Ravens.

No one could’ve seen this coming as recently as September, but rookie C.J. Stroud has had a sensational season to carry them this far.

Another storyline has been another rookie — first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans, who is also getting praise for the job he has done with the young Texans.

Retired pass rusher J.J. Watt, who spent 10 of his 12 seasons with the Texans, cited Ryans preparing linebacker Christian Harris to come up with an interception of Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco as an example of Ryans’ “phenomenal coaching.”

Ryans had spent the previous six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, and he was their defensive coordinator for the last two years when they got to the NFC Championship Game both seasons.

The Niners had the NFL’s best defense last season, and it made Ryans a hot coaching candidate this past offseason.

While Houston hasn’t been the defensive juggernaut San Francisco continues to be, they did allow the fewest passing touchdowns of any team during the regular season.

In the Ravens, they will go up against a team that features the likely league MVP in quarterback Lamar Jackson and the No. 1 rushing offense in football.

Knocking them off will be a tall task, but Stroud is enough of a gamer and Ryans is a strong enough coach and leader to at least give the Texans a puncher’s chance.